Brampton MP and Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, has come under fire for defending the Liberal government’s new disability benefit. The program, which has a budget of $4.8 billion over five years, aims to assist 25,000 low-income people with disabilities by providing a maximum of $200 per month.
Rabia Khedr, director of Disability Without Poverty, criticized the initiative, saying, “It’s very little, for very few.” She noted that the funding does not meet the government’s promise to help hundreds of thousands of disabled individuals.
Minister Khera has repeatedly claimed that this benefit is the largest line item in the budget. However, it was clarified that $7.2 billion was allocated for the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit, which surpasses the funding for the disability benefit. Khera’s office later noted that the disability benefit is the largest line item for a new program in the 2024 budget.
Despite these claims, Khedr emphasized that the annual spending is minimal compared to other programs like the Canada Child Benefit and the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors. “We are barely scratching the surface with this so-called biggest line item,” she stated.
Bonita Zarrillo, the NDP critic for people with disabilities, accused the government of breaking its promises and failing to adequately address the crisis. The New Democrats threatened to withdraw support from the minority Liberal government but ultimately decided to back the budget. NDP MP Laurel Collins introduced a private member’s bill to streamline access to federal disability benefits for those already receiving provincial disability support.
The new disability benefit payments are set to begin in July 2025, with the goal of improving the financial well-being of over 600,000 low-income people with disabilities.