1 Income Security Remarks to the People First of Canada and Canadian Association for Community Living 2010 Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion Ottawa June 4, 2010

2 CACL’s Position Statement on Income Security People with intellectual disabilities must have the income and resources they need to secure a good quality of life and fully participate in all aspects of their communities. Where income support is required to assure income security, it must provide an adequate and appropriate income in a progressive, responsive and non-punitive manner. People with intellectual disabilities must have the means to live life with dignity.

3 If you’re unemployed, most income programs don’t work Disability-related income programs based on workplace attachment: – Canada Pension Plan-Disability – Veteran’s benefits – Workers’ Compensation – Working Income Tax Benefit-Disability – EI Regular and Sickness benefits – Private sector disability insurance Exceptions: – Disability tax credits – Registered Disability Savings Plan – Provincial/territorial social assistance

4 Disability, poverty, and income programs Adults with disabilities (aged 18-64) more likely to face persistent poverty when they receive only one of: – C/QPP-Disability – Veteran’s benefits – Social assistance Less likely than others with disabilities to have persistent low income if they receive: – Private disability insurance – Worker’s compensation Source: Spector and Kapsalis 2005

5 Policy Context – Income Almost 75% of adult Canadians with intellectual disabilities living alone are living in poverty (compared to 23% of working age Canadians without disabilities who live alone). About 46% of working age adults with an intellectual disability indicate they receive provincial/territorial social assistance. People with disabilities comprise a significant portion (from 22% to 67%) of social assistance recipients in provinces and territories.

6 CACL’s Call to Action: Income Security 1.Make the Disability Tax Credit refundable for low-income Canadians 2.Establish an advisory committee – reporting to both the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and the Minister of Finance – to explore options for expanding the federal role in income support for people with disabilities 3.Make those eligible for Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits automatically eligible for the Disability Tax Credit 4.Make Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits non- taxable 5.Expand Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits to 52 weeks (from current 15 week maximum)

7 A moderate agenda Focus on CPP-D, DTC, and EI, with emphasis on tax measures Ideas echoed or endorsed by others: – End Exclusion 2006, 2007 – Episodic Disabilities Network, – Senate Sub-Committee on Cities Report, 2009 – Canadian Breast Cancer Network study, 2010 Advisory Committee idea: – Scope and nature of a mandate – Membership on such a committee – Process of work and disability community engagement – Schedule

8 Thank you Michael J. Prince Lansdowne Professor of Social Policy Faculty of Human and Social Development University of Victoria Please visit our Research Alliance project “Disabling Poverty and Enabling Citizenship”