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Social assistance is failing British Columbians

Here I sit with no power in my home.
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Social assistance is failing British Columbians

Here I sit with no power in my home.

I am physically disabled; my hands and back work at about 10 per cent on a good day. Over the last four years I have been denied emergency funds from social services, concerning oil for heat and Hydro payments, on the basis that it is not unexpected. Rising costs are not considered relevant.

On PWD provincial disability allowance, I eat one meal a day, three days out of a four to five week month. Out of $375 maximum a month for shelter they send a maximum amount of $55 a month to Hydro; this leads to a $300 to $400 bill in the spring. In previous years the Eagles or the local MLA have raised funds for oil at $350 to $400 amount of refill.

The willingness of these people to cause harm on those they wish, with no liability, is killing off any one of you who are poor, disabled, in care, weak, or old, young or First Nations. The protection from liability clause that social services operates under means that there is no level of harm that they can perpetrate that will lead to criminal charges.

Thousands of children in care are being critically injured or killed through negligence. Thousands on the streets dying. Thousands of people in B.C. are being exterminated with no legal recourse. The missing and murdered in B.C. is well over two million over the last 20 years, counting only those who have been denied any access to the most basic social assistance.

David

Duncan

(Editor’s note: We allowed David to use only his first name as he was concerned about possible repercussions for stating his views)