Inclusion BC News Update

Minister Stilwell held a news conference today announcing a pledged increase in welfare rates and annualized increases to disability rates tied to the rate of inflation. The announcement comes days before the BC Government is expected to lose confidence in the Legislature.

Faith Bodnar, Inclusion BC Executive Director, has been speaking with radio, tv and newspaper media.

From the Vancouver Sun:

Advocate groups, who’ve spent years unsuccessfully trying to convince the Liberals to raise assistance rates, reacted with cautious suspicion Monday.
Faith Bodnar, executive director of the advocacy group Inclusion B.C., said her organization sent a list of questions to the three major parties before the election, which included queries about whether they supported boosting welfare and PWD (persons with disabilities) rates.

“The current government never give any indication that they would increase welfare or PWD rates,” she said Monday. “This is politics.”

Bodnar said she has been meeting with ministers Stilwell and Children’s Minister Stephanie Cadieux for at least seven years, but has been unable to get buy-in on a “substantial increase” to disability rates or a longterm plan about addressing poverty in B.C. 

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