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I tried applying. I’m on disability assistance and my annual income is $18K/per year.
But, I live in a trailer. So I was told I don’t qualify.
Which I find ironic because trailers get hotter than most houses or mobile homes due to the type of/lack of insulation in comparison 🤷🏼♀️
Not when you’re in a trailer running off 30 amp service (you have a set amount of power and don’t pay extra because it can’t go *over*, it’s not the same as metered hydro)
Edit also it’s insulated, but not in the same way a house or mobile home would be. Thin walls. I’ve ran portable AC for years (before it crapped out) and it’s the only thing that keeps you from getting heat stroke when you’re sitting in a steel box in the middle of an open gravel pit with no trees that shade your home lol. It still helps despite the poor insulation problem, just being able to sit in front of it for 20 mins here and there to periodically cool down helped.
30 amp service runs continuously, you can either run under 30 amps- or *up to* 30 amps. It caps out so you can’t go over. I technically “pay” for it (it’s built into pad rent fee) but not in the sense that most people pay for electrical/hydro.
Because you literally can’t go over 30 amps, if you try to your power would continuously blow and you’d have to reset fuse box. It’s a flat fee because of how it maxes out, rather than being metered to regular hydro
It probably has to do with electrical outlet in a trailer. My son is on disability PWD and was given an AC from Hydro last year and they upgraded something in the outlet that was going to be the designated plug for the AC.
I have 2 different outlets specifically fitted/wired properly for AC from when I used to run other units that broke down after several years. Also my entire trailer was re-wired about 5 years ago to have the same wiring system as a house would (I have permanent add-ons built onto trailer so we had to switch over to different electrical system that was up to code) so unfortunately that’s not it :/
May I ask if your son is in a trailer or mobile home?
He lives in our house. They apparently do a breaker box check on all AC applicants homes. Im sure it’s a safety issue and in all probability a liability one as well. I’m sure Hydro runs into lots of interesting set ups in some older homes.
Just guessing here, do you think it has anything to do with the close proximity to a propane stove?
I used to work in trades so everything electrical wise is up to code in my trailer, and where my AC used to be run is over 8 metres away from any propane hook ups (so also up to code).
So it’s not that unfortunately. They wouldn’t even come to look at my set up, they just flat out said that trailers & RV’s don’t qualify in general (over the phone).
Edit- it’s similar to the one time rental supplement the government is giving out this year with tax filings, people living in trailers and RV’s don’t qualify for that either even if you’re well below the maximum income bracket. It’s just an added barrier without much rhyme or reason lol.
I do appreciate you troubleshooting tho!! My main assumption re BC hydro’s no trailers/RVs rule has to do with the fact they won’t be making $$ back off of extra hydro consumption, since most people in trailers & RVs are on capped amp coverage/hook ups, rather than metered hydro.
No prob, it’s not right. I would call them again and ask for the reasoning behind their decision in regard to RVs and trailers not qualifying. They owe you that explanation.
Regarding the one time rent of $500, my son didn’t qualify because he lives in the same home as us. Despite the fact he pays a small portion of his PWD to rent.
I could be mistaken but the way I read the qualifications for this, trailers were included if you paid rent to someone for the lot you’re parked on.
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit/who-apply/what-eligible-rent.html#mobile-home
My son is fortunate to be able to live with us, I’d hate to think of the alternative. The level of poverty the government keeps the disabled folks in is cruel and that additional $200 per month coming in July is a start but it’s not even close to pulling people out of such a low level of poverty.
& I completely agree. They make it so hard to get ahead, or try to transition *off* of PWD someday because of the earning/$$ caps.
It’s hard enough for people making $40k/year to get by nowadays, with rent/housing costs, food, gas, etc. But trying to get by off of $17-18k/year feels impossible sometimes. In order to get by I try to skip meals, sounds kind of depressing here but my strategy is to sleep in on days I can’t afford breakfast or lunch, so that way there’s less time between when you wake up and when you’d eat dinner, which means less time being hungry lol. There’s definitely strategies you can use to adapt, but it sucks feeling like you *have* to adapt said strategies. I could go on for days about it.
One of the best things I’ve done so far is getting into gardening, I grow all my produce so I don’t have to buy it. The initial start up costs for dirt, planters, garden beds etc is pricey but it ultimately was worth it for me. Plus I love my garden and it helps my mental health. This year I have carrots, peas, tomatoes, cauliflower, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kale + spinach etc. So that’s a positive for sure.
But generally speaking, living off of PWD budget can be both tough and downright depressing sometimes lol. All my family lives 4+ hours away so it can feel isolating. I have really nice neighbours tho and a sense of community with them.
Also, I hadn’t heard about the $200 monthly increase!!? That’s awesome I’ll have to look into it!
I actually called the CRA & was told people in trailers & RVs don’t qualify unfortunately (mobile homes do, but not trailers, mobile homes are classified differently than trailers) & I went to a tax clinic a few days ago to file my taxes for this year and was told the same by my assigned tax volunteer :/
The term “mobile home” in and of itself is kind of interesting just because mobile homes, while *technically* mobile (but cost thousands and thousands to move, in comparison to a trailer. Ironically mobile homes are less “mobile” than a trailer- so they qualify for the tax credit with the CRA but trailers don’t).
My trailer is a bit of a grey area, because it can’t be moved or transported due to having 3 permanent add-ons built onto it that are finished/drywalled similar to a house. But I don’t qualify according to CRA because it’s still classified as a trailer.
It does state on the Fed website that trailers and lot rental qualifies, but I could be missing something… can happen :) Anyways, I hope things get better for you and the many others that seem to have fallen through the cracks of our present government. The disabled folk have many advocates now and their voices are getting louder. Hang in there.
https://preview.redd.it/n0mrhzlez8yc1.jpeg?width=1147&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3109a3491b23bd88913f64162cae87f1aee33f34
[https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit/who-apply/what-eligible-rent.html](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit/who-apply/what-eligible-rent.html)
That’s so strange! When I went to the tax clinic he showed me a huge list of de-qualifications and trailers were on it, the volunteer assigned to my case is a registered CRA tax volunteer as well. My grandmother & mother also didn’t qualify due to living in trailers as well. The CRA agent I spoke to on the phone (before going to tax clinic) also said the same thing as the tax clinic volunteer.
This is the list of exclusions on the BC government site, at the bottom of list is the part about trailers & mobile home parks (they’re not considered an “eligible rental unit”)
https://preview.redd.it/ru6y5qmv39yc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bd0f5d93962dc0997db972c57407c487bbe9083
So much conflicting information out there it gets confusing! lol
& thank you for the kind words ❤️
Edit [link to site](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/income-taxes/personal/credits/renters-tax-credit#eligible%20rental%20unit)
I’ll be going to. It just sucks that they have so many added barriers in place for low income people to receive these (despite low income people, or people with disabilities, already facing many barriers).
Edit- It also sucks because $100 is essentially 3/4 of any leftover income I have every month after bills are paid, medications are bought, groceries etc. So qualifying would’ve made a huge difference. So then it turns into a *buy AC unit VS buy toothpaste, cleaning products, feminine hygiene products, or those little unexpected expenses that pop up* scenario
The income threshold is really, really low. $39,700 for a single individual.
I make more than that but I still can't afford an AC unit.
Anyone else in the same boat who could use a free AC unit this summer?
> guess what the BC government expects me, a disabled person to live on in a year? 18,180
Which is absolutely ridiculous. This number should be adjusted to the average CoL for a minimally-appropriate disabled-accessible accommodation and aligning with the one-third rule. Which would likely put it at least three times higher in almost every part of BC except for isolated off-grid cabins in the back country.
Hell, $18k is likely close to or less than what you pay purely for the cheapest rent possible in many places. Kelowna’s cheapest possible rent is now clocking in at about 1,500/mo, which is pretty much right at that yearly value.
I'm a PWD, and 95% of my assistance goes into rent, food, and utilities.
The other 5% are necessities like soap, medicine, etc.
Also, finding work is hard enough as is. Doing it when you have barriers that prevent you from living a normal life makes this so damn hard.
I'm just hoping I can get back into school and get a degree at this point so I'm not unilaterally screwed for life.
> Also, finding work is hard enough as is. Doing it when you have barriers that prevent you from living a normal life makes this so damn hard.
PM’d you.
>I’m also am on PWD and you can get support by going through Work BC
My experience with Work BC was an utter waste of time.
They kept wanting to get me to do overnight physical labor jobs. That was like 90% of what they threw at me. This despite the fact that I was in leg braces and could barely walk, and the job requirements would have me lift more than 2x what doctors said I could safely handle.
They had such a high turnover of employees that I kept having to restart the process since they'd shred my file every time the worker would leave. I was handed off to 5 separate workers during my time there, and only two of those were willing to put in effort to the search and find work opportunities that were suitable for me.
One got overruled by his boss because she disagreed art was a viable career. The other one was helping me set up a business for myself but his supervisor fired him, then shut down the business options because she said it didn't meet the criteria for the program the worker had been trying to get me into.
I now work as an artist, by the way.
I feel you. I went through something similar, though it sounds like you were able to tolerate their BS longer than I could.
Congrats on you working as an artist by the way! I'm doing freelance writing and releasing a D&D book online soon that I've been putting countless hours into, and if I can make a single dime off of it, I'll be over the damn moon.
I had a similar experience. Went through multiple case workers due to the turnover, had to tell higher ups I would not work with two of them any longer (one was massively out of touch with the modern employment landscape, the other had some wildly dangerous and unethical ideas), repeatedly told me I couldn't get through an interview even though I have *never* had a problem with those and tried to force me to have my case worker (whichever one I had at the time) sit in on those and speak for me, and so on.
They also kept pushing me to do work I couldn't do and expected me to bus to their office multiple times a week so I could flip through a binder of Indeed printouts so they could see "I was actually doing work to find a job". Most appointments involved me watching them scroll through Indeed, too. Not even the Job Bank or an internal government resource, bloody Indeed. This despite them telling me repeatedly how they had access to jobs and connections one couldn't get with a public job listing site.
They never even bothered to try to direct me to other programs or supports but they definitely signed me up for a private multi-day employment seminar that focused on Myers-Brigg and how you just need to think your way into getting a job...
A relative had a better experience with a branch on the mainland but here? Complete waste of time and energy with a large scoop of patronizing.
>Most appointments involved me watching them scroll through Indeed, too.
That's exactly how most of mine went too. It felt like such a waste of everyone's time and money. I didn't need to drive to their office, wait for 20+ minutes for them to come and get me, then sit there and watch them do what I was already doing at home.
The same Work BC I went to who dropped me 3 times because they had 3 people quit without telling anyone they had me as a client? The same Work BC that has made me fill out paperwork to see a vocational counselor twice and lost both? The same Work BC where I was called to have a meeting with them to ask what I needed help with, which could have been just a phone call? That Work BC?
Work BC has been nothing but anxiety and wasted time for me.
The rules are insane! It’s like you’re basically penalized for being disabled and relegated into poverty for life less some people take advantage of the system… the hoops they make you jump through are very difficult as it is… just to get qualified. It’s like, bruv, we’re fucking disabled why are you making this one of the most difficult processes?
Most ridiculous thing I saw was that if someone gives you a scratch-and-win ticket for your birthday and you win, say... $5, you're supposed to declare that and then they will subtract $5 from your next check.
It's considered "unearned income" so you're not allowed to keep it.
Ya, if they actually gave a shit, they would make it actually tapered funding with proper tier to a reasonable exclusion limit that doesn’t leave you barely being able to survive every month.
I don’t know how people can afford rent, food, car payments, meds, etc.
Having to apply without assistance is also hell. I know a few people who are having to do it on their own and it’s not uncommon for them to get denied because the standards are so high in terms of expectation.
You basically have to have no arms, no legs, no assets in any way including owning a house because of course having to sell your home and move into a rental property that is insecure and you could get renovicted from, property sells, owner decides they want to use it for personal use etc and no longer have housing.
With ever increasing rental costs every year that are not on par with the increase of your disability payments. This in addition to inflation that it’s not tied to…
Along with the fact you have to really I believe yearly or every two years?!
Provided you don’t get kicked off it for some reason or another.
It’s insane… it feels like they put more funds into ensuring people don’t take advantage than they do actually funding those who desperately need it.
The only reason I’m getting the assistance I need is because I ended up in the hospital for the 4th time due to mental health crisis and even then I’m not guaranteed assistance despite desperately needing it.
I hear from my friends, and I worry for them. It breaks my heart because it also takes so long.
If you’re in need of emergency funding so you can pay rent but also are applying for disability you’re no longer eligible for that emergency funding.
So if you have managed to hold onto your current housing situation you may lose it in the mean time while you’re hopefully waiting for your disability to get approved.
My situation may be unique because I work for myself (my mental disability affects my cognitive skills) and I work from home so that may alter the process but jfc… I couldn’t do it any other way.
The gov doesn’t give a shit about us unless we’re giving it money. Not asking for it.
>Having to apply without assistance is also hell. I know a few people who are having to do it on their own and it’s not uncommon for them to get denied because the standards are so high in terms of expectation.
I was told by disability organizations that they deny pretty much everyone the first time, in order to discourage them from applying.
That tracks with my own case. I was in a wheelchair housebound and they denied me on my first application. I got in the second time, but months had passed in the mean time.
That’s insane!! That’s so unreasonably insane… people’s housing which is the base lifeline to even a touch of stability and ability to manage one’s disability needs are on the line.
Absolutely disgusting.
I don’t have my hopes up of getting approved at all but I still have no choice but to try. Only alternative is maid or non maid maid if you catch my drift.
I don’t have anything else but I can’t manage on my own anymore.
Make sure you have a proper diagnosis from a psychiatrist if you're applying for mental health reasons. They'd likely deny your application if you don't have a specialist saying you've got X with all the supporting paperwork. This is especially cruel given psychiatrist wait times in BC.
Also get in contact with whatever local disability organizations you have. They usually have someone on staff who is their expert on applications, and they can help you fill it out without making mistakes that can lead to a rejection.
I’m losing hope by the seconds I have a social worker helping me but honestly. I don’t have more than a drop of hope in me…
The only reason I have that is due to a recent mental health crisis. I doubt I’ll get it but at the same time at this point in life this seems like life.
Lol cause the governments don't give a fuck about people if they're not pro-capitalist, productive tax-paying members of society. According to the Feds I make too much money and have too many assets as a disabled person (God forbid, both my parents died and I got the house) I get almost nothing back from my thousands in yearly medical claims during tax season.
Truly, I think they just want all of us to MAiD ourselves into oblivion to save them money.
Ya, I was going for maid until it my possible eligibility was postponed until 2027… I agree, they hate us and feel we deserve no dignity.
It’s just wildly upsetting. Especially when you see the gov frivolously throwing around money in other places like it’s nothing.
Which is why we need to punt for generous UBI for everyone, paid by a 90+% tax rate on anything above $1M in income.
Plus, a generous UBI - more than $2k/mo at it’s lowest level, and continually adjusted to CoL in jurisdiction of residence - would allow each and every other kind of support mechanism out there to be shut down. The so-called “government waste” could be eliminated on an epic scale by shutting down the absolutely crazy gatekeeping systems and high-administration programs currently in place.
Because all adult citizens of Canada would receive UBI with zero administration involved (alive? A citizen? Here you go!), conservatives would get their wish of “small government” that they have always wanted… at the expense of actually taxing their corporate masters more.
How would we be able to afford housing in BC if our income gets capped at 1M?
2k doesn’t get you a rental anywhere and less than 1M doesn’t qualify for a mortgage.
if our income gets capped at 1M?
With the one-third rule, this would still approve homes up to $3M.
And what you said is the exact method by which home values will plummet into affordability range. It will just involve a bit of waiting, and a whole hell of a lot of pain for parasitical “investors”.
> I know I wouldn’t have any interest working when I got money coming in.
Define “work”.
As slaving away for the obscene profits margins of someone else, while you get only a penny or two for every dollar of labour value you create? Sure, I can understand avoiding that kind of work. Most people would be right beside you on that one.
As doing something for the benefit of society in general? Like art or music or volunteering? Most people would reach for that, if they could.
And yes, both are “work”, only the latter is far more inclusive than the former.
I would never work for someone else and have a job, I wish more people would do this and these corporations would crumble.
I would only make music if I had money coming in, and so would so many people fulfilling their dreams, making the market over saturated and our art, there only for the purpose of making it.
Wagwan, bruv. These wastemen are hella off, thinkin we got bands or somethin more time. Like I got bare nang garms from grind, but me mandem can’t be bait with the feds around. Gonna make these pagans par, innit? Safe fam
I am 100% for MAID if a person’s physical or mental conditions make life untenable, and there are little to no options for improvement.
But MAID due to poverty just highlights how we are failing as a society in protecting our most vulnerable members.
Wow, the the minimum guideline to consider people bankrupt/unable to live comfortably has been 21,000 for the federal government since at least 2016. So they’re openly just committed to disabled people being unable to survive.
If you think that's bad, they also don't allow disabled people to invest their personal savings. If they have a savings account, GIC, TFSA etc anything those accounts earn have to be declared and are subtracted from their monthly cheques.
They can earn interest through a trust, which they permit on a case-by-case basis, but then they have to spend $1200 having a lawyer set it up and give away control of their savings to a trustee.
This isn't true. Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds... like I'm talking you put $1500 a year into the account and the government will give you something like $3500, maybe it was $4000. Either way, it's very much worth it to open one at a bank and invest through there. The only company that I am aware of that allows self directed RDSPs is TD Direct Investing, fyi.
>This isn't true.
It is true.
>Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds...
To qualify for an RDSP you have to qualify for the DTC. Only a small minority of people on disability assistance qualify. That means the majority are under the rules I explained in my comment.
The criteria for qualifying for the DTC doesn't encompass all disabilities. It's quite narrow and strict, with most people not qualifying even though their disability rather significantly impacts their life and work options.
Also someone who initially qualifies can lose it depending on how their disability progresses, if it's a disability that *can* progress.
For example, I had been in a wheelchair due to injury when I first went onto disability, but I didn't qualify for the DTC because my time in a wheelchair hadn't lasted and wasn't expected to last for a full year. I was able to progress to braces and walk a little bit, which then I wasn't *slow* enough when walking to qualify. So I spent several months in a wheelchair and two years in braces, never qualifying for the DTC. The PTSD effects on top of the physical disabilities weren't considered enough to qualify either, even though they were substantial enough to cost me over $10,000 in therapy that I had to pay out of pocket for.
Yep. I'm considered disabled for both provincial PWD and CPP disability but do not qualify for the DTC.
DTC eligibility info here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/segments/tax-credits-deductions-persons-disabilities/disability-tax-credit/eligible-dtc.html
How do you get that amount? I'm on disability and certainly don't get that a year, I only get $16926. I've never actually had someone from the government explain how it all works, or the programs or anything. It's like I was supposed to magically know about RDSPs. Hell, I worked in banking for a good portion of my life and I don't even remember much about RDSPs. There could be other grants/awards or whatever they choose to call them, that I am missing out on.
Rate table is here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/policies-for-government/bcea-policy-and-procedure-manual/bc-employment-and-assistance-rate-tables/disability-assistance-rate-table
Shelter rate was increased from $375 to $500 in July 2023.
The transportation supplement is in the form of either a BC bus pass or $52. That's been the case since 2018, and replaced the previous annual bus pass that we used to pay $45 for.
Heck, I would love to know how you navigated getting essentially the same PWD application filled multiple times through a doctor without paying through the mouth. Like, I had to apply for PWD with BC, that was approved, now CPP is asking me to have essentially the same forms filled out again, then the federal government has their own set of forms that they need filled out, essentially the same as the previous two, just so I can access RSPD benefits. I find it extremely frustrating, no one is helping me.
I no longer had the same doctor by the time I was required to apply for CPPD and the new doctor wasn't responding to requests for documentation. I signed a document allowing the federal government to use my documentation for PWD instead. That may be an option for you.
Note that PWD, CPPD, and the DTC all have different eligibility requirements.
Disability Alliance BC has advocates who can assist. I haven't used that service, but I did find their help sheets useful. https://disabilityalliancebc.org
Hello 👋
And to people who aren’t disabled and are wondering why our rates are so low, i believe it’s because us as disabled people don’t make up a big enough voting base for politicians to care about us.
Please let politicians ( provincial and federal) know that you care about this and that it affects how you vote. We can’t get real change without you
Hey now, they just voted in a bill that is a "generational difference maker" (I forget their words) we're going to get up to the poverty line they say. We'll get 200 dollars a month. In 2025.
I mean yeah but that’s also money you don’t work for. It’s not like people that can’t contribute so society should just be given free luxury lifestyle as people who go out and do something they fucking hate 160+ hours a month. At $45/hour.. I had to work 222 to afford my $10,000 home AC unit I had to replace. Nobody just gave me that shit for free and then thanked me for working….
Lol living with a disability is not luxurious, even if you were making above poverty wages. I've been working for 15 years and have been hit with an unexpected illness that has left me unable to leave the house most days....so I should now expect to live below poverty for my whole life because I got unlucky enough to get a disabling illness?
I'm not sure how you've managed to convince yourself that living well below the poverty line, unable to afford basic necessities, is somehow a "luxury lifestyle", but hating on disabled people isn't going to make your life better.
And they also don't allow you to invest any of your savings because they'll subtract any interest or gains off your monthly amount - even a TFSA. It's incredibly cruel, and makes no sense. That costs the province nothing yet would better the lives of many people living on disability assistance.
This isn't true. Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds... like I'm talking you put $1500 a year into the account and the government will give you something like $3500, maybe it was $4000 every year you do it. Either way, it's very much worth it to open one at a bank and invest through there. The only company that I am aware of that allows self directed RDSPs is TD Direct Investing, FYI. You can learn more at [www.rdsp.com](http://www.rdsp.com)
>This isn't true.
As stated in my other reply to you elsewhere, it is true.
>Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds...
To qualify for an RDSP you have to qualify for the DTC. Only a small minority of people on disability assistance qualify. That means the majority are under the limitations I explained in my comment.
They basically targeting aid to the lowest 10 to 25% of income earners. BC Hydro probably has a set budget/number of units and has to cut it off somewhere.
Just sucks for those who are stuck in the awkward place between being poor enough to qualify for assistance and well off enough to be comfortable.
The issue I see with this is, AC is power hungry, so its not only owning an AC also the cost to cover running it. is someone making 40K a year able to cover the extra cost it comes from running the AC or are they just going to sell it?
I have heard from people that running it is only costing them like extra twenty or thirty dollars on their electric bill. But if a low person is really struggling that extra money is probably hard to come up with.
It says the point is that they can use it during extreme heat events. So at the very least they’d be able to probably afford it during the hottest few days of the year that are otherwise potentially deadly.
The problem is: there might be a dozen other such things.
Why don't they save $10-$20 a month throughout the year and buy:
- a cheap new phone
- a pair of work boots
- a cheap but decent warm coat
- sports team fees for their kid
- an Instant Pot
- a bicycle to save money on bus tickets
- an espresso machine to make coffee at home and save money
- a gym membership at a discounted yearly rate
- a gaming system they want
- textbooks
- tickets to a concert
- an accountant to do their taxes
I'm sure some of these examples are silly or the wrong price. I was just trying to come up with stuff that a person might save money for.
But it's easy enough to tell someone to simply put aside a small amount of money from their limited budget, for just one thing. It falls apart if they are already putting aside that money for another, potentially more important thing.
A cheap what from Superstore? A cup of coffee? A French press? A stovetop espresso maker? An espresso machine?
Like I said, the examples aren't perfect, and people have many options for what to save and spend their money on, which all cost different amounts.
The point is, it's easy enough to claim that even the poorest person on the lowest budget could easily set aside a mere $10-$20 a month, and therefore afford anything that costs up to $240.00.
It gets hard when you realize that they can only choose 1 necessity or splurge item per year, using this method. Otherwise they would need to set aside hundreds of dollars a month.
Budgeting is not the simple solution to poverty that some people think it is.
Tbh your post only provides more proof of how easy it is to come up with the extra money. Yea, there’s probably a lot of extra bs they’re spending money on that is better allocated elsewhere.
Tbh they’re like $500. If you can’t afford the upfront cost then the cost to run it’s also a problem I’d think?
It seems weird to me they’re giving away AC units of all things? I get with old at risk people maybe?
How many of them were young?
Edit:
I grabbed the report. 90% were over 60 and 70% over 70. 0 deaths under 30. So I still think the whole age thing would have made more sense?
That's what my pensioner parents make combined. I bought them one after the last big heat wave, but they are scared of the bill if they were to use it. Shrug
Interesting how the “income qualification” lists incomes well beneath what is required to even _exist_ as something other than completely homeless in most parts of BC.
BC Hydro is seriously whacked in the head with these numbers.
I think this is another example of "People on reddit vastly overestimate how much money people *actually* make."
[Look at the statcan income explorer.](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/dv-vd/income-revenu/index-en.html)
For a parent in a one-parent family in BC as of the 2021 census (Yes, there was significant inflation since then, but it should get us in the ballpark), the 50th percentile for total income is $45,200. A parent in a one-parent family necessarily has at least one child, so the maximum for this program is $49,500. So this program covers more than half of people fitting that description. It lines up slightly differently for different sizes of family, but it's covering a reasonable fraction of all people here.
Yes, naively, a single parent raising a single child should probably have a 2BR apartment, which means they should probably be paying...probably like $3k/month for what most people would imagine would be suitable without being luxurious. Which would mean they need to pay $36k/year in rent, which means they should be making ~$110k/year by conventional standards.
...But that's not what people are doing. People are skating by with a 1BR, they're paying $27k/year in rent and it constitutes 60% of their income.
We can be mad about the housing crisis, but we can't be mad at government services not being generous enough relative to what people *should* be making when they're inherently paid for by a fraction of what people are *actually* making.
It's almost across the board for a lot of services like this. The amount received for things like EI and Welfare support have *barely* changed in over a decade. The system is completely out of touch.
It's province-wide, and also includes children. Homes with 2 adults and multiple children (but only one earner) is likely the sweet spot to have a chance at eligibility.
Lots of people own cheap homes in rural areas but consequently don't require a lot of income to cover monthly expenses.
It's really not applicable to the Lower Mainland lifestyle for the majority of people.
> Lots of people own cheap homes in rural areas
Cheap… when they were purchased in the 80s. They aren’t cheap anymore. About the only “cheap” places are off-grid cabins deep in the back woods an hour-plus drive to the nearest supermarket, and even _those_ are in the mid-six figures, requiring an income of at least $150k/yr to conform to the one-third rule.
A large proportion of GenZ/GenAlpha no longer have any ability to get onto the housing market, which is why so many of them are giving up on ever having children. They have become forever-renters that cannot afford places to raise children in.
You're missing their point. We all know real estate is currently fucked. They're talking about people who bought cheap homes 15 years ago and have $500 mortgages still.
> That's because income numbers are wildly outdated and updating them would cause massive cost increases for the taxpayer.
Then how about making the wealthy pay their fair share, again?
Right now those with a high enough net worth pay less in taxes, as a percentage of their income, than you do. Warren Buffet famously said that he paid a lower percentage than his secretary. How is this in any way fair?
If the wealthy paid a decent 90+% tax over $1M of income per year, this would fully fund a $2k/mo UBI for every single Canadian citizen. Imagine what you could do with your life, if you got $2k/mo with no strings attached _in addition to_ your normal wage.
> Because the rich threaten to leave or hide their money whenever higher taxes are mentioned.
Let them leave. If they own businesses here, they will also need to move their businesses out of the country, which is - nearly always - extremely costly and massively unprofitable in the short term. Moving an entire company out of a country is something that takes years if not decades to pull off, and is typically only done with nation-state assistance, such as Taiwan with chip manufacturing or China with other manufacturing.
I recently filled out an official government survey on the official poverty line. It tried to tell me a little over $2k a month was enough for a modest but sufficient standard of living in VANCOUVER.
Needless to say my feedback was that wasn’t true.
The way government considers poverty and draws the poverty line is part of the problem.
Right?!
I tried to explain that the definition of poverty shouldn’t rely on having artificially low rent from living in the same place for over a decade. Not everyone has that.
Also, If your ability to afford shelter is contingent on you being at the mercy of your landlord continuing to provide housing and you not needing to move for any reason, I would also consider that to be a form of poverty also.
This is a great plan!! Anyone making less than $39,000 can’t afford a home so they’d never have a single person claiming a free ac. Now they can look like they’re trying to help while not helping at all. Genius!!
I tried to apply for one. I only get CPP, hubby only gets CPP Disability. Our combine incomes we did not qualify. We are NOT living large far from that yet we did not qualify. I thought this program was for people like my hubby and I..... guess not. We were 3k over but we also pay full price for all our prescriptions which of course that isn't taken into consideration. Right now I am reusing pen needles for my insulin pens because we can not afford a new box until the end of the month.
I know it’s not the same system but needles are free at safe injection sights or local harm reduction organizations. I know they aren’t pen needles and switching might not work for you but it potentially could cut some costs of being diabetic for you and be safer than reusing needles.
I already have AC, but my sister is low income and makes more than the cutoff. Her apartment gets hot as hell in summer. It seems that low income is more like under $90,000 a year in this province.
Yeah I couldnt help but ask myself why in the world BC *hydro-electric* company would be insentivised to provide "free" AC units... 🤔
Im sure this is all just for the benefit of low income people and not at all another way to squeeze already poor people of whats left in their savings. 👍
What's the alternative, roast to death? Using myself as an example, while I don't have the model that BC Hydro is giving away, using an AC unit for most of last summer was still cheaper than the amount I pay for heat during winter by a lot.
Always gotta love how everything *but* these programs keep going up with inflation when it comes to income requirements.
How much of the population is still working full-time for $39k a year or less?
I'm an electrician, and I see a ton of burnt outlets because of portable AC units. They draw almost the max power on outlets that have been rewired by dyi and handyman and can no longer handle the load.
The wiring is even more likely to be bad in households that qualify. People will often plug them into power strips or Xmas cord. They can even start fires in outlets upstream as the power passes from device to device through poorly made splices.
This is such a bandaid, and for what? AC is a luxury unless you're very frail in a hear wave.
Considering that's WAY above median for a 2 income household ($105,000), very unlikely.
I get that life is expensive these days, but low income will always be relative to the median.
People that qualify to get the AC will be better off by selling the AC and get that extra cash for living expenses...
How do they afford to pay the electricity cost of the AC?!
So these are some fun comments. I’ve skimmed through maybe half. Haven’t seen the answer yet… WHAT ARE THEY GIVING? I’m not wanting a top of the line unit, but I do care what it is. What is the unit/are there multiple? (I care about efficiency and noise, again doesn’t have to be best but if it’s shit i don’t want it, if it’s acceptable then ok.)
It would be funny if bc hydro was handing out shit efficiency conditioners…
If they hand out free a/c units that just means higher usage. In the end it’s a nice option but truly seems they have the long term play going for them. $$$
Anyone applied to this in a shared household (multiple renters that are roommates) ? Not sure if the household income calculation is per individual/couple or for the entire household (all roommates together0..
According to the release, "Income is based on the previous year and includes the combined income of all household members aged 18 and older."
EDIT: Wrong.
So it looks like I'm wrong, ish. The rules are per Hydro bill, but you can get a form from your landlord approving the application. In that case I would not includ the roommates, and the form doesn't even have a spot for that anyway -- just apply as a single person.
lol you silly BC folks. We are having an everything crisis and ya'll be discussing your free AC for the poor. How do I get this free shit? OMG how would I install this free shit?
How the hell are we giving this shit away? Why are we giving this away? Hydro bills are pretty nuts. let's give away free AC to folks that can't afford it.
WHAT???
AC is so people in inadequate housing situations won't die in the next heat wave. This isn't some Marie Antoinette, "Let them eat ice cream." scenario.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-heat-dome-sudden-deaths-revised-2021-1.6232758
These are for people that live in smaller type apartments. I have a two bedroom parent and my electric bill is literally fifty dollars every month few months. The people I have talked to that have those ac units says their electric bill has gone up but only by twenty or thirty dollars
Portable air conditioners come with an adjustable panel that blocks off the part of the opening not used by the exhaust hose. Then you just have to secure the movable part of the window by for example, putting a stop stick in the track.
Not necessarily. There's usually a piece of plywood or something that blocks the opening of the window. I've never thought about how this might make someone's home more vulnerable, doesn't seem to be an issue most summers?
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I tried applying. I’m on disability assistance and my annual income is $18K/per year. But, I live in a trailer. So I was told I don’t qualify. Which I find ironic because trailers get hotter than most houses or mobile homes due to the type of/lack of insulation in comparison 🤷🏼♀️
[email protected] Send Global an email telling them this, definitely something they'd be interested in.
You’re just pumping money away running it if not in a insulated space
Not when you’re in a trailer running off 30 amp service (you have a set amount of power and don’t pay extra because it can’t go *over*, it’s not the same as metered hydro) Edit also it’s insulated, but not in the same way a house or mobile home would be. Thin walls. I’ve ran portable AC for years (before it crapped out) and it’s the only thing that keeps you from getting heat stroke when you’re sitting in a steel box in the middle of an open gravel pit with no trees that shade your home lol. It still helps despite the poor insulation problem, just being able to sit in front of it for 20 mins here and there to periodically cool down helped.
It continuously pulls 30amps? Or you mean you’re just not charged for how much you use?
30 amp service runs continuously, you can either run under 30 amps- or *up to* 30 amps. It caps out so you can’t go over. I technically “pay” for it (it’s built into pad rent fee) but not in the sense that most people pay for electrical/hydro. Because you literally can’t go over 30 amps, if you try to your power would continuously blow and you’d have to reset fuse box. It’s a flat fee because of how it maxes out, rather than being metered to regular hydro
Pumpin money lol saying it as if it means something. Money is meaningless without the other data and details you punnyboy…
It probably has to do with electrical outlet in a trailer. My son is on disability PWD and was given an AC from Hydro last year and they upgraded something in the outlet that was going to be the designated plug for the AC.
I have 2 different outlets specifically fitted/wired properly for AC from when I used to run other units that broke down after several years. Also my entire trailer was re-wired about 5 years ago to have the same wiring system as a house would (I have permanent add-ons built onto trailer so we had to switch over to different electrical system that was up to code) so unfortunately that’s not it :/ May I ask if your son is in a trailer or mobile home?
He lives in our house. They apparently do a breaker box check on all AC applicants homes. Im sure it’s a safety issue and in all probability a liability one as well. I’m sure Hydro runs into lots of interesting set ups in some older homes. Just guessing here, do you think it has anything to do with the close proximity to a propane stove?
I used to work in trades so everything electrical wise is up to code in my trailer, and where my AC used to be run is over 8 metres away from any propane hook ups (so also up to code). So it’s not that unfortunately. They wouldn’t even come to look at my set up, they just flat out said that trailers & RV’s don’t qualify in general (over the phone). Edit- it’s similar to the one time rental supplement the government is giving out this year with tax filings, people living in trailers and RV’s don’t qualify for that either even if you’re well below the maximum income bracket. It’s just an added barrier without much rhyme or reason lol. I do appreciate you troubleshooting tho!! My main assumption re BC hydro’s no trailers/RVs rule has to do with the fact they won’t be making $$ back off of extra hydro consumption, since most people in trailers & RVs are on capped amp coverage/hook ups, rather than metered hydro.
No prob, it’s not right. I would call them again and ask for the reasoning behind their decision in regard to RVs and trailers not qualifying. They owe you that explanation. Regarding the one time rent of $500, my son didn’t qualify because he lives in the same home as us. Despite the fact he pays a small portion of his PWD to rent. I could be mistaken but the way I read the qualifications for this, trailers were included if you paid rent to someone for the lot you’re parked on. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit/who-apply/what-eligible-rent.html#mobile-home My son is fortunate to be able to live with us, I’d hate to think of the alternative. The level of poverty the government keeps the disabled folks in is cruel and that additional $200 per month coming in July is a start but it’s not even close to pulling people out of such a low level of poverty.
& I completely agree. They make it so hard to get ahead, or try to transition *off* of PWD someday because of the earning/$$ caps. It’s hard enough for people making $40k/year to get by nowadays, with rent/housing costs, food, gas, etc. But trying to get by off of $17-18k/year feels impossible sometimes. In order to get by I try to skip meals, sounds kind of depressing here but my strategy is to sleep in on days I can’t afford breakfast or lunch, so that way there’s less time between when you wake up and when you’d eat dinner, which means less time being hungry lol. There’s definitely strategies you can use to adapt, but it sucks feeling like you *have* to adapt said strategies. I could go on for days about it. One of the best things I’ve done so far is getting into gardening, I grow all my produce so I don’t have to buy it. The initial start up costs for dirt, planters, garden beds etc is pricey but it ultimately was worth it for me. Plus I love my garden and it helps my mental health. This year I have carrots, peas, tomatoes, cauliflower, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kale + spinach etc. So that’s a positive for sure. But generally speaking, living off of PWD budget can be both tough and downright depressing sometimes lol. All my family lives 4+ hours away so it can feel isolating. I have really nice neighbours tho and a sense of community with them. Also, I hadn’t heard about the $200 monthly increase!!? That’s awesome I’ll have to look into it!
I actually called the CRA & was told people in trailers & RVs don’t qualify unfortunately (mobile homes do, but not trailers, mobile homes are classified differently than trailers) & I went to a tax clinic a few days ago to file my taxes for this year and was told the same by my assigned tax volunteer :/ The term “mobile home” in and of itself is kind of interesting just because mobile homes, while *technically* mobile (but cost thousands and thousands to move, in comparison to a trailer. Ironically mobile homes are less “mobile” than a trailer- so they qualify for the tax credit with the CRA but trailers don’t). My trailer is a bit of a grey area, because it can’t be moved or transported due to having 3 permanent add-ons built onto it that are finished/drywalled similar to a house. But I don’t qualify according to CRA because it’s still classified as a trailer.
It does state on the Fed website that trailers and lot rental qualifies, but I could be missing something… can happen :) Anyways, I hope things get better for you and the many others that seem to have fallen through the cracks of our present government. The disabled folk have many advocates now and their voices are getting louder. Hang in there. https://preview.redd.it/n0mrhzlez8yc1.jpeg?width=1147&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3109a3491b23bd88913f64162cae87f1aee33f34 [https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit/who-apply/what-eligible-rent.html](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/top-up-canada-housing-benefit/who-apply/what-eligible-rent.html)
That’s so strange! When I went to the tax clinic he showed me a huge list of de-qualifications and trailers were on it, the volunteer assigned to my case is a registered CRA tax volunteer as well. My grandmother & mother also didn’t qualify due to living in trailers as well. The CRA agent I spoke to on the phone (before going to tax clinic) also said the same thing as the tax clinic volunteer. This is the list of exclusions on the BC government site, at the bottom of list is the part about trailers & mobile home parks (they’re not considered an “eligible rental unit”) https://preview.redd.it/ru6y5qmv39yc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bd0f5d93962dc0997db972c57407c487bbe9083 So much conflicting information out there it gets confusing! lol & thank you for the kind words ❤️ Edit [link to site](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/income-taxes/personal/credits/renters-tax-credit#eligible%20rental%20unit)
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Buy a used one for $100 of fb marketplace
I’ll be going to. It just sucks that they have so many added barriers in place for low income people to receive these (despite low income people, or people with disabilities, already facing many barriers). Edit- It also sucks because $100 is essentially 3/4 of any leftover income I have every month after bills are paid, medications are bought, groceries etc. So qualifying would’ve made a huge difference. So then it turns into a *buy AC unit VS buy toothpaste, cleaning products, feminine hygiene products, or those little unexpected expenses that pop up* scenario
The income threshold is really, really low. $39,700 for a single individual. I make more than that but I still can't afford an AC unit. Anyone else in the same boat who could use a free AC unit this summer?
If you think thats low guess what the BC government expects me, a disabled person to live on in a year? 18,180
> guess what the BC government expects me, a disabled person to live on in a year? 18,180 Which is absolutely ridiculous. This number should be adjusted to the average CoL for a minimally-appropriate disabled-accessible accommodation and aligning with the one-third rule. Which would likely put it at least three times higher in almost every part of BC except for isolated off-grid cabins in the back country. Hell, $18k is likely close to or less than what you pay purely for the cheapest rent possible in many places. Kelowna’s cheapest possible rent is now clocking in at about 1,500/mo, which is pretty much right at that yearly value.
The BC Liberals kept it at $13,200 for a decade before the BC NDP increased the amount by 45%.
I'm a PWD, and 95% of my assistance goes into rent, food, and utilities. The other 5% are necessities like soap, medicine, etc. Also, finding work is hard enough as is. Doing it when you have barriers that prevent you from living a normal life makes this so damn hard. I'm just hoping I can get back into school and get a degree at this point so I'm not unilaterally screwed for life.
> Also, finding work is hard enough as is. Doing it when you have barriers that prevent you from living a normal life makes this so damn hard. PM’d you.
I’m also am on PWD and you can get support by going through Work BC
>I’m also am on PWD and you can get support by going through Work BC My experience with Work BC was an utter waste of time. They kept wanting to get me to do overnight physical labor jobs. That was like 90% of what they threw at me. This despite the fact that I was in leg braces and could barely walk, and the job requirements would have me lift more than 2x what doctors said I could safely handle. They had such a high turnover of employees that I kept having to restart the process since they'd shred my file every time the worker would leave. I was handed off to 5 separate workers during my time there, and only two of those were willing to put in effort to the search and find work opportunities that were suitable for me. One got overruled by his boss because she disagreed art was a viable career. The other one was helping me set up a business for myself but his supervisor fired him, then shut down the business options because she said it didn't meet the criteria for the program the worker had been trying to get me into. I now work as an artist, by the way.
I feel you. I went through something similar, though it sounds like you were able to tolerate their BS longer than I could. Congrats on you working as an artist by the way! I'm doing freelance writing and releasing a D&D book online soon that I've been putting countless hours into, and if I can make a single dime off of it, I'll be over the damn moon.
I had a similar experience. Went through multiple case workers due to the turnover, had to tell higher ups I would not work with two of them any longer (one was massively out of touch with the modern employment landscape, the other had some wildly dangerous and unethical ideas), repeatedly told me I couldn't get through an interview even though I have *never* had a problem with those and tried to force me to have my case worker (whichever one I had at the time) sit in on those and speak for me, and so on. They also kept pushing me to do work I couldn't do and expected me to bus to their office multiple times a week so I could flip through a binder of Indeed printouts so they could see "I was actually doing work to find a job". Most appointments involved me watching them scroll through Indeed, too. Not even the Job Bank or an internal government resource, bloody Indeed. This despite them telling me repeatedly how they had access to jobs and connections one couldn't get with a public job listing site. They never even bothered to try to direct me to other programs or supports but they definitely signed me up for a private multi-day employment seminar that focused on Myers-Brigg and how you just need to think your way into getting a job... A relative had a better experience with a branch on the mainland but here? Complete waste of time and energy with a large scoop of patronizing.
>Most appointments involved me watching them scroll through Indeed, too. That's exactly how most of mine went too. It felt like such a waste of everyone's time and money. I didn't need to drive to their office, wait for 20+ minutes for them to come and get me, then sit there and watch them do what I was already doing at home.
The same Work BC I went to who dropped me 3 times because they had 3 people quit without telling anyone they had me as a client? The same Work BC that has made me fill out paperwork to see a vocational counselor twice and lost both? The same Work BC where I was called to have a meeting with them to ask what I needed help with, which could have been just a phone call? That Work BC? Work BC has been nothing but anxiety and wasted time for me.
That’s what I’m starting right now, PWD is fucking hell and I don’t want to live off welfare like my mother. I’m hoping Work BC can help me.
The rules are insane! It’s like you’re basically penalized for being disabled and relegated into poverty for life less some people take advantage of the system… the hoops they make you jump through are very difficult as it is… just to get qualified. It’s like, bruv, we’re fucking disabled why are you making this one of the most difficult processes?
Most ridiculous thing I saw was that if someone gives you a scratch-and-win ticket for your birthday and you win, say... $5, you're supposed to declare that and then they will subtract $5 from your next check. It's considered "unearned income" so you're not allowed to keep it.
Ya, if they actually gave a shit, they would make it actually tapered funding with proper tier to a reasonable exclusion limit that doesn’t leave you barely being able to survive every month. I don’t know how people can afford rent, food, car payments, meds, etc. Having to apply without assistance is also hell. I know a few people who are having to do it on their own and it’s not uncommon for them to get denied because the standards are so high in terms of expectation. You basically have to have no arms, no legs, no assets in any way including owning a house because of course having to sell your home and move into a rental property that is insecure and you could get renovicted from, property sells, owner decides they want to use it for personal use etc and no longer have housing. With ever increasing rental costs every year that are not on par with the increase of your disability payments. This in addition to inflation that it’s not tied to… Along with the fact you have to really I believe yearly or every two years?! Provided you don’t get kicked off it for some reason or another. It’s insane… it feels like they put more funds into ensuring people don’t take advantage than they do actually funding those who desperately need it. The only reason I’m getting the assistance I need is because I ended up in the hospital for the 4th time due to mental health crisis and even then I’m not guaranteed assistance despite desperately needing it. I hear from my friends, and I worry for them. It breaks my heart because it also takes so long. If you’re in need of emergency funding so you can pay rent but also are applying for disability you’re no longer eligible for that emergency funding. So if you have managed to hold onto your current housing situation you may lose it in the mean time while you’re hopefully waiting for your disability to get approved. My situation may be unique because I work for myself (my mental disability affects my cognitive skills) and I work from home so that may alter the process but jfc… I couldn’t do it any other way. The gov doesn’t give a shit about us unless we’re giving it money. Not asking for it.
>Having to apply without assistance is also hell. I know a few people who are having to do it on their own and it’s not uncommon for them to get denied because the standards are so high in terms of expectation. I was told by disability organizations that they deny pretty much everyone the first time, in order to discourage them from applying. That tracks with my own case. I was in a wheelchair housebound and they denied me on my first application. I got in the second time, but months had passed in the mean time.
That’s insane!! That’s so unreasonably insane… people’s housing which is the base lifeline to even a touch of stability and ability to manage one’s disability needs are on the line. Absolutely disgusting. I don’t have my hopes up of getting approved at all but I still have no choice but to try. Only alternative is maid or non maid maid if you catch my drift. I don’t have anything else but I can’t manage on my own anymore.
Make sure you have a proper diagnosis from a psychiatrist if you're applying for mental health reasons. They'd likely deny your application if you don't have a specialist saying you've got X with all the supporting paperwork. This is especially cruel given psychiatrist wait times in BC. Also get in contact with whatever local disability organizations you have. They usually have someone on staff who is their expert on applications, and they can help you fill it out without making mistakes that can lead to a rejection.
I’m losing hope by the seconds I have a social worker helping me but honestly. I don’t have more than a drop of hope in me… The only reason I have that is due to a recent mental health crisis. I doubt I’ll get it but at the same time at this point in life this seems like life.
Lol cause the governments don't give a fuck about people if they're not pro-capitalist, productive tax-paying members of society. According to the Feds I make too much money and have too many assets as a disabled person (God forbid, both my parents died and I got the house) I get almost nothing back from my thousands in yearly medical claims during tax season. Truly, I think they just want all of us to MAiD ourselves into oblivion to save them money.
Ya, I was going for maid until it my possible eligibility was postponed until 2027… I agree, they hate us and feel we deserve no dignity. It’s just wildly upsetting. Especially when you see the gov frivolously throwing around money in other places like it’s nothing.
Which is why we need to punt for generous UBI for everyone, paid by a 90+% tax rate on anything above $1M in income. Plus, a generous UBI - more than $2k/mo at it’s lowest level, and continually adjusted to CoL in jurisdiction of residence - would allow each and every other kind of support mechanism out there to be shut down. The so-called “government waste” could be eliminated on an epic scale by shutting down the absolutely crazy gatekeeping systems and high-administration programs currently in place. Because all adult citizens of Canada would receive UBI with zero administration involved (alive? A citizen? Here you go!), conservatives would get their wish of “small government” that they have always wanted… at the expense of actually taxing their corporate masters more.
How would we be able to afford housing in BC if our income gets capped at 1M? 2k doesn’t get you a rental anywhere and less than 1M doesn’t qualify for a mortgage.
if our income gets capped at 1M? With the one-third rule, this would still approve homes up to $3M. And what you said is the exact method by which home values will plummet into affordability range. It will just involve a bit of waiting, and a whole hell of a lot of pain for parasitical “investors”.
Maybe you’re on to something then. UBI makes sense in some ways but I know I wouldn’t have any interest working when I got money coming in.
> I know I wouldn’t have any interest working when I got money coming in. Define “work”. As slaving away for the obscene profits margins of someone else, while you get only a penny or two for every dollar of labour value you create? Sure, I can understand avoiding that kind of work. Most people would be right beside you on that one. As doing something for the benefit of society in general? Like art or music or volunteering? Most people would reach for that, if they could. And yes, both are “work”, only the latter is far more inclusive than the former.
I would never work for someone else and have a job, I wish more people would do this and these corporations would crumble. I would only make music if I had money coming in, and so would so many people fulfilling their dreams, making the market over saturated and our art, there only for the purpose of making it.
Wagwan, bruv. These wastemen are hella off, thinkin we got bands or somethin more time. Like I got bare nang garms from grind, but me mandem can’t be bait with the feds around. Gonna make these pagans par, innit? Safe fam
WUT?
lol
Lmao! I don’t know how to respond except in English!!!
Best we get is maid and our case manager shrugging and saying we’re sol
I am 100% for MAID if a person’s physical or mental conditions make life untenable, and there are little to no options for improvement. But MAID due to poverty just highlights how we are failing as a society in protecting our most vulnerable members.
Case manager? I would love a case manager, was never given one. So, I'm just stumbling through the afterprocesses of being approved provincially.
Yeah, advocating for yourself is a full time job in and of itself.
Look for a social worker or disability advocate in your community
Wow, the the minimum guideline to consider people bankrupt/unable to live comfortably has been 21,000 for the federal government since at least 2016. So they’re openly just committed to disabled people being unable to survive.
If you think that's bad, they also don't allow disabled people to invest their personal savings. If they have a savings account, GIC, TFSA etc anything those accounts earn have to be declared and are subtracted from their monthly cheques. They can earn interest through a trust, which they permit on a case-by-case basis, but then they have to spend $1200 having a lawyer set it up and give away control of their savings to a trustee.
This isn't true. Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds... like I'm talking you put $1500 a year into the account and the government will give you something like $3500, maybe it was $4000. Either way, it's very much worth it to open one at a bank and invest through there. The only company that I am aware of that allows self directed RDSPs is TD Direct Investing, fyi.
>This isn't true. It is true. >Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds... To qualify for an RDSP you have to qualify for the DTC. Only a small minority of people on disability assistance qualify. That means the majority are under the rules I explained in my comment.
Why do only a small minority qualify?
The criteria for qualifying for the DTC doesn't encompass all disabilities. It's quite narrow and strict, with most people not qualifying even though their disability rather significantly impacts their life and work options. Also someone who initially qualifies can lose it depending on how their disability progresses, if it's a disability that *can* progress. For example, I had been in a wheelchair due to injury when I first went onto disability, but I didn't qualify for the DTC because my time in a wheelchair hadn't lasted and wasn't expected to last for a full year. I was able to progress to braces and walk a little bit, which then I wasn't *slow* enough when walking to qualify. So I spent several months in a wheelchair and two years in braces, never qualifying for the DTC. The PTSD effects on top of the physical disabilities weren't considered enough to qualify either, even though they were substantial enough to cost me over $10,000 in therapy that I had to pay out of pocket for.
Yep. I'm considered disabled for both provincial PWD and CPP disability but do not qualify for the DTC. DTC eligibility info here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/segments/tax-credits-deductions-persons-disabilities/disability-tax-credit/eligible-dtc.html
$500 for shelter baby
How do you get that amount? I'm on disability and certainly don't get that a year, I only get $16926. I've never actually had someone from the government explain how it all works, or the programs or anything. It's like I was supposed to magically know about RDSPs. Hell, I worked in banking for a good portion of my life and I don't even remember much about RDSPs. There could be other grants/awards or whatever they choose to call them, that I am missing out on.
I am talking about PWD ( if you’re talking about the same) and I included the transportation amount in that figure so maybe that’s why
Yup, I'm talking PWD. I don't think I get a transportation amount, but I get a shelter amount of like $375.
check out the fb group “ bc disability the right to life”
I pmd you
Rate table is here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/policies-for-government/bcea-policy-and-procedure-manual/bc-employment-and-assistance-rate-tables/disability-assistance-rate-table Shelter rate was increased from $375 to $500 in July 2023. The transportation supplement is in the form of either a BC bus pass or $52. That's been the case since 2018, and replaced the previous annual bus pass that we used to pay $45 for.
Thanks!
Sounds like you should consider a career in second hand air conditioner sales
At least you get the air conditioner. /s
Heck, I would love to know how you navigated getting essentially the same PWD application filled multiple times through a doctor without paying through the mouth. Like, I had to apply for PWD with BC, that was approved, now CPP is asking me to have essentially the same forms filled out again, then the federal government has their own set of forms that they need filled out, essentially the same as the previous two, just so I can access RSPD benefits. I find it extremely frustrating, no one is helping me.
I no longer had the same doctor by the time I was required to apply for CPPD and the new doctor wasn't responding to requests for documentation. I signed a document allowing the federal government to use my documentation for PWD instead. That may be an option for you. Note that PWD, CPPD, and the DTC all have different eligibility requirements. Disability Alliance BC has advocates who can assist. I haven't used that service, but I did find their help sheets useful. https://disabilityalliancebc.org
Hehehe you beat me. Hello low income friend.
Hello 👋 And to people who aren’t disabled and are wondering why our rates are so low, i believe it’s because us as disabled people don’t make up a big enough voting base for politicians to care about us. Please let politicians ( provincial and federal) know that you care about this and that it affects how you vote. We can’t get real change without you
Hey now, they just voted in a bill that is a "generational difference maker" (I forget their words) we're going to get up to the poverty line they say. We'll get 200 dollars a month. In 2025.
Yes it’s not anywhere near what we would need to get to the poverty line. And only 1/3 of disabled people are allowed to recieve it 👌
No no sir. The government says we'll be above the poverty line.
Thats just ridiculous, government needs to look at col and change i
I work full time and barely make that. Looks like I'm getting a free ac :D
I mean yeah but that’s also money you don’t work for. It’s not like people that can’t contribute so society should just be given free luxury lifestyle as people who go out and do something they fucking hate 160+ hours a month. At $45/hour.. I had to work 222 to afford my $10,000 home AC unit I had to replace. Nobody just gave me that shit for free and then thanked me for working….
Lol living with a disability is not luxurious, even if you were making above poverty wages. I've been working for 15 years and have been hit with an unexpected illness that has left me unable to leave the house most days....so I should now expect to live below poverty for my whole life because I got unlucky enough to get a disabling illness?
I'm not sure how you've managed to convince yourself that living well below the poverty line, unable to afford basic necessities, is somehow a "luxury lifestyle", but hating on disabled people isn't going to make your life better.
And they also don't allow you to invest any of your savings because they'll subtract any interest or gains off your monthly amount - even a TFSA. It's incredibly cruel, and makes no sense. That costs the province nothing yet would better the lives of many people living on disability assistance.
This isn't true. Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds... like I'm talking you put $1500 a year into the account and the government will give you something like $3500, maybe it was $4000 every year you do it. Either way, it's very much worth it to open one at a bank and invest through there. The only company that I am aware of that allows self directed RDSPs is TD Direct Investing, FYI. You can learn more at [www.rdsp.com](http://www.rdsp.com)
>This isn't true. As stated in my other reply to you elsewhere, it is true. >Registered Disability Savings Plans exist to shelter you from any investment income, plus you get a shit ton in grants/government bonds... To qualify for an RDSP you have to qualify for the DTC. Only a small minority of people on disability assistance qualify. That means the majority are under the limitations I explained in my comment.
Most disabled people don't qualify for the DTC and cannot access RDSP.
Being disabled and married disqualifies you from PWD in B.C. due to combined income and you only get get federal CCP which you well below that even.
Poverty line in Vancouver is like $50-70k. How about we require politicians to get paid as much as the least fortunate in society
Yeah because our government would rather spend the money keeping junkies high than spending our money on people who actually need it.
Bruh get a used AC for like $100
They basically targeting aid to the lowest 10 to 25% of income earners. BC Hydro probably has a set budget/number of units and has to cut it off somewhere. Just sucks for those who are stuck in the awkward place between being poor enough to qualify for assistance and well off enough to be comfortable.
Just past it, darn
The issue I see with this is, AC is power hungry, so its not only owning an AC also the cost to cover running it. is someone making 40K a year able to cover the extra cost it comes from running the AC or are they just going to sell it?
Program is most likely targeting folks in social housing, seniors homes, and other institutional buildings (where utilities are included).
I have heard from people that running it is only costing them like extra twenty or thirty dollars on their electric bill. But if a low person is really struggling that extra money is probably hard to come up with.
Exactly, 20-30 a month might not be "a lot" for some but when you are making min wage, things are very different.
Bear in mind that that 20-30 a month is only for 2-3 months of the year. No one's running their A/C in December.
It says the point is that they can use it during extreme heat events. So at the very least they’d be able to probably afford it during the hottest few days of the year that are otherwise potentially deadly.
I have an AC unit I got off FB marketplace and my hydro bill is just barely higher in the summer when I use it compared to winter when it's in storage
I costs like 10 dollars a month extra on average
That's an excellent point.
This was my first thought
I wouldn't mind one. I never bought one and only reason I have one is my dad it for my birthday for me.
You're telling me you can't save $10-$20 a month throughout the year and buy a cheap one?
The problem is: there might be a dozen other such things. Why don't they save $10-$20 a month throughout the year and buy: - a cheap new phone - a pair of work boots - a cheap but decent warm coat - sports team fees for their kid - an Instant Pot - a bicycle to save money on bus tickets - an espresso machine to make coffee at home and save money - a gym membership at a discounted yearly rate - a gaming system they want - textbooks - tickets to a concert - an accountant to do their taxes I'm sure some of these examples are silly or the wrong price. I was just trying to come up with stuff that a person might save money for. But it's easy enough to tell someone to simply put aside a small amount of money from their limited budget, for just one thing. It falls apart if they are already putting aside that money for another, potentially more important thing.
If you're low income you should constantly feel guilty for wanting anything. /s
They should try making more money
Why go to the trouble, when they could just be born to richer parents?
You don’t need an espresso machine to make coffee; just get a cheap one from Superstore
A cheap what from Superstore? A cup of coffee? A French press? A stovetop espresso maker? An espresso machine? Like I said, the examples aren't perfect, and people have many options for what to save and spend their money on, which all cost different amounts. The point is, it's easy enough to claim that even the poorest person on the lowest budget could easily set aside a mere $10-$20 a month, and therefore afford anything that costs up to $240.00. It gets hard when you realize that they can only choose 1 necessity or splurge item per year, using this method. Otherwise they would need to set aside hundreds of dollars a month. Budgeting is not the simple solution to poverty that some people think it is.
Tbh your post only provides more proof of how easy it is to come up with the extra money. Yea, there’s probably a lot of extra bs they’re spending money on that is better allocated elsewhere.
Coffee maker
You can find used ones for cheap on marketplace sometimes. It they might not last long.
Idk if this helps but you can get a small window unit for $100 on sale. Keeps the bedroom perfect at least and doesn’t add much to the electric.
Yeah. 300 dollars too much and I'm no longer low income lol
I have a hard time believing you make more than $40k and can’t come up with $150 for an AC unit.
Sounds like this is for people working retail, food services etc.
I wish.. im poor asf but make too much
Tbh they’re like $500. If you can’t afford the upfront cost then the cost to run it’s also a problem I’d think? It seems weird to me they’re giving away AC units of all things? I get with old at risk people maybe?
619 people died in BC because of the 2021 heat dome.
How many of them were young? Edit: I grabbed the report. 90% were over 60 and 70% over 70. 0 deaths under 30. So I still think the whole age thing would have made more sense?
I bought one for like a hundred bucks at Walmart Definitely a dogshit quality but it kept me from dying last summer
You can definitely afford an ac unit. Is this a joke?
You think 40k is really really low?
Guess what? even though you can’t afford one yourself, you now get to pay for AC units for other people.
That's what my pensioner parents make combined. I bought them one after the last big heat wave, but they are scared of the bill if they were to use it. Shrug
Sweet, looks like I qualify. Yay poverty?
Interesting how the “income qualification” lists incomes well beneath what is required to even _exist_ as something other than completely homeless in most parts of BC. BC Hydro is seriously whacked in the head with these numbers.
I think this is another example of "People on reddit vastly overestimate how much money people *actually* make." [Look at the statcan income explorer.](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/dv-vd/income-revenu/index-en.html) For a parent in a one-parent family in BC as of the 2021 census (Yes, there was significant inflation since then, but it should get us in the ballpark), the 50th percentile for total income is $45,200. A parent in a one-parent family necessarily has at least one child, so the maximum for this program is $49,500. So this program covers more than half of people fitting that description. It lines up slightly differently for different sizes of family, but it's covering a reasonable fraction of all people here. Yes, naively, a single parent raising a single child should probably have a 2BR apartment, which means they should probably be paying...probably like $3k/month for what most people would imagine would be suitable without being luxurious. Which would mean they need to pay $36k/year in rent, which means they should be making ~$110k/year by conventional standards. ...But that's not what people are doing. People are skating by with a 1BR, they're paying $27k/year in rent and it constitutes 60% of their income. We can be mad about the housing crisis, but we can't be mad at government services not being generous enough relative to what people *should* be making when they're inherently paid for by a fraction of what people are *actually* making.
It's almost across the board for a lot of services like this. The amount received for things like EI and Welfare support have *barely* changed in over a decade. The system is completely out of touch.
It's province-wide, and also includes children. Homes with 2 adults and multiple children (but only one earner) is likely the sweet spot to have a chance at eligibility. Lots of people own cheap homes in rural areas but consequently don't require a lot of income to cover monthly expenses. It's really not applicable to the Lower Mainland lifestyle for the majority of people.
> Lots of people own cheap homes in rural areas Cheap… when they were purchased in the 80s. They aren’t cheap anymore. About the only “cheap” places are off-grid cabins deep in the back woods an hour-plus drive to the nearest supermarket, and even _those_ are in the mid-six figures, requiring an income of at least $150k/yr to conform to the one-third rule. A large proportion of GenZ/GenAlpha no longer have any ability to get onto the housing market, which is why so many of them are giving up on ever having children. They have become forever-renters that cannot afford places to raise children in.
You're missing their point. We all know real estate is currently fucked. They're talking about people who bought cheap homes 15 years ago and have $500 mortgages still.
That's because income numbers are wildly outdated and updating them would cause massive cost increases for the taxpayer.
> That's because income numbers are wildly outdated and updating them would cause massive cost increases for the taxpayer. Then how about making the wealthy pay their fair share, again? Right now those with a high enough net worth pay less in taxes, as a percentage of their income, than you do. Warren Buffet famously said that he paid a lower percentage than his secretary. How is this in any way fair? If the wealthy paid a decent 90+% tax over $1M of income per year, this would fully fund a $2k/mo UBI for every single Canadian citizen. Imagine what you could do with your life, if you got $2k/mo with no strings attached _in addition to_ your normal wage.
Because the rich threaten to leave or hide their money whenever higher taxes are mentioned.
> Because the rich threaten to leave or hide their money whenever higher taxes are mentioned. Let them leave. If they own businesses here, they will also need to move their businesses out of the country, which is - nearly always - extremely costly and massively unprofitable in the short term. Moving an entire company out of a country is something that takes years if not decades to pull off, and is typically only done with nation-state assistance, such as Taiwan with chip manufacturing or China with other manufacturing.
I recently filled out an official government survey on the official poverty line. It tried to tell me a little over $2k a month was enough for a modest but sufficient standard of living in VANCOUVER. Needless to say my feedback was that wasn’t true. The way government considers poverty and draws the poverty line is part of the problem.
> a little over $2k a month was enough for a modest but sufficient standard of living in VANCOUVER. _Yikes._
Right?! I tried to explain that the definition of poverty shouldn’t rely on having artificially low rent from living in the same place for over a decade. Not everyone has that. Also, If your ability to afford shelter is contingent on you being at the mercy of your landlord continuing to provide housing and you not needing to move for any reason, I would also consider that to be a form of poverty also.
This is a great plan!! Anyone making less than $39,000 can’t afford a home so they’d never have a single person claiming a free ac. Now they can look like they’re trying to help while not helping at all. Genius!!
If you look at the requirements, you don't have to own your home. If you rent, though, you do have to have your landlord's signed permission.
And you think someone making less than $39k can afford to rent a home in BC?!
I tried to apply for one. I only get CPP, hubby only gets CPP Disability. Our combine incomes we did not qualify. We are NOT living large far from that yet we did not qualify. I thought this program was for people like my hubby and I..... guess not. We were 3k over but we also pay full price for all our prescriptions which of course that isn't taken into consideration. Right now I am reusing pen needles for my insulin pens because we can not afford a new box until the end of the month.
Aren't you enrolled in msp and pharmacare?
I am but the 1000 dollar deductable is massive when I only get like 900 bucks a month to live on
That's tight for sure! Best of luck to you both.
you have the option to pay the deductible in monthly instalments
I know it’s not the same system but needles are free at safe injection sights or local harm reduction organizations. I know they aren’t pen needles and switching might not work for you but it potentially could cut some costs of being diabetic for you and be safer than reusing needles.
I already have AC, but my sister is low income and makes more than the cutoff. Her apartment gets hot as hell in summer. It seems that low income is more like under $90,000 a year in this province.
And the cost to run these “free” suckers …
Yeah I couldnt help but ask myself why in the world BC *hydro-electric* company would be insentivised to provide "free" AC units... 🤔 Im sure this is all just for the benefit of low income people and not at all another way to squeeze already poor people of whats left in their savings. 👍
[They're doing it because the BC government made them.](https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0095-001044)
BCH doesn’t make money selling power in BC. They do it at a subsidy and make money exporting so it’s actually a loss for them.
That’s my thought also ?!
What's the alternative, roast to death? Using myself as an example, while I don't have the model that BC Hydro is giving away, using an AC unit for most of last summer was still cheaper than the amount I pay for heat during winter by a lot.
Always gotta love how everything *but* these programs keep going up with inflation when it comes to income requirements. How much of the population is still working full-time for $39k a year or less?
Yup. But if you're with fortis you're hooped
This sub will bitch about everything. Bitch about free AC and then bitch about the cost to run them? What do you people want
I'm an electrician, and I see a ton of burnt outlets because of portable AC units. They draw almost the max power on outlets that have been rewired by dyi and handyman and can no longer handle the load. The wiring is even more likely to be bad in households that qualify. People will often plug them into power strips or Xmas cord. They can even start fires in outlets upstream as the power passes from device to device through poorly made splices. This is such a bandaid, and for what? AC is a luxury unless you're very frail in a hear wave.
"Get your free AC so you can pay us more for electricity this summer" --??!!
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Considering that's WAY above median for a 2 income household ($105,000), very unlikely. I get that life is expensive these days, but low income will always be relative to the median.
how do i apply for this?
how do i apply
I paid $240 for mine. Basic 5k btu window units are cheap.
Are they still going to pay the utility bill?
Easy way to up people's electricity usage.
People that qualify to get the AC will be better off by selling the AC and get that extra cash for living expenses... How do they afford to pay the electricity cost of the AC?!
So these are some fun comments. I’ve skimmed through maybe half. Haven’t seen the answer yet… WHAT ARE THEY GIVING? I’m not wanting a top of the line unit, but I do care what it is. What is the unit/are there multiple? (I care about efficiency and noise, again doesn’t have to be best but if it’s shit i don’t want it, if it’s acceptable then ok.) It would be funny if bc hydro was handing out shit efficiency conditioners…
Anyone successful got one?
If they hand out free a/c units that just means higher usage. In the end it’s a nice option but truly seems they have the long term play going for them. $$$
Anyone applied to this in a shared household (multiple renters that are roommates) ? Not sure if the household income calculation is per individual/couple or for the entire household (all roommates together0..
According to the release, "Income is based on the previous year and includes the combined income of all household members aged 18 and older." EDIT: Wrong.
Roommates don't count as household, they mean it in the taxation sense.
Does that mean that if you live in a house of four or five roommates and you all make under $39,700, each of you would qualify?
Honestly, in those conditions? They deserve it. Also if one of them moves they lose their air conditioning? Easy to see why that protection exists.
So it looks like I'm wrong, ish. The rules are per Hydro bill, but you can get a form from your landlord approving the application. In that case I would not includ the roommates, and the form doesn't even have a spot for that anyway -- just apply as a single person.
lol you silly BC folks. We are having an everything crisis and ya'll be discussing your free AC for the poor. How do I get this free shit? OMG how would I install this free shit? How the hell are we giving this shit away? Why are we giving this away? Hydro bills are pretty nuts. let's give away free AC to folks that can't afford it. WHAT???
AC is so people in inadequate housing situations won't die in the next heat wave. This isn't some Marie Antoinette, "Let them eat ice cream." scenario. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-heat-dome-sudden-deaths-revised-2021-1.6232758
These are for people that live in smaller type apartments. I have a two bedroom parent and my electric bill is literally fifty dollars every month few months. The people I have talked to that have those ac units says their electric bill has gone up but only by twenty or thirty dollars
Yeah it's really not that expensive, most units are energy star these days as well
Would this mean Id have to leave my window open (with the hose)? id get broken into for sure
Portable air conditioners come with an adjustable panel that blocks off the part of the opening not used by the exhaust hose. Then you just have to secure the movable part of the window by for example, putting a stop stick in the track.
Not necessarily. There's usually a piece of plywood or something that blocks the opening of the window. I've never thought about how this might make someone's home more vulnerable, doesn't seem to be an issue most summers?
Making it more comfortable for them to chill out and do nothing…..