Manitoba promises new income support program for people with severe disabilities

People living with severe and prolonged disabilities will have a new income support program devoted to them, the Manitoba government is promising.

The Progressive Conservatives introduced new legislation on Monday that will movepeople with disabilities off of employment income assistance to a differentincome program tailored to them.

Under the new program, they will receivedisability support payments and shelter assistance, the news release said.

Manitobans with disabilities who currently receive income support through EIA are treated the same as those who've temporarily lost their jobs, orhave short-term or less severe disabilities.

These individuals will no longer have to provide regular documentation to EIA officials to show they're impacted by their disability, Families Minister Rochelle Squires told reporters.

'Better income,' Tories pledge

"We believe that this will be a great reduction in unnecessary regulatory requirements and paperwork and inconvenience for them, and we're also going to be moving forward with a better income for these individuals," she said.

The Tories promised to create an alternative income model for people with disabilities in the 2019 election campaign.

The new legislation will set out the eligibility requirements and thefinancial support these individuals would receive.

The NDPdoubts the government will create a better system. MLA Danielle Adams said in a statement the government has a history of failing to properly support people who rely on these benefits.

The legislation is not guaranteed passage by June since it was introduced after the spring deadline.