What disability program is right for you?
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By Alexandria Johnstone and Keisha McLean, Community Advocates: Disability, Resource & Referral
Prevention is the Best Cure for Homelessness
Many times, a client comes in to the Access Centre angry or frightened because of a dispute with a landlord or perhaps they’ve received an eviction notice.
Our legal advocates will often try to negotiate a deal with the landlord if possible because, even if the tenant is in the right, the risk of losing their housing if a hearing doesn’t go in their favor is too high and then the client is left with no place to live. People can get frustrated by this because they don’t want to make a deal, they want to go to arbitration as a way to try to get justice for a perceived wrong against them. Unfortunately, this could result in being proven right but also in being homeless. Even with a financial settlement, they are still left looking for housing and as we all know, that’s in very short supply.
There is practically no housing available in Penticton right now so the best we can do is do everything possible to prevent people from losing their housing due to evictions because finding a new place is difficult and expensive.
**Speaking with a poverty law advocate is important to do right away if you get an eviction notice. Some eviction notices have a month or more of notice, some only have 10 days so don’t wait, call us at 250-493-6822 right away for more information.
It’s Tax Time Again!
It’s that time of year again!
This year we will be doing the Tax Clinic Monday through Thursday afternoons from 1pm – 4pm (last person in at 3:45pm) at the Access Centre (2nd floor – 304 Martin Street). No need to book an appointment, just come on down during tax drop in hours with all of your tax slips and Photo ID (expired ID is fine)
We can help with preparation and E-filing of your Personal Income Tax Returns for the last 4 years, as well as prepare any taxes over 4 years old for you to paper file (by mail) to the CRA.
COVID screening questions will be asked at the door, and masks will be required.
We can do simple returns for:
- 1 person…. income up to $35,000
- 2 people…. income up to $45,000
- 3 people…. income up to $47,500
- Each additional Dependent….$2,500
We are unable to process taxes for:
- Deceased persons
- Bankruptcy
- Self-Employment
- Interest income over $1,000
- Capital Gains or Losses
- Employment Expenses
- Business or Rental Income and Expenses
- Sale of Property
Call for Action to the Federal Government
This is a letter we sent out on November 26, 2020
Dear Minister Qualtrough, Minister Hussein, Minister Lebouthillier, and Member of Parliament Richard Cannings:
I am reaching out to you regarding the issue of in-person services for Canada’s Response Benefit claimants and possible solutions moving forward.
I am an advocate at the Penticton & Area Access Centre, a non- profit that aims to alleviate the effects of poverty with marginalized individuals through poverty advocacy, legal advocacy, counselling, and accessing resources in our community. Many of the individuals and families we work with face multiple barriers and struggle to complete government forms and applications due to disability and accessibility reasons. Although a majority of Canadians have access to telephones and computers, this is a very real and tangible obstacle for a sizable population of Canadians such as the ones our organization serves.
Many of the clients we serve worked jobs that are still affected by the COVID closures and need assistance from our office applying for the Canada Response Benefit or Employment Insurance due to lack of in person services being offered at the Government level. There is no opportunity for questions related to the Canada Response Benefit to be answered by a live person in a timely manner. Many individuals who don’t have access to phones or computers come to our offices for assistance with applying for benefits. One numerous occasions I have waited on hold with clients for upwards of two hours to be provided information such as their tax lines in order to apply for a Canada Revenue Agency Account. There have been many times when we have called Canada Revenue Agency with clients that we are disconnected after waiting on hold for long periods of time. Non-profits like ours were already operating at maximum capacity prior to COVID, the closures and reduction in hours of Service Canada has further exacerbated non-profit organizations. With our limited funded capacity, numerous referrals for assistance with accessing CRB benefits and creation of CRA Accounts, and the length of time it takes to assist clients in completing these benefits there may a time in the near future where organizations such as ours will be forced to make difficult decisions and may no longer be able to help with these types of applications. We need a solution to this problem so we can better assist Canadians who are entitled to these benefits.
In the absence of government funded in person support for these programs it would be helpful provide organizations such as ours a direct line to Canada Revenue Agency who’s administering the Canada Response Benefits so we can speak with a live person to get assistance with applications and questions. I know your Government is committed to providing quality and equitable service to all Canadians, particularly those with disability and accessibility challenges. During these unusual and unprecedented times we need creative solutions and action, or help us with another solution. Please hear our request for a direct line to speak with your agents so we can further assist Canadians that are financially vulnerable and on the brink of homelessness access benefits they are entitled to. Please recognize there is a massive service gap that affects some of the most vulnerable Canadians who worked jobs that stimulated our economies in meaningful ways. The pandemic has created so much fear, chaos, and added stress to Canadians, making benefits more accessible to those with multiple barriers would help alleviate some of that. I hope you see this as an urgent situation with a need for immediate response, our offices can be reached directly via telephone at 250-493-6822.
Written by Christie Fiebelkorn-Resource and Referral Advocate
A Word From Our Board Chair
Well, what a different world we live in today!
Covid 19 has changed the entire world. And what a difficult change. In times of trouble and uncertainty, our natural instinct is to come together, embrace those we love and hold them close. To extend our hands to our friends and neighbors, to share what we have with those who do not- to come together in community. This epidemic has turned all of that on its head. We’ve been asked to stay apart, don’t touch each other. Don’t visit your loved ones or neighbors- keep them safe. Don’t touch things others have touched. So we have all had to re-think how we support each other, and show how we care for each other, how we create a caring community.
The Access Centre has been a place where the most vulnerable have been welcomed, treated with respect and acceptance- where they’ve been made to feel they matter, that their concerns are heard , and solutions are diligently searched for The staff have always been caring, compassionate, resourceful. With these new Covid restrictions in place ,we have had to make changes to how we do this, with staff providing most services by telephone. Our tax volunteers have worked very hard at finding a way to continue to offer income tax services to our clients in a way that is respectful, and safe as possible for both clients and volunteers, and we are finding ways to gradually welcome people into the office in a way that is safe for everyone. As the province moves to open up more services, and allow more contacts, we need to remember that many people are still very vulnerable, and that everyone has a different tolerance for risk. We will need to slowly discover what works, and what does not.
Over the next few months, we will continue to work at finding ways to provide that caring assistance the Centre has been known for, while still ensuring that we are doing so in a way that is as safe as possible for everyone. Please be patient with the changes. As Dr. Bonnie says, we want to be safe, as well as kind.
-Elmie Saaltink
Alone Together
I am the Disability Advocate in the main office at Access- writing during the midst of a global pandemic that has brought our world- in many ways to a grinding halt.
We have closed our doors at Access but we are still able to help with some things, we are available by phone and email. We recognize that it is limited but we are doing our best until the province lets us know that we can resume. It will be different, we’re not sure how, but it will be different. In the meantime, we want you to know that we are with you.
Our clients tend to be those who have tough lives already. My clients in particular struggle with disabilities- but there are many struggles that people deal with. There is poverty and a lack of affordable housing. There are lots of minimum wage jobs that are typically part- time and never enough to pay the bills. Part time work means no benefits, so those who are sick are often burdened as well with the cost of medical supplies and prescriptions.
Add to the mix a global pandemic. Add to that some fear based hoarding that caused a shortage of fundamental products. Add to that non-essential businesses and schools being closed- challenging parents to homeschool their children. Add to that the stress of not being able to socialize or take your kids to the park. Add to that the time commitment to get groceries and the fear connected with being in public, social distancing and multiple news media publications that jangle the nerves and leave us feeling more vulnerable than ever before; for ourselves, our parents and grandparents, our children, for those whose immunity is compromised in one way or the other, for the disabled… It is a scary time…
Some have said that COVID-19 hasn’t directly impacted most of us- at least not in reported illnesses, but it has had a huge impact on our sense of feeling safe in the world. It has impacted the face of our communities, it has impacted our ability to access goods locally. It has impacted our sense of freedom. Many working folks have felt that if they had the time at home, they could sort, they could clean, they could learn, they could do all kinds of things. In fact, many of us are surprised by the little we’ve actually been able to accomplish.
A global pandemic is in many ways a traumatic event. And let me tell you that it is not realistic to expect anyone to process the impact of a traumatic event when they are in it. Only once we feel safe, and it will take a while for that to happen, will it then become safe for us to look back and to examine our feelings and behaviours.
Fear is such a difficult emotion to process, it shows up in so many different ways- it may look like aggression, anger, withdrawal, isolation, crying, panicking, catastrophizing, or even denying.
I encourage you to be curious about how you are dealing with this event- and to experiment. It takes work to find balance- it takes effort to stay calm…
We cannot control this pandemic. But we can try to sort out how we can take care of ourselves.
We have never been so alone together…
By Sam Lucier-Disability Advocate
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