RDSP

Event Description:

Event Description:

With the 2009 Registered Savings Disability Plan’s (RDSP) contribution deadline quickly approaching, on December 31, 2009, RBC and PLAN are encouraging Canadians to open an RDSP and invest, in order to be eligible for federal government matching contributions.

On October 27th, Stephanie Cadieux, MLA for Surrey-Panorama, spoke in Legislature to honor the contributions of Al Etmanski, a source of inspiration and innovation.  Cadieux highlighted Mr. Etmanski’s accomplishments including his role as the president and co-founder of the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), a non-profit social enterprise assisting families by addressing the financial and social well being for relatives with disabilities, and his successful campaign to establish the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), the world's first savings plan for people with disabilities.

October 29 - PLAN recognized Prime Minister Harper with its highest honour today – an honourary lifetime membership – in recognition of the implementation of the Registered Disability Savings Plan.  The Prime Minister was joined by Steven Fletcher, Minister of State for Democratic Reform, and Rick Hansen, President and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation at an event to raise awareness of Canada’s new RDSP.  The event was hosted by the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (BACI).  Here are few pictures and a video of the event:

If you haven't checked out the all-new RDSP.com, make sure to head over and see the new design and features. It's also still the only source for all the news about the Registered Disability Savings Plan.

A feature story highlighting Vickie Cammack being named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Includes a brief bio of Vickie, an interview, and her reflections on the work of PLAN and PLAN Institute.

Today's Caledon Citizen features an article by MPP Sylvia Jones about her proposed legislation to have the RDSP exempted as an asset in Ontario. She writes:

Caring for children with disabilities is a daily concern for many Canadians, especially as parents' age and begin to worry about their children's future.

The federal government, in their 2007 budget, established the Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP), a plan to assist parents, grandparents and other family members to save for the long-term financial security of children with disabilities; very similar to the RESP (Registered Education Saving Plan).

In order for the RDSP to work for families, each provincial and territorial government needs to introduce changes to ensure that families who put money away in a RDSP are not penalized by having the savings considered an asset when calculating other provincial assistance programs such as Ontario Disability Pension Plan (ODSP). At present, British Columbia, Newfoundland and the Yukon have already taken steps to make this change.

As Progressive Conservative Critic for the Ministry of Community and Social Services, I introduced a private member's bill (94) to address the inequity in Ontario. After speaking with families who were trying to plan for the financial future for their disabled children, I drafted the Social Assistance Statues Law Amendment Act (Registered Disability Savings Plans), 2008. The purpose of my private member's bill is to allow Ontario families to save by removing the RDSP as an asset when calculating monthly disability benefits.

To read the rest of this article, please click here.

From the RDSP Blog:

Not including BC, Newfoundland and Yukon (who have all already exempted the RDSP), many provinces/territories are in the midst of deciding how the RDSP will affect someone who is receiving Disability Benefits. We decided to put together a Top 10 list of why we think it is important these provinces/territories exempt the RDSP as an asset and income. If you have any reasons you would like to include feel free to post a comment and add to our list. Click here to read the rest of this post.

Pulse Niagara features an article urging Ontario to join British Columbia, Newfoundland and the Yukon in supporting the RDSP by exempting it from the income-tested Ontario Disability Support Program benefits. Click here to read Amending Ontario's Disability Support.