Script 289 gives information only, not legal advice. If you have a legal problem or need legal advice, you should speak to a lawyer. For the name of a lawyer to consult, call Lawyer Referral at 604.687.3221 in the lower mainland or 1.800.663.1919 elsewhere in British Columbia.

People with disabilities can get financial help and support from several places. This script explains some of the help available and how and where to get more information. It does not list every possible type of help available, but it’s a good starting point to learn more.

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefits
You may be entitled to a monthly CPP disability benefit, if:

• you are under 65,
• you stopped working because of a medical condition, and
• you paid into the Canada Pension Plan.

See www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/cpp/disability/disabilitypension.shtml.

The CPP Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program
The Canada Pension Plan Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program offers vocational counseling, financial support for training, and job search services to people who receive CPP Disability Benefits to help them return to work. See www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/cpp/disability/vocational_rehabilitation.shtml.

BC Employment and Assistance (BCEA) Disability Benefits
The provincial government’s employment and assistance (BCEA) program provides assistance to adults 18 or over who have a physical or mental impairment that significantly restricts their ability to perform daily living activities. Assistance includes:

• monthly disability benefits
• shelter assistance
• enhanced medical coverage
• low-cost annual bus passes
• career planning services
• job training

See www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/pwd.htm or call the Ministry of Social Development at 1-866-866-0800. To apply for BCEA benefits, click on www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/bcea.htm.

Note that if there is an outstanding arrest warrant for you for an indictable or hybrid offence anywhere in Canada, you cannot get income or disability assistance in BC. See Script 204 on “Outstanding Warrants and Welfare” for more information specifically on this.

Other provincial assistance under the BCEA program
The BCEA program also offers many other forms of assistance to people with disabilities (including children, adults and their families). This includes:

• procedural help for 17-year-olds to ensure they receive their disability benefits as soon as they turn 18
• financial supplements for people with mental health problems who participate in a volunteer or mental health or addictions rehabilitation program
• an earnings exemption of up to $300 month for caregivers of children with disabilities
• a financial supplement of up to $100 month for eligible people who volunteer a minimum of 10 hours month with a non-profit agency

Financial aid and grants for students with disabilities
Assistance includes:

• Federal grants: Students with permanent disabilities may receive federal government grants of $2,000 per academic year to help cover the costs of accommodation, tuition and books and up to $8,000 in non-repayable assistance per academic year for special education-related services or equipment, such as tutors, note-takers, interpreters, braillers or technical aids. See www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/grant_disabilities.shtml.
• Provincial grants: Depending on your needs, if you are a disabled student attending college, technical school, university or other public or private post-secondary school in BC, you may be eligible for a provincial grant from Student Aid BC of up to $10,000 for exceptional educated-related services and adaptive equipment (up to $12,000 if an attendant is needed at school). See www.aved.gov.bc.ca/studentaidbc/specialprograms/assistanceprogram_permanentdisabilites.htm
• Student loan forgiveness: If you are a full-time student with a permanent disability, you may be eligible for a grant to replace approximately $1,000 in BC student loan funding. See www.aved.gov.bc.ca/studentaidbc/specialprograms/bcaccessgrant.htm.

Other assistance is also available for students with disabilities, such as a supplemental bursary of $400 for part-time students and $800 for full-time students and a special grant for deaf students. For more information on the assistance available to students with a disability studying at a post-secondary institution, see the Student Aid BC website at www.aved.gov.bc.ca/studentaidbc/specialprograms/permanentdisabilities.htm.

Registered Disability Savings Plan
The new Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a federal grant/bond program that provides up to $4,500 in free grants/bonds a year, with a savings deposit of $1,500 each year. Any person under 60 who is eligible for the disability tax credit can establish an RDSP. For a disabled child, the parent or guardian can set up the RDSP. The RDSP is a way for a person or child with a disability and their families to save for the future. See www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/disability_issues/disability_savings/index.shtml.

Tax breaks
There are several tax benefits offered to people with disabilities, including the disability tax credit.
See the Canada Revenue Agency’s website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/disability.

Federal Gas Tax Refund
If you’re certified by a medical doctor as having a permanent mobility impairment and you cannot safely use public transport, you can apply for a refund of part of the federal excise tax on the gas you buy. See www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/gasoline_tax_refund.shtml.

Assistance for disabled veterans
Veterans who are disabled may qualify for the Veterans Affairs Canada disability benefit. See
www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=information-canadian-forces/services-benefits/disability-benefits. Veterans may also be eligible to receive several other benefits, such as the War Veterans Allowance. Check the Veterans Affairs Canada website at www.vac-acc.gc.ca and click on “Veterans Services.”

Compassionate Care Benefits
You can receive compassionate care benefits for up to six weeks if you have to miss work temporarily to care for a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death. If you’re unemployed and already receiving EI benefits, you can also apply for compassionate care benefits. See www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/compassionate.shtml.

Other benefits for people with disabilities
People with disabilities may be eligible for all sorts of other benefits too, such as:

• Employment Insurance regular benefits
• Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits
• Employment Insurance (EI) fishing benefits
• The GST/HST credit for people with low or modest incomes
• The GST/HST general rebates 
• The ecoAUTO rebate 
• Employment Insurance benefits to certain people who live outside Canada if their job is insured under Canada's EI program
• International benefits

See the “Income Assistance” section of the Service Canada website at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/subjects/benefits/index.shtml. You can also call Service Canada at 1.800.622.6232 to ask about any of these programs.

Where else can you get help or find information?

• Persons with Disabilities Online: See this federal government website at www.pwd-online.ca. Click on “Tax and Financial Benefits” and choose BC as the province for information on benefits, tax help, and student loans, grants and scholarships.
   
• Ministry of Social Development: See this provincial government website at www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/links/pwd.htm for information on subsidized housing, free campsite parking and more.
   
• The Law Centre: This clinic in Victoria, run by University of Victoria law students, helps people with disabilities, who cannot afford a lawyer, to access employment insurance, CPP disability benefits and other benefits. They also help with mounting appeals. See www.thelawcentre.ca or call them at 250.385.1221.
   
• Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP): The LSLAP is a similiar clinic to The Law Centre in Victoria, except it’s operated by University of BC law students. Clinics are located throughout Greater Vancouver. See www.lslap.bc.ca or call 604.822.5791 to book an appointment.
   
• Personal Supports: Check the provincial Personal Supports website at www.personalsupports.bc.ca. It has information about and links to programs that provide equipment, assistive devices and other personal supports for persons with disabilities in BC.
   
• The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities:  See their website at www.bccpd.bc.ca for several helpful publications written in plain, simple language. Click on “Original Publications” for information on “BC disability benefits” and “Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits.” These publications provide checklists, help sheets, application guides and appeal guides. The Coalition’s phone numbers are 604.875.0188 in Vancouver and 1.800.663.1278 elsewhere in BC.
   
• Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS): Based in Victoria, TAPS offers free legal advocacy services for people with income assistance, disability benefits and tenancy issues. See www.tapsbc.ca or call them at 250.361.3521.
   
• Legal Services Society (LSS) BC: LSS provides free legal information. The publication Your Welfare Rights: A Guide to BC Employment and Assistance contains information about eligibility for social assistance (including PPMB and PWD benefits and supplements). The booklet is available for free on the LSS website at www.legalaid.bc.ca. To find it, click “Our publications” then under “I want to find a publication by subject,” click “Welfare”.
   
• Enquiry BC: You can call Enquiry BC to ask about any provincial program. The numbers are 604.660.2421 in Vancouver, 250.387.6121 in Victoria, and 1.800.663.7867 elsewhere in BC.
   
• Script 288: This Dial-A-Law script explains that if you apply for or receive monthly income or disability assistance, you have the right to a reconsideration, and then an appeal, of most decisions that deny, reduce or end that assistance. The script includes a link to the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal (www.gov.bc.ca/eaat).

[updated November 2010]

Dial-A-Law© is a library of legal information that is available:

• by phone, as recorded scripts, and
• by audio and text, on the CBA BC Branch website.

To access Dial-A-Law, call 604.687.4680 in the lower mainland or 1.800.565.5297 elsewhere in BC. Dial-A-Law is available online at www.cba.org/bc in Public & Media.

The Dial-A-Law library is prepared by lawyers and gives practical information on many areas of law in British Columbia. Dial-A-Law is funded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia and sponsored by the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch.

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