<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.23520">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 18px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: 12px/16px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(50,73,96); WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"
id=article_header>
<H3
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: 14px/16px Arial, Helvetica; COLOR: rgb(101,107,109); PADDING-TOP: 0px; font-stretch: normal"
id=article_date class=main_h3>November 6, 2016</H3>
<H1
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 8px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: bold 24px/27px Arial, Helvetica; COLOR: rgb(175,87,33); PADDING-TOP: 0px; font-stretch: normal"
id=article_title class=main_h1>Pick-up on Disability Benefits</H1></DIV>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(182,189,181) 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 20px; WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 20px; MIN-HEIGHT: 80px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: 12px/16px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(50,73,96); WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"
id=contributor_short>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; COLOR: rgb(134,141,144); PADDING-TOP: 0px"
id=article_bio><IMG style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 8px; PADDING-RIGHT: 8px; FLOAT: left"
src="http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/cms/contributors/images/5/RA-new.jpg"
width=75 height=75>
<H2
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: bold 14px/16px Arial, Helvetica; COLOR: rgb(134,141,144); PADDING-TOP: 0px; font-stretch: normal"
id=article_author class=main_h2>Reuel S. Amdur</H2><A
style="MARGIN-TOP: 6px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: 11px/13px Arial, Helvetica; COLOR: rgb(175,87,33); TEXT-DECORATION: none; font-stretch: normal"
id=more_author
href="http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?cid=5&id=5">More by this
author...</A></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 16px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: 12px/16px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(50,73,96); WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"
id=article_image><IMG
src="http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/cms/news/images/2031/banner-disability-empowered-development.jpg"></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 8px; WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: bold 12px/16px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(50,73,96); WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"
id=article_summary>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">A
while back, I received an e-mail from an accountant in Newmarket who specializes
in disability-related matters. Could I go see a fellow with a serious brain
injury who needs some help in navigating the tax system? He is the relative of a
prominent political figure.</P></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: 12px/16px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(50,73,96); OVERFLOW: hidden; WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"
id=article_text>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">So
off I went, to meet him and his wife. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">While
they had an accountant, he was obviously not into the ins and outs of disability
provisions. The provisions do not do any good unless people take advantage
of them, unless there is pick-up. I told them about provisions they should
pursue. She was capable of the task.</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">His
case is not alone, and the various programs and entitlements are
several. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">There
is the disability tax credit, and even people who know about it may not be aware
that the form one completes for that entitlement also opens the door for the
Registered Disability Savings Program, under which the government puts money
away for old age. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Then
there is a family caregiver amount, a child disability benefit and a supports
deduction. That last one compensates a person with a disability for
certain expenses related to work or education. There may be a right to
back-date some entitlements.</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Providing
the benefits is not good enough. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Equally
important is to facilitate the pick-up. And there we encounter a major
barrier. Richard Shillington identified a serious gap in pick-up of the
Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). As a result of his advocacy efforts,
the Canada Revenue Agency now contacts seniors who appear eligible, to make them
aware of the entitlement. While the package of disability entitlements is
more complicated than the GIS, people applying for any one of them might be
contacted with a package of information.</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">There
is a role for the federal government and for the various organizations in the
disability community in making people aware of their entitlements to the various
disability programs. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Let’s
begin with the role of the disability community. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">When
it comes to getting the papers filled out at tax time for the normal routine of
putting things in order with the Canada Revenue Agency, were does one go to get
the help of someone who is aware of all the entitlements and
instruments? </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">What
accountant or other person preparing returns is knowledgeable about
disability? The family I met with obviously went to the wrong person for
this service.</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Alternatively,
so that it is not work that is duplicated by a gazillion different
organizations, a single one could take on the role, for example, a social
planning council.</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Now
we come to the federal role. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">The
Canada Revenue Agency should arrange half-day or full-day seminars on
disability-related matters. Accountants, lawyers, other tax preparers,
people working in the field of services for the disabled—all of these people
could be invited to participate. Those attending should receive a
certificate of attendance and should be on a list for updates.</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Certificate
holders could then be the go-to people for the disabled. You could call an
accountancy and ask, “Do you have someone on your staff who has this
certificate?” Or you might call the Schizophrenia Society and ask, “Where
could I go to have my tax work done?”</P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Just
a final word about federal politicians. </P>
<P
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">If
you want to contact a federal politician about a matter related to his family,
good luck. Their systems do not easily allow such matters to get through
the screening process. While looking after all of us, they also need to
tweak their communications system so that their family and personal matters are
also taken into consideration.</P></DIV>
<UL
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 20px 0px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: 12px/16px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; HEIGHT: 14px; COLOR: rgb(50,73,96); BORDER-TOP: rgb(180,189,181) 1px solid; WORD-SPACING: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 5px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"
id=article_footer><BR class=Apple-interchange-newline></UL></DIV></BODY></HTML>