It is difficult to believe the disability amount given to disabled people in British Columbia.
I would love to move to Parksville, near my children and grandchildren, however the amount of disability assistance here is nowhere near the amount I receive in Alberta. I have a permanent disability.
Alberta pays $1,588 per month, plus having celiac disease I also receive $80 per month and I also get a $400 rent subsidy. A total of $2,068 per month.
Our cost of living is not cheap, but cheaper than Parksville. Also we do not pay health care premiums and I only have five per cent GST, no PST. We also have a Handy Bus, which takes us to the city for medical appointments, paid by disability.
With the differences, there is no possible way of surviving here on what I would get. My grandchildren are growing up very quickly and I am missing out on so much.
It is time B.C. residents on disability stand together and tell your government you need to be able to afford to live a decent life.
Permanent disability is not something we choose, most of us wish we could have a so-called normal life. With higher benefits, paid health care and medication.
Personally I believe that disabled people in British Columbia are treated as second class citizens with barely enough to survive. We do not want to barely survive, we want to live. Equality for the disabled, obviously just not here.
Stand, sit or lay down to the government and demand equality to be able to live and not just survive. Life as a disabled person should not add up to stress. We have more than enough of that.
A lot of us disabled people cannot work to increase our income and depend on our government to help us. So why do they keep you down?
I am disgusted by the B.C. government’s treatment of their disabled people.
Sandra JohnsonCalgary
