The B.C. government is raising income and disability assistance rates by $175 a month for more than 300,000 people starting in April.
Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Nicholas Simons, says it is the largest-ever permanent increase for income and disability assistance rates in the province.
“No action is required by ministry clients,” he said. “This is the largest and the third increase since we formed government in 2017. The three increases total $325 per month.”
Simons also says the government will bring in the first increase to the senior’s supplement since it was introduced back in 1987. It will be raised by $50 a month to $99.30 for a single person.
“It will double the maximum amount and directly impact and benefit approximately 80,000 seniors,” Simons added.
Under the new rates, a single person on income assistance will receive $935 per month and a single person on disability assistance will receive $1,358.42 per month. Similarly, a couple on income assistance will get about $1,427.22 per month, while couple on disability assistance will receive $1,947.56 per month.
Also starting in April, single parents with one child will begin receiving $1,270.58 per month if they receive income assistance, or $1,694.08 if they receive disability assistance. At the same time, couples with one child will receive $1,611.06 per month through income assistance, or $2,131.56 if they receive disability assistance.
Both those payments are in addition to up to $697 in federal and provincial child benefits.
“This past year has been challenging for everyone, and especially so for those British Columbians already relying on assistance to make ends meet,” said Simons. “Now that we are seeing signs of some economic recovery from COVID-19, it’s essential we provide the stability of a permanent rate increase for people and families, including 49,000 children who live in poverty.”
As well, people living in special care facilities who get income assistance will also see a $20 increase to their income assistance, bringing the monthly payment to $115. The province says this the first such increase since 2005 and is intended to allow people living in special care facilities to buy basic personal items.
“This increase is a critical piece in working toward the fulfilment of our province’s poverty reduction goals,” Doug King, executive director, Together Against Poverty Society said, in a statement. “The permanent nature of the increase is critical in allowing those on income assistance and disability assistance to be able to rely on this support in the long term.”
In the legislature, the Opposition Liberals have accused the government of clawing back portions of a COVID-19 crisis supplement and recovery benefit from disabled and low-income people.
But Simons says a temporary $300 COVID-19 crisis supplement was provided from April to December of last year, followed by a recovery supplement of $150 per month from January to March.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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