UPDATE: MAY 26, 2023

Last week the Senate completed its third reading of Bill C-22, the legislation needed to see the Canada Disability Benefit become a reality, and passed the bill with six amendments. While it is good news that the Senate passed the bill, since it passed with amendments, it must now go back to the House of Commons for their consideration and further debate.  This has delayed the passing of the bill.

Timing right now it critical. We must make sure that MP’s prioritize Bill C-22 in the House and deal with the amendments as quickly as possible so that the bill can go back to the Senate for final consideration and Royal Assent.

Parliament will be rising for its summer recess on June 23rd. Starting next week there is only 20 sitting days left in the parliamentary calendar.  It is critical that this legislation receives Royal Assent before this.

We are asking you to please reach out to your Member of Parliament (MP) to express the urgency of prioritize the debate and consideration of the legislation quickly, and advocate for Bill C-22 to receive Royal Assent before parliament rises for the summer recess. You can find your MP’s contact information here, and our national federation partner, Inclusion Canada, has provided a template letter for you to use. Please feel free to use the template, modified or personalized, and send this letter to your local MP. It doesn’t matter what particular political party stripe they are, they all have some influence as we are in a minority government situation and every MP and vote counts. The more MPs that hear from us about this the better. Thank you for your continued advocacy and support!

UPDATE: JANUARY 17, 2023

We are at a critical juncture now in the passage of Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Benefit. Before the holiday season, the bill was passed by the HUMA Standing Committee and presented back to the House of Commons but unfortunately was not brought back for final reading and vote before Parliamentarians broke for their holiday break.

Bill C-22 needs to be prioritized for a first order of legislative business and speedy passage when the House of Commons returns January 30^th. The government and all party House Leaders are currently working on setting legislative priorities and the order of business for the next sitting, and this is a crucial time for you to contact your Member of Parliament (MP) and urge them to prioritize passing this legislation. We are so close to having the first ever national disability benefit passed into legislation, helping to reduce poverty among working-age Canadians with disabilities.

We urge you to contact your MP today. Inclusion Canada has created a template letter for you to use if you wish, and we encourage you to personalize it and include why this benefit is important to you and your family members. You can find your MP and their contact information here.

Thank you,

-Inclusion Alberta  

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Passing Bill C-22, the legislation needed to see the Canada Disability Benefit become a reality, before the current parliamentary session ends on December 16th will ensure that people with disabilities have access to the benefit as soon as possible. 

We are urging all self-advocates, families and allies to contact your MP and urge them to fast-track this legislation with no delay. People with disabilities do not need to live in poverty any longer. 

• Find and contact your Member of Parliament here
• Watch Inclusion Canada’s President, Krista Carr, advocate for the expedited passing of Bill C-22 before parliament on November 16th
• Read the brief submitted by Inclusion Canada to the committee for more information on the impact the Canada Disability Benefit will have

UPDATE: OCTOBER 17, 2022

Update on Bill C-22: Canada Disability Benefit: Thank you to everyone who has helped to support the passage of this important legislation. As a result of your advocacy, this issue is getting the attention it deserves from parliamentarians and the Canadian public. Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 18), Parliament will resume 2nd Reading debate on Bill C-22, legislation to create the Canada Disability Benefit.

Your support is working, but please don’t stop now!! Your Member of Parliament needs to hear from you about why this benefit is important to you and your family, to ensure this bill passes as quickly as possible so that people with a disability in Canada receive this much-needed monthly benefit without delay. Please see below for instructions on how to contact your MP. 

We have created an updated sample letter to reflect the current status of the bill to use if you wish. You can download it here. Please contact your MP today. We need action now and a collective advocacy effort to make this happen!

Thank you,

-Inclusion Alberta

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ORIGINAL POST: September 21, 2022

Inclusion Alberta is pleased to have seen Bill C-22, the foundational legislation to enact the new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), reintroduced in the federal legislature in the spring and debated as their first order of business in the fall sitting this week. We now call upon all parties to fast-track the legislation of this non-partisan issue and move the debate quickly through the House of Commons and into the Senate.

This historic legislation would go a long way to help to reduce poverty among working-age Canadians with disabilities. As we all know, people with disabilities live disproportionately in poverty compared to people without disabilities in Canada. This disparity is growing wider and wider as inflation and the cost-of-living has increased dramatically in the recent months.

We are asking individuals with disabilities, families and allies to show your support of the Canada Disability Benefit by contacting your local Member of Parliament and urging them to vote in favour of Bill C-22. Click here to find your member of parliament and their contact details. By entering your postal code, you will then find your local MPs and their contact details, including their email address, where you can send an email on the importance of the Canada Disability Benefit and passing Bill C-22.

We have provided a sample letter as an example to use if you wish. Please feel free to add your own perspective and personal experiences to tailor the letter to your unique position. You can download the sample letter here.

Learn more about the Canada Disability Benefit here in Inclusion Canada‘s Canadian Disability Benefit Information Sheet.

Canadians with intellectual disabilities and their families need income security now. We need action now and a collective advocacy effort to make this happen.

Thank you for your support,

-Inclusion Alberta