The Speech from the Throne on Sept 23, 2020 contained news that the disability community has been waiting for a long time. The Federal government plans to bring forward a Disability Inclusion Plan, consisting of: a guaranteed income supplement; a new employment strategy; and, a streamlined eligibility process for federal programs & benefits. Minister Qualtrough admits that the response to disabled people during the pandemic was hampered by the fact that her government had no mechanism to deliver a benefit to disabled people, other than the Canada Pension Plan Disability register. The challenge of establishing eligibility for any new benefits will require an extraordinary level of cooperation within the disability movement and with government, to ensure that resources are flowed in a fair and equitable manner to those who need them most.
For more information on the Throne Speech, link here. (Page 17-18 for discussion of Disability Inclusion Plan).