2010 FDR - Appendix B: Income supports

The following programs and policies are considered “direct spending” related to income supports.

In fiscal year 2009 to 2010 Finance Canada and Canada Revenue Agency, also called CRA, spent 179.5 million dollars on the Child Disability Benefit. The Child Disability Benefit is a supplement to the Canada Child Tax Benefit and Children’s Special Allowances payments. It provides assistance to nearly all families caring for a child who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. More information on the Child Disability Benefit is available on the internet at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/dsblty-eng.html

The next five programs listed were funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, also called HRSDC, in fiscal year 2009 to 2010. The descriptions begin with the amount spent.

3 billion 779.1 million dollars on the Canada Pension Plan Disability program. Also called CPPD, this program is a key federal program for supporting people with disabilities. As a social insurance program, CPPD provides basic earnings replacement to Canada Pension Plan contributors who can no longer work due to a severe and prolonged disability. The program promotes beneficiaries’ return to work, should they regain work capacity over time. A monthly benefit is also provided to eligible dependent children of contributors with disabilities. More information on the CPPD is available on the internet at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/services/pensions/cpp/disability/benefit/index.shtml

2.2 million dollars on the CPPDM Vocational Rehabilitation Program. The CPPD program offers vocational rehabilitation supports to help CPPD beneficiaries make a successful transition from income support to regular employment. Services could include vocational counselling, financial support for training, and job search assistance. More information on the CPPD vocational rehab program is available on the internet at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/services
/pensions/cpp/disability/voc-rehab.shtml

188.5 million dollars on Federal Workers’ Compensation benefits. This includes the Government Employees Compensation Act, also called GECA, and the Merchant Seamen Compensation Act, also called MSCA. Through the GECA, the federal government provides compensation benefits to federal employees who have sustained an occupational injury or illness in the course of their work. The benefits include salary replacement, health care and rehabilitation support, as well as assistance to ensure early and safe return to work. More information on the GECA is available on the internet at www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/workers_compensation/federal/index.shtml

The MSCA provides workers’ compensation benefits to injured seamen or to their dependants for accidents arising out of or in the course of employment. Coverage is limited in scope to those seamen who are engaged in “home trade voyages” and “foreign voyages” as defined in the MSCA and who are not covered under a provincial workers’ compensation scheme. More information on the MSCA is available on the internet at www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/workers_compensation/merchant_seamen/index.shtml

136.3 million dollars on the Registered Disability Savings Plan, also called the RDSP. The RDSP is a long term savings plan to help Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. To encourage savings, the Government will pay a matching Canada Disability Savings Grant of up to 3,500 dollars a year on paid contributions. It will also pay a Canada Disability Savings Bond of up to 1,000 dollars a year into the RDSPs of low income and middle income Canadians. No contributions are required to receive the bond. Grants and bonds are paid into the RDSP until the year the beneficiary turns 49 years old. More information on the RDSP is available on the internet at www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/disability_issues/disability_savings/index.shtml

This concludes income support related direct spending from HRSDC.

In fiscal year 2009 to 2010 Veterans Affairs Canada, also called VAC, spent 28.3 million dollars on the Earnings Loss and Supplementary Retirement Benefits. These benefits help veterans with disabilities pay their bills and support their families. The Earnings Loss Benefit ensures that the income of veterans with disabilities does not fall below 75 percent of their gross pre release military salary while taking part in the rehab or vocational assistance program. The Supplementary Retirement Benefit makes up for the lost opportunity to contribute to a retirement fund after release from the forces. It is a lump sum payment that is taxable. More information on the Earnings Loss and Supplementary Retirement Benefits is available on the internet at www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services
/transition/rehabilitation/retirement-benefit

In fiscal year 2009 to 2010 VAC spent 2 billion 30.2 million dollars on Veterans Disability Pension and Disability Awards Programs. The disability award is meant to recognize and compensate for the non-economic impacts of a service-related disability. The disability award is a tax free lump sum payment, depending on the extent of the disability. The Disability Pension provides pension and other benefits for service related death and disability to war service veterans, released and still serving members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP, and certain civilians, as well as survivors and dependants. More information on Veterans Disability Pension and Disability Awards Programs is available on the internet at www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services
/after-injury/disability-benefits/disability-pension and at
www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services
/transition/rehabilitation/retirement-benefit

This concludes direct spending under the theme of income supports.

The following program or policy is considered “indirect spending” related to income supports.

Dollar amount for fiscal year 2009 to 2010 not known at time of publication. In fiscal year 2008 to 2009, HRSDC spent 1.01 billion dollars on Employment Insurance sickness benefits. Employment Insurance provides Sickness Benefits to individuals who are unable to work because of sickness, injury or quarantine. More information on Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits is available on the internet at www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/sickness.shtml

This concludes Appendix B on income supports.