A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.
~Yoko Ono

Monday, December 1, 2008

You Heard It There First

Good news indeed ~ Doug, at the RDSP Blog, tells us that Manitoba, Alberta and most recently, Ontario, have all joined the bandwagon in completely exempting the RDSP.

And as if that weren't enough, Quebec has now partially exempted the RDSP from affecting disability benefits.

That means, in the case of Quebec, although an RDSP can grow to an unlimited amount without affecting Disability Benefits, payments from the plan will be only partially exempted from affecting provincial disability benefits. Individuals will be allowed to withdraw $300 in income a month for an individual adult, and $340 in income a month for a couple, without disability benefits being affected. Anything above that threshold will be considered income and may disqualify or cause funds to be clawed-back from current benefits.

Okay, perhaps not 'picture perfect' in the case of Quebec. But still...

Just in case anyone is actually keeping track, that makes seven provinces which have in some form or another exempted the RDSP from affecting disability benefits (with Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, the Yukon and British Columbia completely exempting them) and a partial exemption in Quebec.

Let's see, when I went to school Canada had 10 provinces and 2 territories. So I believe that would mean we currently have 10 provinces and 3 territories. With six seven provinces and one territory having already exempted the RDSP, that leaves three provinces and two territories to weigh in.

Three provinces and two territories, you say... let me see, would that leave Nova Scotia, New Bruswick,Prince Edward Island, Nunavet and the Northwest Territories as the remaining holdouts? Yes, I believe it would.

Did I mention Nova Scotia?
Still holding out ... afraid to come to the party, it would seem.

It's enough to make a girl's heart sad, it is. Will we never see the light?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Shame on the Nova Scotia government.
At election time the government had no problem in sounding as if they supported the disabled and cared about those have nots who DO NOT choose to be on welfare but when it comes time for action the Nova Scotia government seems not to exist. Would someone from the government of Nova Scotia please comment as to WHY they ignore the disabled until election time!
It is beyond my imagination as to why Nova Scotia cannot get on board with the rest of Canada when it comes to the disabled.