As Canada鈥檚 Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prepares to deliver the federal government鈥檚 budget next week, new data suggests overwhelming support for the Canada Disability Benefit, a form of financial support for people living with disabilities signed into law last June.
According to a survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 91 per cent of respondents claim to support the proposed Canada Disability Benefit.
Such support spans the political spectrum, the research suggests, with 83 per cent of past Conservative voters and 98 per cent of past Liberal voters in favour of the benefit. Up to 99 per cent of past NDP voters and 98 per cent of Bloc Québécois voters also share support for disability resources being factored into the federal budget, according to the survey.
In an interview with 麻豆影视 last September, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Kamal Khera called the benefit a 鈥済enerational national program.鈥�
鈥淚 think it's really important that we find the balance between, of course, the expediency and the care that it needs to make sure we get it right, with engagement with the community. So, that's exactly what I'm committed to in this new role,鈥� Khera told 麻豆影视.
Khera鈥檚 comments emerged against a backdrop of criticism from Canadians over the government鈥檚 slow pace of disability resource implementation.
According to Angus Reid, only one-in-20 (five per cent) of respondents report feeling 鈥渃onfident the federal government will follow through, while 45 per cent doubt it will and 13 per cent say they are certain the benefit will never be distributed.鈥�
The benefit, titled Bill C-22, passed Parliament on June 20, 2023. The federal government estimated that it would take more than a year to establish.
The data shows that Canadians across the political spectrum believe the current resources available for those living with disabilities are largely inadequate, with 58 per cent of past Conservative voters, 66 per cent of past Liberal voters and 77 per cent of NDP voters describing disability support as 鈥渋nsufficient.鈥�
鈥淎s the federal government鈥檚 Canada Disability Benefit has been discussed, the province鈥檚 have mulled how they might treat the new benefit and whether they would claw back their own supports for people living with disabilities,鈥� reads an Angus Reid report highlighting the survey findings.
鈥淎dvocates worry this would counteract the federal benefit鈥檚 goal of lifting Canadians living with disabilities out of poverty.鈥�
Methodology
The Angus Reid Institute in partnership with Daily Bread and Disability Without Poverty conducted an online survey from March 26-28, 2024 among a representative randomized sample of 1,610 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for jointly by ARI, Daily Bread and Disability Without Poverty.
With files from 麻豆影视 Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello
