Tinker Lauds New Income Support For Disabled

Tinker Lauds New Income Support For Disabled

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 15:03

 

 

Northern Saskatchewan’s foremost advocate for people with disabilities is applauding a new financial support program set up specifically for disabled people.

 

Gary Tinker says the introduction of the new provincial program, which will put people with disabilities in a separate category from social assistance clients, resolves an issue that should have been resolved years ago.

 

He is pleased that people with disabilities will have their cheques regarded as income, rather than government assistance.

 

Ideas for the new program came from the government’s consultations with the disabled community. The province says the goal is to provide a “socially acceptable income” to people whose ability to work is severely limited or even prevented by their disabilities.

 

The government is promising that the new initiative will give persons with disabilities a “dignified, less intrusive” method of receiving income support. There will be fewer routine reporting requirements, and people will no longer have to prove the existence of their disability every year.

 

Since the Gary Tinker Federation helps disabled persons find work, Tinker is pleased this new program makes allowances for people in that situation, by not applying penalties against the government-provided financial assistance when a client receives additional employment income.

 

The program will get a trial run in October, when about 3,000 people with long-standing, well-documented disabilities will be switched from social assistance to the new program.

 

A full rollout is planned for 2010.