- I do not have Schizophrenia or any other major mental disorder and need care.
- I am not an immigrant with little English.
- I am not a woman who's been beaten again who needs to leave before he kills her, or one of her children.
- I'm not disabled from a work accident & I can't get WCB.
- I haven't lost my job and my EI has run out, there's no jobs where I live, I can't afford to move and I don't know how I'm going to feed my kids.
- I didn't get sick, or have an unexpected accident and find I can't work, can't get EI, or I've been waiting for 3 and a half months now and they still haven't "processed my application."
- I am not homeless.
- I am not being pimped, beaten and drugged so my "boyfriend" can make money off of me and I grew up in foster care.
I am a taxpayer, have been for many years now. I want MY money to go towards helping those who need it. It benefits them, it benefits me and our society at large. There was a time I needed it and there may be a time I need it in the future. My money is no damn good being siphoned into the Olympics instead of providing aid and support to my fellow citizens.
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Ombudsman recommends improvements to income assistance
Last Resort: Improving Fairness and Accountability in British Columbia’s Income Assistance Program
The report follows a lengthy systemic investigation that was initially prompted by complaints about income assistance that the British Columbia Public Interest Advocacy Centre (BC PIAC) brought to the attention of the Ombudsman’s office in 2005. The Ombudsman’s office issued itsfirst report on this investigation in March 2006, and has now concluded the systemic investigation.
“In order to be fair, government programs must be accessible to those they are designed to serve. Policies that are unfair or unreasonable must be changed. It is also necessary for the government to ensure it is complying with its own policies and standards, and to use objective and reliable methods to measure its own performance,” Ms. Carter said.
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Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms
Legal Rights
Life, liberty and security of person
7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
[Ed. How many among us, our citizens, have died because their right to life was comprised because their government would not help them access a basic income, or shelter. ]
12. Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.
[Ed. Denying income assistance and public services to the poor, the disabled and the abused is cruel, intolerable and SHOULD BE unusual treatment in BC and Canada. It has become accepted and acceptable and that is NOT the province, or country I grew up in, nor want as a taxpayer. ]
Equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of law 15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability. [Ed. The poor are not equal under the law in BC. They have no rights, they have NO protections, they have no equal benefits, they have nothing. They do not even have the right to vote in their own province, or country. No ID, no vote].
24. (1) Anyone whose rights or freedoms, as guaranteed by this Charter, have been infringed or denied may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances.
32. (1) This Charter applies
(a) to the Parliament and government of Canada in respect of all matters within the authority of Parliament including all matters relating to the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories; and
(b) to the legislature and government of each province in respect of all matters within the authority of the legislature of each province.
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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol came into force on May 3, 2008. Convention aims to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy all human rights on an equal basis with others.
Article 10 - Right to life
States Parties reaffirm that every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.
Article 13 - Access to justice
1. States Parties shall ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, including through the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations, in order to facilitate their effective role as direct and indirect participants, including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, including at investigative and other preliminary stages.
2. In order to help to ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities, States Parties shall promote appropriate training for those working in the field of administration of justice, including police and prison staff.
Article 28 - Adequate standard of living and social protection
1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability.
2. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right, including measures:
a) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services, and to ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs;
b) To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programmes and poverty reduction programmes;
c) To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and respite care;
d) To ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes; (e)
e) To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits and programmes.
Try this on for living:
Disability Income - Shelter Maximum - 1 person - $375.00 + $531.42 = $906
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