By Canadian Press

Liberals leave disability benefit bill in limbo as Parliament breaks for summer

Jun 24, 2022 | 11:10 AM

OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government has not called their disability benefit legislation for debate before Parliament breaks for summer, despite promised action since 2020 and recent pleas from organizations across the country.

Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough reintroduced the bill in early June, but without any new details about who will qualify, how much they would get or when the money will start flowing.

Over 75 groups that represent Canadians with disabilities called on the government in a letter last week to hold a second reading before the House rises for the summer recess.

The Canada Disability Benefit is to be modelled after the Guaranteed Income Supplement, fulfilling a promise first made by the Liberals in September 2020.

The new bill is identical to the original, creating the benefit in principle but leaving almost every detail on how the benefit will work to regulations that are not yet complete.

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The original bill introduced almost a year ago died without passing when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an election last summer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2022. 

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press