Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to Motion No. 243, which proposes to study the level of financial support provided to persons with disabilities through the Canada pension plan disability benefit.
The CPP disability benefit provides basic earnings replacement for contributors who are incapable of working regularly due to a disability that is severe and prolonged.
As a $3.3 billion program that affects the lives of nearly 300,000 Canadians, it warrants regular monitoring. That is why the government is pleased to support this motion.
However, this is not to say that the CPP and the CPP disability benefit do not regularly undergo other forms of evaluation or that they are not subject to ongoing improvement.
In fact, one of the reasons the study called for in Motion No. 243 is welcome is that it will serve to complement other work in this area.
Built into CPP legislation is a requirement that every three years federal, provincial and territorial ministers of finance, as joint stewards of the CPP, review it to ensure that it is financially sound and to make necessary adjustments.
The triennial review provides an opportunity to see that the CPP, including CPP disability, evolves to meet the changing needs of Canadians throughout their lives.
The most recent review, completed in 2006, confirmed that the Canada pension plan is indeed on firm financial footing now and for the foreseeable future.
Of course, any major changes to the CPP benefits and financing require the approval of Parliament and of two-thirds of the provinces with two-thirds of the population. Working together, the provinces, territories and the federal government ensure that the CPP remains accessible to Canadians.
I would like to take this opportunity to talk about some of the other ways the government is improving the Canada pension plan disability benefit.
First, the government is working to improve services for persons with disabilities, focusing on the needs of clients so that they can access their benefits as easily and quickly as possible.
Secondly, the CPP disability now provides support for beneficiaries who return to work. For example, since early 2005, when Parliament passed an amendment to the CPP, beneficiaries have a new financial safety net to count on when trying to return to regular employment: the automatic reinstatement of CPP disability benefits.
Automatic reinstatement helps CPP disability clients take a chance on returning to the workforce. Before this provision came into effect, clients were not sure they would requalify for benefits if it turned out that they could not continue working. Automatic reinstatement reduces this uncertainty by providing extended entitlement to clients whose CPP disability benefits come to an end because they begin working again on a regular basis. These clients have a two-year period during which, if their disability recurs and prevents them from staying at work, they can ask to have benefit payments restarted using a simple process.
A survey of clients who have used this provision shows it is doing what it was intended to and is serving those clients very well.
A substantial majority, 75%, felt that automatic reinstatement would influence their future return to work plans and a third of these clients indicated that the provision offers security and improves their self-confidence in planning a return to work. Almost 80% were completely or mostly satisfied with all facets of the process, including ease of use.
I would now like to put the Canada pension plan disability benefit in the context of the many other ways in which the government supports the participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Canadian society.
Members of the House may be aware of Human Resources and Social Development Canada's social development partnerships program disability component.
This $11 million grants and contributions program provides funding to national non-profit disability organizations actively engaged in ensuring full inclusion of Canadians with disabilities.
We recently extended these agreements for an additional year, with an increased investment to help people with disabilities to enter and stay in the labour market.
HRSDC also administers the opportunities fund, which is designed to assist people with disabilities to prepare for, find and maintain employment. About 4,800 Canadians with disabilities benefit from this program.
Through labour market agreements for persons with disabilities, HRSDC provides federal funding to the provinces to support programs and services for Canadians with disabilities.
I would like to underscore that over its relatively short lifespan, the government has taken significant steps to address the needs of the more than 3.6 million Canadians living with a disability.
In budget 2006, our government introduced several new measures to help families deal with the costs of caring for family members with disabilities. Specifically, the annual child disability benefit maximum was increased from $2,044 to $2,300, effective July 2006.
Also effective July 2006, eligibility for the child disability benefit was extended to medium and high income families who are responsible for caring for a child who is eligible for the disability tax credit. As well, budget 2006 increased the maximum refundable medical expense supplement from $767 to $1,000.
We recognize the difficulties for families who are dealing with disabilities and all of these measures are putting hard-earned tax dollars back into their pockets.
The government strongly believes that people with disabilities deserve every opportunity to participate fully in Canadian society. We are working toward this goal by showing leadership and by working to continually improve services to all Canadians, including those with disabilities.
On December 4, in honour of the International Day of Disabled Persons, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development released the fourth federal disability report. The report provides an overview of the activities, results and expenditures of more than 50 federal programs and initiatives that support the needs of Canadians with disabilities. I urge hon. members to read it.
Among these many programs, the CPP disability benefit will continue to be one of the Government of Canada's primary supports for people with disabilities. We therefore want to ensure on an ongoing basis that this program is soundly administered and transparent in all aspects of its operations and that it provides good value for money with demonstrable results in keeping with the program's intent.
The Department of Human Resources and Social Development itself is about to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of CPPD. As it will be much broader in scope than the study proposed by this motion, the two can serve to complement each other.
Hard-working Canadian families make responsible decisions about their own budgets every single day. They expect their government to do the same, to be prudent, to be accountable, to deliver the programs Canadians need while respecting their tax dollars.
The study proposed by the hon. member opposite is very much in keeping with our government's promise to strengthen accountability and increase transparency and oversight in all government operations, a commitment exemplified in our government's new Federal Accountability Act. This is why I urge my hon. colleagues from all parties to support this important motion.