Bill C-422

An Act to amend the Canada Disability Benefit Act

This enactment amends the Canada Disability Benefit Act to provide that a person’s eligibility for a benefit under that Act must not be affected by their eligibility for other such benefits, their marital status or their household income.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you so much, witness Ram.

I'm going back to the minister.

Minister, “nothing without us” means that this needs to be income tested on individuals. These benefits are because we have an ableist society, where persons with disabilities do not have the same access. I totally understand what witness Ram is saying. This is the traditional, long-standing method. We need a modernized approach to income supports for persons with disabilities not just in this area but also for the disability tax credit. It's very medicalized right now. I ask that you look at opportunities to modernize. Take a look at my bill, Bill C-422. It has already been tabled. It's been on the table for a week. This is what people are asking for. This is what it looks like to champion rights for persons with disabilities.

I'm going back to my initial question around the $250 workers' rebate.

Could the minister answer what specific steps she took to fight for persons with disabilities with respect to the $250? Then, go back to whether there is a mechanism in the Accessible Canada Act for continuous improvement of things that might not be working or for additions that need to be added.

Thank you.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

There were reports out last week that women with disabilities in abusive relationships are sitting ducks. They have the choice to either stay in an abusive relationship or...a large percentage of them end up homeless. We know this is a factor of clawbacks. This is a factor of women who are eligible and entitled to disability payments and income supports having those clawed back because, potentially, their partner's income is too high.

It is very important, in regard to marriage equity, to autonomy and to the safety of women with disabilities, that their income supports are not clawed back. As we think about the Canada disability benefit, I'm wondering what the minister is going to do to protect women in this area.

I'll also ask the minister if she has looked at my bill—Bill C-422—which talks about no clawbacks and independent income supports rather than household eligibility.

Canada Disability Benefit Act

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-422, An Act to amend the Canada Disability Benefit Act.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing a bill to protect the Canada disability benefit, and the persons who will receive it, from clawbacks. I thank the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith for seconding it and for the work that she does in her community for persons with disabilities.

People with disabilities living in poverty experience the cruelty of clawbacks first-hand. Whenever they get the slightest increase in income, their critical government benefits are reduced. The skimming of benefits that they are entitled to pushes them farther behind. The era of perpetuating poverty through the Liberals' cruel and callous clawbacks, and those of the Conservatives before them, has to end. The negative impacts go farther than just bad economic policy. It is bad social policy too. People with disabilities are prevented from having a live-in relationship, marrying, leaving an abusive relationship or even taking on roommates; if they do, they risk losing their critical benefits.

With my bill, in relation to the Canada disability benefit, which is already woefully inadequate, the government can amend and modernize the policy to bring in a new era of disability benefits that empowers people instead of punishing them.

In closing, I raise my hands to the disability community and countless advocates who have continued to raise the issue. Again, I call on the government to do what is right. It should adopt the bill, fix this historical wrong and make sure that people with disabilities can live the life they choose.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)