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 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.

Federal government help
Go to Service Canada’s website, at www.servicecanada.gc.ca and click on “Income Assistance” and then on “For People with Disabilities.” This page has links to explain the following benefits available only to people with disabilities:

• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefits
• The Federal Excise Gasoline Tax Refund Program

People with disabilities may also be eligible for some of the following benefits, which the page also explains:

• Employment Insurance Regular Benefits
• Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefits
• Employment Insurance (EI) Fishing Benefits
• The GST/HST Credit program
• The GST/HST General Rebates program
• The ecoAUTO Rebate Program
• Employment Insurance benefits to certain people who live outside Canada if their job is insured under Canada's EI program
• International benefits

Employment Insurance also pays “compassionate care benefits” to people who have to be away from work temporarily to care for a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death. Go to the Service Canada website www.servicecanada.gc.ca and click on “Income Assistance” and then on “Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits.”

Human Resources and Social Development Canada’s website (www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/gateways/individuals/cluster/category/db.shtml) covers the following topics, and others:

• CPP Disability Benefits
• Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program
• International Benefits

As well, check the federal government website called “Persons with Disabilities Online” at www.pwd-online.ca. Click on “Tax and Financial Benefits.” Choose BC as the province and then click on one of the three links:

• “Benefits” has 36 entries (as of September 2008) for federal and BC programs covering both well-known benefits (those described earlier in this script) and relatively unknown benefits. For example, you may qualify for a 25% discount on your basic Autoplan insurance with the Insurance Corporation of BC. There is also the “Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program.” 
• “Taxes” has 18 entries covering both well-known and more obscure benefits.
• “Loans, Scholarships and Grants” has 8 entries on benefits for disabled students.

The Canada Revenue Agency’s website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/disability has information on tax benefits, including the Child Disability Benefit.

Veterans who are disabled are eligible for several other programs, including the Disability Pension Program: check the Veterans Affairs Canada website for Veterans Services at www.vac-acc.gc.ca and click on “Veterans Services”.

You can call Service Canada, at 1.800.622.6232, to ask about any of these programs.

Provincial government help
The BC Ministry of Housing and Social Development’s website has several helpful pages. First, the page titled “Persons with Disabilities,” at www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/links/pwd.htm, covers the following topics:

• Ministry of Housing and Social Development Partnership Agencies
• Office for Disability Issues (Social Development Canada)
• Disability Benefits (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada)
• Subsidized Social Housing (BC Housing)
• Vancouver Foundation (Disability Supports)
• WorkAble Solutions
• Community Living BC

Another page of the Ministry (www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/pwd.htm) covers these topics, among others:
Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities

• Disability Assistance
• How to Apply for Disability Assistance 
• Disability Assistance Rate Table 
• Disability Assistance and Trusts 
• Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities

The Ministry also explains the Employment Program for People with Disabilities at www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/publicat/bcea/eppd.htm. It covers these topics:

• Pre-Employment Services
• Planning and Employment Services
• Self-Employment Services
• Disability Supports
• Assistive Technology

For information on how to apply for BC Employment and Assistance, check the Ministry page at www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/bcea.htm.

The Ministry fact sheet (www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/2004/pwd.htm) gives the definition of persons with disabilities and lists employment and other supports. Another fact sheet (www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/pwd.htm) covers several topics, including: 

• Community Volunteer Supplement
• Community Living BC - Payments for Clients
• Personal Supports Information Line
• 17-year-old Disability Assistance Applicants
• Disability Assistance Rates
• Earnings Exemption for Persons with Disabilities
• Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities (EPPD)
• Earnings Exemptions for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities
• Therapeutic Volunteer Supplements

Lastly, check www.personalsupports.bc.ca – the website for the Personal Supports Program. It provides equipment and assistive devices or other personal supports to people with disabilities.

You can call Enquiry BC at to ask about any of these programs. The numbers are 604.660.2421 in Vancouver, 250.387.6121 in Victoria, and 1.800.663.7867 elsewhere in BC.

Other resources
Script 288 explains that if you apply for or receive monthly assistance, you have the right to a reconsideration, and then an appeal, of most decisions that deny, reduce or end that assistance. The script explains reconsiderations and appeals and links to the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal (www.gov.bc.ca/eaat) and the Legal Services Society (www.lss.bc.ca) for more information.

The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities website (www.bccpd.bc.ca) has two helpful publications, along with other material. Click on “Publications” for “BC disability benefit” 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.

The Legal Services Society of BC provides legal information and legal help, also known as “Legal Aid.” You may be able to get legal help at no charge. Phone 604.408.2172 in the lower mainland or 1.866.577.2525 elsewhere in BC. Or click on www.lss.bc.ca to find legal information and the office closest to you.

[updated September 2008]

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

• by phone, as recorded scripts, and
• in writing, 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.

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