Income Security

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 programsdon’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 • Make the Disability Tax Credit refundable for low-income Canadians • 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 • Make those eligible for Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits automatically eligible for the Disability Tax Credit • Make Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits non-taxable • Expand Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits to 52 weeks (fromcurrent 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, 2008-09 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 mprince@uvic.ca Please visit our Research Alliance project “Disabling Poverty and Enabling Citizenship” http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/poverty-citizenship