This petition is to urge the Federal Government of Canada to immediately enact an emergency benefit to all those on disability benefits across the country. Be that federal cpp-d, the disability tax credit as well as all provincial Disability benefit programs such as ODSP. 

The reason for this request and urgency is due to the current lack of a liveable income for those receiving benefits from disability programs, and the overly generous timeline for the Canada Disability Benefit to be enacted and distributed. It’s been several years to see a bill introduced, over two sessions of parliament, several delays, and now has finally received royal assent. 

The day after receiving royal assent disabled Canadians found out it will be an expected additional 18 months, waiting, that’s 6 months after the “going into effect clause” of no later than 1 year after receiving royal assent. It is unreasonable, and a violation of human rights, to make disabled canadians further suffer and struggle for an additional year and a half after all these years already waiting. Desperation is higher than ever, and need is dire. Aid is needed now.

Based on the concept of CERB, DERB would be an emergency benefit provided, to all those on an existing disability benefit program across Canada, to help with the cost of living until CDB is active. All current disability benefits are significantly lower than the poverty line, and there are people losing their lives to the conditions imposed by severe poverty, often deteriorating previous conditions, and placing people into a chronic state of stress, due to being thrust into and stuck in survival mode. 

Across Canada there is housing instability and a housing crisis, on top of the cost of living crisis. This is affecting many Canadians, but falls hardest for those on disability and social assistance programs. It hits the poorest disproportionately. Provincial disability programs don’t provide an adequate amount to cover shelter costs. In Ontario the maximum shelter allowance is $500, yet the average 1 bedroom apartment in Toronto is $3000 month rent. Every day we see an increasing number of people losing their housing, an increasing amount of homelessness in many communities, across the whole country.

Over half of those experiencing homelessness, have one or more disabilities. Many of those who qualified for disability are also medically determined unable to work. Those who can face clawbacks on income and supports. We have an increasing number of people with disabilities, unsupported, struggling in deep poverty, unable to access appropriate healthcare, turning to maid, or suicide. Seeing people asking for mutual aid, every month, because they cannot afford food and rent and medications. Canada is not supporting its most vulnerable, it is failing to honour its responsibility to the United Nations Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

We as a community need an emergency response from the  federal government, to help people with disabilities achieve a liveable income, until the Canada Disability Benefit is finally in place and taking over that need as a fully implemented benefit program. 
Some MPs have asked for this in the House of Commons already on behalf of the community as well, such as Bonita Zarrillo MP for Port Moody British Columbia, and Mike Morrice from Kitchener Centre Ontario. 
CERB was recognized as a need, and implemented within days, and distributed a liveable income amount in a time of need, yet which disabled people were excluded from. Our time of need has been decades, yet the urgency in this moment is that which we have never seen before.

Disability rights are Human Rights. It’s time for Canada to sufficiently support Canadians with disabilities by providing an liveable amount of income, to help alleviate the interconnected crises in canada which disproportionately disabled Canadians.

Time for A Canadian Disability Emergency Response Benefit now!