Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities

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News & Media

Check this page for the latest updates on disability income support - including opportunities to share your ideas and feedback. You can also read news releases about earlier steps in program development.

Latest news

June 2023

Monthly Public Information Sessions – Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities

Starting in June 2023, the department of Families will be hosting monthly virtual information sessions about the Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities program. The sessions will take place on Microsoft Teams. During these sessions, a presentation will be shared with information about the program, and staff will be available to answer questions. Anyone wishing to learn more about the Manitoba Supports program is welcome to attend the information sessions. American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation is provided at each information session.

To register for an information session, please click on the date of the session that you would like to register for. You will then enter your name and email address, and click the “Register now” button to receive an email with the link to join the virtual information session.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations to participate in a session, by emailing disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca or by phoning 204-945-1040.

April 1, 2023

We are excited to announce that Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities is now accepting applications from all Manitobans.

The Manitoba government has been working in collaboration and partnership with the community since 2019 to develop a program that would better meet the unique needs of persons living with severe and prolonged disabilities.

Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities is unlike other income assistance programs in the province. Some of the features of this program are:

Basic needs amounts that will be indexed annually to the rate of inflation each July;
Telephone and laundry allowances that are automatically added to all monthly budgets;
A new made-in-Manitoba Disability Impact Assessment that applicants will only need to complete once;
Less frequent reporting requirements: financial eligibility reviews will occur once every two years;
An annual earnings exemption of $12,000, which means that recipients can earn up to this amount before their benefits are impacted; and
Two years of health benefits for anyone whose case closes, if no other coverage exists.

Information on how to apply can be found here.

February 2023

On January 1st, 2023, Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities launched, with three groups of Manitobans eligible to be enrolled. Existing Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) clients who:

reside in a personal care home, OR
receive Canada Pension Plan - Disability benefits, OR
receive Community Living disABILITY Services were eligible to be enrolled.

All EIA recipients who met one of these criteria received a letter in late 2022 explaining that their file would be transferred to Manitoba Supports, and that their benefits would increase for the January 2023 benefit month. Contact information was also provided for anyone who had questions about the new program, or for those who preferred to opt out of the new program and remain on EIA.

In January 2023, all Manitoba Supports recipients received a budget letter that explained their new benefits and shared their new worker’s name and contact information.

All Manitoba Supports files are administered out of the 114 Garry Street office in Winnipeg, but those residing outside Winnipeg can still visit their local office to pick up or drop off items, sign documents, receive basic information on their file, and receive crisis supports.

Manitobans who were not automatically eligible for the new program will be able to apply beginning April 1, 2023.

November 2022

We are excited to announce that the new disability income support program will launch very soon for people already receiving Employment and Income Assistance (EIA)! Here is what recipients will get as soon as they are enrolled:

Benefits will increase.
Laundry and telephone allowances will be added automatically to everyone’s budget.
Recipients won’t be required to work, but will be able to earn up to $12,000 each year ($18,000 for a family) from employment before it impacts benefits.
Recipients will still have access to all the same financial, health, and other benefits they had while on EIA.
Anyone who leaves the program for any reason can continue to receive health benefits for up to two years, if they do not have any other coverage.

Later in 2023, we will make further improvements to the new program. We will provide more information on what that includes in the new year.

News Releases

For more information on other initiatives of the Department of Families, visit the Departments “In the News” webpage

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