New support for disabled

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TOP NEWS
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2009
winnipegfreepress.com
New support for disabled
Savings plan
supplemented
by gov’t funds
Versatech
honours
longtime
employees
By Dan Falloon
By Bill Redekop
the federal bureaucracy can be tricky,
particularly if you make a mistake on
one of the forms. Scott said about 30
per cent of clients she has successfully processed for the DTC had previously tried and failed.
For all of those reasons, the RDSP
program will spread slowly at first,
she predicts.
There are no restrictions on when or
how RDSP funds can be used, although
there is some penalty for early withdrawal in relation to the last federal
contribution. The government contribution is taxable upon withdrawal but
the personal contribution is not.
People still have until March 2 to
sign up for the 2008 tax year. If someone does not yet have his or her DTC,
it’s probably too late to be eligible for
the RDSP in 2008.
THESE days, it’s hard to imagine
working at the same company for 45
years, or even 35.
However, several employees of nonprofit charity Versatech Industries
were recognized for achieving those
milestones last night at the company’s
27th annual dinner and dance at the
Winnipeg Convention Centre. The organization, which began life as ARC
Industries in 1961, employs intellectually-disabled people in the fields of
document shredding, packaging and
assembly, and recycling. About 250 of
Versatech’s 300 employees have an intellectual disability.
Gordon Pirt, whose job is assembling toasters, was being honoured
for 35 years of service. His favourite
part of working with Versatech is his
co-workers.
“[There are] good people to work
with,” said Pirt. “[It’s good] just to
meet people and get to know other
people.”
Richard Doyle, president and CEO
of Versatech, said that for those in the
organization, it is about more than just
performing meaningful work.
“We teach them a lot of things about
everyday living,” said Doyle, who has
been with the organization for two
years. “We’re offering them growth
and development in terms of skills.”
Ace Burpee and Chrissy Troy of
Hot 103 were masters of ceremonies
for the event, which was attended by
about 600 people. Burpee has a close
friend who works for Versatech, and
said that both employees and clients
are satisifed.
“The people who use the Versatech
services hold them in high regard, and
rightly so,” said Burpee. “It’s a valuable resource to have in this town.”
In addition to the service awards,
which were awarded to employees at
25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years, Manitoba
Hydro was awarded the Partner of the
Year award. Hydro’s recycling department has 14 Versatech workers.
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B
Y age three, Charlie Bairstow
was playing chess. By age 10, he
was doing calculus.
But it’s with social skills that Charlie, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, needs assistance, which will become more costly as he grows older.
That’s why the new Registered Disability Savings Plan has parents like
Barbara and Todd Bairstow overjoyed.
What other program puts up to $3,500
in federal funds per year into a savings
account to help people like their son?
“I think it’s incredible for families,”
said Barbara. “Having this in place
gives us peace of mind in the event
that if we’re gone, there will be money
to assist Charlie.”
The Registered Disability Savings
Plan takes effect this year. The plan
could eventually help up to 500,000
individuals across Canada. Statistics
show about 17 per cent of Canadians
have a disability, although not all
would qualify for the RDSP.
Ottawa expects the program to
eventually cost about $200 million annually.
The new RDSP “recognizes a growing problem in our society,” said
David Steen, CEO of the Society of
Manitobans with Disabilities. “There
are extra costs that go along with having a disability. We need to find way
to pay this cost.”
The savings plan will one day
help Charlie to live independently,
Bairstow said. For example, it could
help defray future schooling costs.
Charlie is passive when he’s learning,
aggressive when school is out, such as
during summer. So he may always be
furthering his education.
“He’s very smart and his mind
keeps going and going and going,” his
mother said.
The RDSP grants are mainly for
families in lower- and middle-income
categories. Families with net incomes
under $75,769 can obtain a grant of
$3 for every $1 contributed on the
first $500; $2 for every $1 contributed
PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
The Bairstow family, left to right: Barbara, Jilian, Todd and Charlie, in front, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder.
on the next $1,000. That works out to
a maximum of $3,500 in federal funds
per year, on a $1,500 investment by
individuals or families. It can grow to
a maximum $200,000.
“Whether I have to beg, borrow or
steal, I will max it out every year,”
said Bairstow.
The new program also pays an annual federal bond of $1,000 to disabled
people with incomes under $21,287,
and $500 on incomes from $21,287 to
$37,885.
The catch for many people, particularly people on lower incomes, is they
must first be approved for the Disability Tax Credit, which gives a tax
break in the $2,000 range per year in
recognition that disabled people incur
extra costs.
But obtaining the DTC can be complicated. Bairstow was helped by
Brematson and Associates, run by
Susana Scott, whom Bairstow called
“a pioneer in this field, fighting for
people who need it.” Scott has a disabled daughter and launched her company after she found a reluctance by
volume-oriented tax filers to handle
the often time-consuming Disability
Tax Credit cases.
Brematson helped Bairstow get
two years’ worth of retroactive DTC
refunds that the family will spend to
send Charlie to mini-university over
the summer.
Scott says there are easily tens of
thousands of Canadians who are eligible for the DTC, many of them in
low income brackets or on social assistance, but don’t know it.
But there is great confusion over
who is eligible for the DTC needed to
access the RDSP.
Neither are doctors well informed.
And navigating an application through
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