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Disability Benefits Increases Coming August 1st 2023

Thank you to the Disability Alliance of BC for this thorough update on the changes coming to Persons with Disabilities Benefit in August 2023:

The BC Budget for the 2023/2024 fiscal year was announced at the legislative assembly in Victoria on February 28, 2023. The Budget revealed that there would be an increase to the shelter rate for people on income assistance and disability assistance; an increase that has been long overdue. The shelter rate, which hasn’t changed since 2007, will increase from $375 per month to $500 per month for single individuals. Rent prices have increased by much more than $125 since 2007, so while we recognize that this shelter rate increase is a step in the right direction, it fails to meaningfully address systemic poverty in our province.

There are also increases to most income and disability assistance supplements, including diet supplements (increased by 50%) and the monthly nutritional supplement (increased from $165 to $180 per month). All of these increases under income and disability assistance will come into effect in July 2023.

The provincial government recently released a rate table, detailing current rates as well as the new rates. You can view this rate table here: https://tinyurl.com/5xxh5527.

If you have questions about any of these changes, you can email us at advocacy@disabilityalliancebc.org or call us at 604-872-1278 (Toll-free: 1-800-663-1278). Please be advised that we receive a high volume of requests and it will likely take some time to hear back from an advocate.

To read our original response to the 2023/2024 BC Budget, from which some of the information in this Community Update has been taken, please visit our blog: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/dabcs-response-to-2023-bc-budget/.


CLBC published this update to the Shelter Portion of Disability Benefits:

Implementation of the PWD Shelter Portion Increase

The government’s increase to the maximum shelter allowance rates for individuals on disability assistance announced in Budget 2023 on February 28 will be passed through to home sharing providers. CLBC wants to ensure home sharing providers receive the same total funding, no matter the shelter and basic living cost payment rate of the individual they support. To make sure all providers can access the $125 increase, effective August 2023:

  • CLBC will increase the standardized individual financial contribution rate for people who receive PWD from $716.13 to $841.13.
  • CLBC will provide an equivalent increase to payments to home sharing providers for people who are age 65+ and receive OAS/GIS.

CLBC has worked with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR) to simplify the implementation of the increased maximum shelter allowance rate where possible. Individuals in home sharing who receive the current standardized rate of $716 or $716.13, will have their standardized rate automatically increased to $841.13.  No further action is required.

  • Individuals in home sharing with a shelter amount listed with SDPR other than the current standardized rate of $716 or $716.13, or who are supported through a Person-Centred Society (PCS) or Individualized Funding (IF) contract, will not receive the increase automatically. These individuals will have to update their shelter information with SDPR by completing a new Shelter Information form (HR3037) and submitting it through SDPR’s My Self Serve system at Myselfserve.gov.bc.ca as a service request, or in an MSDPR office:
    • In the section titled “Type of Rental Accommodation”, select “D. Other” and specify CLBC Home Sharing, and
    • In the section titled “Accommodation Information” include the new contribution amount of $841.13 as the “Total Rent of Unit”

The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction is recommending that updated Shelter Information forms be provided to them as soon as possible, for the ministry to process in time for the August 1st timeline.

Questions about the maximum shelter rate increase or how to update a shelter information form can be directed to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction through My Self Serve or by phone at 1-866-866-0800.

CLBC’s full update is available here:
https://mailchi.mp/gov/update-to-clbc-individual-financial-contribution-policy-and-information-on-shelter-rate-increase?e=d4i7Xzf4Pw