By Spencer van Vloten
BC Disability
Originally appeared: https://www.pentictonherald.ca/opinion/article_f54cf690-b200-11eb-aef8-67f6af82d79f.html
Dear Editor:
While Mother's Day recently brought people together in a celebration of their close relationships, for many disabled British Columbians it is a painful reminder.
In B.C., persons on disability assistance are pressured to hide their relationships or to not enter them in the first place, because under current provincial policy, having a spouse disqualifies most disabled persons from receiving assistance.
Not only is this economically damaging to a population already living below the poverty line, it places barriers on the ability of persons with disabilities to enter loving, fulfilling relationships.
Fearful of losing much-needed financial assistance, they are forced into isolation and loneliness, unable to draw upon the support of a loving partner in times of need.
Only when provincial policy stops putting economic survival at odds with loving, caring partnerships will disabled British Columbians be able to celebrate their relationships in the same way that non-disabled British Columbians do.
Learn more about removing spousal caps on disability assistance: www.bcdisability.com/spousal-cap
Petition with nearly 20,000 signatures: www.change.org/spousalcaps
Spencer van Vloten, Editor
BC Disability
Spencer van Vloten is the editor of BC Disability. To get in touch, send an email to spencer@bcdisability.com!
