Canadian Parliament Building

Raising the voices of our community and making impact

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Back in October 2022, Parkinson Canada embarked on an initiative to bring our community’s voices together and influence government policies. Our goal was to increase funding to support timely diagnoses and improved access to care for those impacted by Parkinson’s. We simultaneously submitted a response to the federal government’s pre-budget consultations with the following additional recommendations: 

  • Increase the funding available through the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit to ensure that people with Parkinson’s have better financial supports.  
  • Expedite the implementation of the Age Well at Home Benefit to keep those with Parkinson’s at home longer with the support they need.  

We are pleased to announce that on February 7, 2023, Prime Minister Trudeau offered the provinces and territories $46.2 billion in new health funding over 10 years. This includes a $2 billion Canada Health Transfer top-up with a guaranteed 5% increase over five years, conditional on data sharing. Premiers have yet to confirm their acceptance of the agreement, with conversations ongoing.   

Regarding disability supports, Bill C-22, an act to reduce poverty and support the financial security of persons with disabilities and making a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act, passed its third reading in the House of Commons, and is now making its way through the Senate. The benefit would provide monthly payments to working-age Canadians with disabilities (under 65 years old) to bring them up from below the poverty line.  

We are happy to advise that our recommendation to implement the Age Well at Home Benefit was adopted, and an expert panel brought together. We now ask the government to commit to assess the program’s effectiveness and whether it requires further enhancements. Our goal is to ensure that the benefit adequately meets the needs of those in the Parkinson’s community.  

To those who shared their voice to help us: Thank you for everything you do for the Parkinson’s community. These successes would not be possible without you! 

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