Concerns, confusion mount over Manitoba's new disability income support program

When Cindy Pickel heard about Manitoba's new income support program for people with disabilities, it offered a ray of hope after months of struggling with the rising cost of living. 

Pickel, who is blind and a diabetic, says she hasn't been able to work because of her disability and relies on the monthly payment she gets from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefit. 

At first, provincial staff told her she would automatically qualify for the new program because she's eligible for the federal disability benefit. 

But after multiple phone calls and going through a rigorous in-person intake process, Pickel was turned down for the new program because provincial staff determined she wasn't in need of financial assistance. 

"Then afterwards I was just so completely deflated. I was just, you know, here's a promise of things are going to get a little bit easier and then no, that's swept away, that's gone."

When it was announced last December, the Manitoba Support for Persons with Disabilities program was promoted as a new support for people with disabilities that would be separate from the general employment and income assistance (EIA) programs, and provide some additional benefits. 

But Pickel, and those who work with disabled Manitobans, say it's not clear who's actually eligible for the program, leading to frustration and disappointment within the community. 

Further, one hospital worker who helps people with life-altering disabilities says a legislative change has actually made it harder for people to qualify for financial assistance when they need it most. 

Confusing process 

Pickel says she went through the intake process in June. Though she doesn't qualify for the general EIA benefit, she said she thought the Manitoba Support for Persons with Disabilities program could help her based on what provincial staff told her over the phone. 

"I was told that, yes, because I received CPP disability, I automatically qualified and absolutely I should come in."

However, when she and her husband arrived for her intake appointment, she says she was asked questions meant for the EIA program. 

"I said 'I don't qualify for EIA. I'm not here to apply for EIA, I'm here to apply for the supports for Manitobans with disabilities program,'" she said. 

"She explained to me that, or she stated to me, 'Just because you have a disability doesn't mean you're going to get money.'"

That statement rubbed Pickel the wrong way. The intake worker then told her that if she was divorced, or if she and her husband sold some of their assets, she could qualify. 

Pickel said the whole process left her defeated. 

"It's not at all what I was told it would be."

Ongoing evaluation

The province opened up enrolment for the Manitoba Support for Persons with Disabilities program to Manitobans currently receiving EIA in the disability category on Jan. 1. 

According to the province's website, the program is for Manitobans who have a severe and prolonged disability that challenges daily living, and are financially eligible for income assistance. 

Enrolment opened up on April 1 to other eligible Manitobans who weren't already on EIA. 

The program offers an extra $100 per month over and above the EIA disability rates and about $44 a month for telephone and laundry. Basic need amounts are reviewed annually and indexed to the rate of inflation each July. 

According to the province's website, as of July 2020, Manitobans with a disability could receive $1,068 a month from EIA if they had no children, and between $1,445 and $1,871 a month if they did have children. 

Since April 1, the province has received approximately 1,000 applications for the new program, with about half of them now receiving benefits, said a spokesperson for the province. 

The average processing time for applications is about four months, the spokesperson said. 

Asked about the concerns regarding eligibility, the spokesperson said the province is still working to generate additional awareness. 

"Recognizing that the program is new, the department is committed to ongoing evaluation and improvements to ensure Manitobans can access the information they need in a timely fashion," the spokesperson said via email. 

Jason Hirose, a consultant with the Independent Living Resource Centre in Winnipeg, says he hasn't heard from anyone who's successfully applied for the program at this point. In fact, he says he and other staff at the centre haven't heard much about the program at all. 

He said he thinks it's because people are just fed up with dealing with the provincial government.

"I know a lot of people that are fed up with fighting, they're fed up of having to constantly struggle and feeling like they're not getting anywhere."

Falling through the cracks 

A Winnipeg hospital worker who helps patients who have newly acquired disabilities says she was also excited about the launch of the new financial support program, as many of her clients find it difficult to get by on the general EIA benefit. 

But in reality, she says the province has changed the qualifications, which is actually making things harder for her patients. 

The woman, who CBC isn't naming because she's concerned speaking out could put her job at risk, works with patients to set them up with the supports they need to transition out of hospital. 

The biggest issue she's facing is a legislative change. 

Under the Manitoba Assistance Act, as of April 1, a doctor must determine that a person will likely be unable to work due to a health issue for at least one year in order to qualify for income assistance. 

It was previously 90 days. 

For many of the patients she works with, it's hard for doctors to determine their prognosis that far out, she said. 

"For example, if you have a mental health illness, it's not that you're going to be off for a full year. Maybe you're having psychosis right now. It could get better. It could get worse," she said. 

"But you do need access [to support]. So basically, this just means like a lot of people who would have been eligible for disability benefits now aren't going to be, which is the problem."

A spokesperson for the provincial government said the change from 90 days to one year aligns Manitoba's income support program with other jurisdictions across Canada, adding that all Manitobans facing financial hardship can access support through employment and income assistance. 

When people have just acquired a disability, it can be difficult to know how it's going to impact your life long-term, said Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. 

"There's a big difference between the first 90 days of a disability and a year," she said. 

Graham says the program doesn't seem to be designed to meet the acute needs of people who find themselves with a recently acquired disability.

"You can tell based on how this program is designed, that's not really who they had had in mind," she said.