RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan)

Good morning everyone;

I thought you might be interested to see what Thora and I sent all the MLA's recently - a proposal with regard to the RDSP......

"I am an advocate for persons with disabilities including myself and I wish to take this opportunity to speak with you about the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). I believe it is one of the most significant programs for people with disabilities and their families in the past 10 years.

Even though I am not fully able to make use of it myself, I want to help others.  I believe that, as good as it is, there can be significant improvements to this program at the provincial level.

I recently spoke with a financial planner who is an expert on both disability issues and the RDSP and he has come up with a unique idea. He suggested to me that any money contributed by the beneficiary of an RDSP shall not count as income.

Under current Person With Disability (PWD) benefit rules, a person with a disability is only allowed to earn $800 per month before his or her PWD benefits are clawed back.  Allowing people to contribute to their RDSP, over and above the $800 limit and not lose any PWD benefits, would increase their motivation to work where possible. It would:

1. Also increase people with disabilities’ motivation to seek out work that pays them more than $800 per month.
2. Break the cycle of poverty that many people with disabilities find themselves in today,
3. This could be done with no increase in provincial expense. 

I would encourage you to explore this possibility further as a means to assist people with disabilities at no real cost to the provincial government."

To date I have received 4 replies by mail and a few phone call replies.  In all cases, the proposal was received favourably and we have been assured they will be raising it for discussion.