Tag Archives: CP disability

You are one paycheck away from poverty

Being on social assistance is often the result of mid-life disability over which people have no control

Walmart employee You are one paycheck away from poverty photoA recent Guardian Commentary resurrected some of the negative stereotypes of the past, quoting,

“Social Services, on the other hand, deals with the failures and fall-outs from all other social systems, beginning with dysfunctional families and going on to where health, education, attorney general (corrections), and community services have failed.”

In one sentence, the writer characterized those on social services as “failures”. “fall-outs”, “dysfunctional”, and rejects from prison. What is he thinking?

This is so far from the truth it is an affront to people who need social assistance to survive. For PEI’s disability community, social assistance is often the only way they survive from month to month. The problem exists across Canada and only varies in severity by Province.

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Bragging about your sex life threatens disability benefits

Wanting sex 1,440 times a day may turn heads with judges and government officials

disabled sex kk1 Bragging about your sex life threatens disability benefits photoWith story from Social Security Disability Blog

“I am a writer/poet, artist, sculptor, musician, wood artist, wordsmith, businesswoman, mother, ex-wife, retired postal worker, driver, fragrance designer, student, photographer, jokester, painter, and furniture designer. …acts like she is 32, her love meter reads “inferno,” and she thinks about sex 1440 times a day” Social Security Disability Blog  Continue reading →

Nortel pensioners get deal to December 31

What do they do after that?

Nortel Pensioners web Nortel pensioners get deal to December 31 photo

Nortel pensioners will soon find poverty their daily grind. Photograph by: Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen

Nortel’s ex-employees living on disability benefit got a short reprieve yesterday. The on-again-off-again deal to preserve their benefits despite the bankruptcy is back on again.

Nortel disability pensioners will be living at 64% of the poverty line in 2011. The Canadian safety net for those living with disabilities is not adequate.

The court order striking the original deal was apparently all over one little clause that said the $57 million agreement to extend benefits could over-ride changes in the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

The deal was originally opposed by Nortel employees with long term disabilities. They still face the reality of joining the majority of Canada’s disabled. They will be poor.

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Nortel pays bonuses to execs and pittance to retirees and disabled

Government not doing enough to protect employees on disability and retirement pensions

Nortel 250 Nortel pays bonuses to execs and pittance to retirees and disabled photo

Nortel announced that it was paying pension disability benefits to its former employees until the end of 2010. Benefits extended for Nortel ex-employees. New $57-million funding deal will extend coverage to end of 2010, from earlier deadline of March 31 Globe and Mail

Companies who self-fund pensions are not sufficiently regulated by the government. The pensions are not insured and federal regulators don’t keep an eye on them to protect the pensions from collapse.

As we have seen with Nortel, a company can go bankrupt and leave seniors and the disabled without supports that they cannot replace on their own due to age or disability.

“Former employees of Nortel Networks Corp. will see their benefits coverage extended until the end of 2010 under a new $57-million funding deal unveiled Monday.” Continue reading →

NB Government refuses to budge on the man who got $1.76 too much

Shawn Graham golfing 495 NB Government refuses to budge on the man who got $1.76 too much photo

Premier Shawn Graham of New Brunswick

Sounds like time for a letter writing campaign to Premier Graham to show some reasonableness for those in dire straits

CBC NB confirms the New Brunswick government will not bend for Mike Kennedy who lives with MS on CP Disability and who got cut off by New Brunswick when his pension cheque went $1.75 above the threshold.

See: Moncton man loses disability supplement over $1.76

Aiton, the director of communications for the Department of Social Development, said it’s not possible to be flexible in this situation.

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NYC Disabled Man Left in Bus on Icy Night

The New York Times reported that a 22 year old man with CP was left over night on the disability bus. The bus matron knew he was still on the bus but wanted to get home. The police charged her with “felony reckless endangerment.”

According to the story published: January 1, 2009 “a 22-year-old disabled man spent a frigid New Year’s night alone, strapped in his seat on a bus parked overnight at a Brooklyn depot after he was left behind, the police said on Thursday.”
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We stand up for you

ada no words We stand up for you photo

We stand up for you. If you are a person with a disability we will stand up to anyone to help you get what you need. It’s doesn’t matter what the disability is.

We’ve been doing it for years.

When the Canada Pension for disability needed reform. We were there advocating with others across the country.

When the Disability Tax Credit was being taken away, we fought to keep it there for you.

When the Province took $1 million dollars from the DSP, we stood up and said “Hey Mr. Premier where did that money go?” We’re standing up to Robert Ghiz to make him keep his promises.

We fought to get seniors on the DSP and to reform the abuses of the DSP. Along with the parents of autistic children, we were able to eliminate the hated FIM tool.

We’ve advocated to change the RRAP Disability, to get parking at UPEI, to get respect, for Human Rights. There are always more causes and more issues.

Sometimes others help and sometimes we go it alone. We are not afraid of the truth or anyone.

We stand up for you.

If you want to help, send us an email at Email Me disabilityalert@gmail.com.  We person can always use a helping hand.