Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Priority
Issues
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada works
on behalf of people with MS and their families across the country.Following are three key recommendations the MS Society has made
for the upcoming federal budget. Please contact your own MP and
ask him or her to support them as well. (You can find the contact
information for your MP on the Parliamentary website: www.parl.gc.ca)
Income security and supports are a major concern for people
disabled because of MS and other reasons. The MS Society
suggests that many people with MS could remain in the workforce
if they
could combine part-time work with part-time pensions. While
some private sector long-term disability plans permit this
option,
it is not the case with CPP Disability Benefits or with Employment
Insurance Sickness Benefits. The MS Society believes the
part-time work and part-time benefits option would have the
effect of allowing
many people with MS to keep working and being productive
and recommends that the Canada Pension Plan be given the authority
to study this proposal.
The MS Society also works to assist caregivers, mostly family
members who care for their loved ones who are disabled because
of MS. To recognize the important role of caregivers, it
is suggesting that caregivers be provided with a Caregiver
Drop Out Provision
for Canada Pension Plan similar to the Existing Child Care
Drop Out. This would allow caregivers to leave the workforce
for periods
of time to care for a family member but not be penalized
later with a reduced CPP retirement benefit. As well, the MS
Society
is recommending that spouses be permitted to claim the caregiver
tax credit. Currently this is not the case and is a considerable
irritant to the thousands of spouses who care for their loved
one with MS on a daily basis. Providing this minimal assistance
to caregivers would recognize their enormous contributions
and the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually they save
the Canadian
economy by enabling disabled family members to stay at home.
We also recommend that donors be allowed to claim donations
up to $250 without having to provide an official receipt
for Income Tax purposes but instead be able to claim the credit
on
the basis of their cancelled cheques or credit card receipts.
This system has been operating effectively in the United
States for some time, and the MS Society estimates it could
save administrative
costs of $750,000 annually if it did not have to produce
and mail income tax receipts for donations under $250.
