Comments on: Assistance recipients on government hit list

By: anna

anna — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:43:42 +0000

Water is a human right. The fact that the $20 has been cut from people with disabilities could endanger our health!! Vancouver and North Shore water is not always safe to drink. On the North Shore there are frequent advisories against drinking tap water – especially for people with compromised immune systems, but I would also include children and the general public, since the chlorination treatment of tap water causes an acid ph in the body making one more prone to parasites, candida, etc. This $20 ought to be reinstated.

By: vincent watson

vincent watson — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:38:20 +0000

The new policies of the Liberals are a slap in the face for welfare recepients and for people with dis-
abilities. Many people depend on these services. I
suggest that Liberal MLA’s take a drastic pay cut
and tighten their belts.

By: Sarah Leavitt

Sarah Leavitt — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:59:39 +0000

There is more information on the website of the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities: http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/cutstomedical.htm

They encourage people to write letters to Rich Coleman and to your own MLA as well. Rich Coleman’s address is HSD.Minister@gov.bc.ca. Here is some sample email text from the BC Health Coalition that you can just cut and paste. Dear Minister Coleman, I am concerned about the about cuts to medical coverage and the shelter allowance for people with disabilities that are contained in the 2010 provincial budget and I ask you to reconsider this decision.

By: Jon Hamelin

Jon Hamelin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:51:41 +0000

I don’t know why anyone should be so surprised. Since day 1 of the Campbell government, they have waged war against the disabled.

First they removed protections for disabled persons from legislation and forced everyone receiving benefits to re-qualify. Then they reduced health care coverage and cut supplements. After reducing the average monthly cheque by $121, they generously gave back $40 two years later. Another unpublished cut came when they were giving themselves 20 % raises — a 33% cut to telephone subsidies.

How many suicides will it take among the disabled before society steps up and does something?

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:03:43 +0000

I am person living and dealing with HIV. In my benefits I recieve $20.00 per month for clean, safe drinking water. The government also justified this further cut (to me it’s another loss of $240.00 per year) by stating that BC has the best drinking water in North America. Perhaps for a average healthly individual this may be true. To a person though with a surpressed immune system this is a disaster. It’s true that by including this cut people like me and others will get sick, if not now eventually. Many social workers, doctors, advocates do not support this action. Some folks who recieve this benefit are considering launching a human rights complaint as this cut will affect our health and put people in immenent danger to thier own health. Not to mention (in my case), that the cost for 1 day in the hospital ( is just around $1500.00.) I do feel that this cut is unjustified and discriminatory. The one thing that I’ve noticed is that the BC Liberals just love to pick a fight with those who are mostly unable to fight back. And here I thought our society no longer tolerated bullies. So, if an individual wanted to file a human rights complaint, what would be the process?, any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Jim

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:53:44 +0000

Just plain inhumane, short-sighted and stupid. Mary Walsh, speaking at the recent BCTF conference made a point that “throwing money” at an issue does work (the Own the Podium program!). Along with Mary Walsh, i challenge the gov’t to decrease poverty, increase human dignity and likely cut long term health care costs by providing people with what they need to (at least!) meet their most basic health care needs.

By: Susan Craigie

Susan Craigie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:49:36 +0000

Shelter cut – that $75. is also something that homeless people get – perhaps to make up for the fact they have nowhere to cook or keep food. It is being cut from them too – perhaps the largest group to loose this benefit yet they forget to even mention it. It is not outdated for the homeless.

Cutting the supports for people with disabilities who are able to work is the worst aspect imo. Until now people with disabilities could return to work and maintain their medical benefits (medication, dental, glasses). Now that will only be possible for a year (maybe 2, but not in the long term). This will actually discourage people from reentering the workforce. I’ll go out on a limb and predict that it will actually cost the govt. more as people will choose to remain on disability to keep their health benefits.
Short sighted doesn’t even begin to describe this nonsense.

By: D. Phoenix

D. Phoenix — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:23:07 +0000

Meanwhile, Gordon Campbell proudly announces the Canadian Paralympic flag bearer and poses with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. He is such a friend to people with disabilities.

Forget quality of life issues. If the government wants to focus on strictly on money, these cuts will cost more in the long run because people will end up needing more expensive medical care when they have been denied the use of preventative measures like dental check-ups, physio and special diets.

These cuts are cruel. I hope more media picks up on this and that there is a lot of opposition to these cuts.

By: Keith Reynolds

Keith Reynolds — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:29:21 +0000

Paul Willcocks has written on this. He put it better than I did when he said, “The latest cuts to health services for the poorest British Columbians crossed a line.
The income assistance and disability benefit cuts are cruel, wasteful and petty.” See http://willcocks.blogspot.com/

By: Keith Reynolds

Keith Reynolds — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:31:58 +0000

The shelter cuts are targeted – “The minimum shelter allowance provides $75 a month to persons with disabilities and income assistance clients from age 60 to 64, even if they do not pay rent. This is an out-dated policy that excludes most income assistance clients and will be eliminated.”

and

“Approximately 1,400 clients receive this allowance. The changes take effect June 1, 2010. Estimated savings for two years is approximately $1.9 million.”

By: Kim Poirier

Kim Poirier — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:57:56 +0000

Gordon Campbell is evil. Thanks for the post. Less for shelter? Really?