A new federal disability benefit will not impact payments for similar benefits from the New Brunswick government.
The Canada Disability Benefit will provide up to $2,400 annually to low-income earners between the ages of 18 and 64.
New Brunswick’s Department of Social Development said that income will be excluded when it calculates eligibility and monthly amounts for provincial benefits.
That includes all services under social assistance, the Family Supports for Children with Disabilities program, the Disability Support Program and the Long Term Care Program.
“It’s more important than ever that our most vulnerable residents feel secure and supported,” Social Development Minister Cindy Miles said in a news release on Friday.
“I want to make it clear to New Brunswickers who receive disability benefits that receiving the Canadian Disability Benefit will not reduce their payments from the department.”
That was one of the big concerns of disability advocates when the benefit was first announced more than a year ago.
Miles said the province remains committed to strengthening the well-being of people with disabilities through its own programs.
According to federal figures, there are 6.2 million Canadians with disabilities and 23 per cent live in poverty — twice the rate of those without disabilities.
