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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.

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 any other income assistance programs in the province. Some of the early 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 persons enrolled can earn up to this amount before their benefits are impacted; and
  • Two years of health benefits for anyone whose case closes due to financial ineligibility, if no other coverage exists.

Information on how to apply can be found here.

Latest news

June 2023

Expression of Interest

On April 1, 2023 Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities (Manitoba Supports) officially launched to Manitoba residents. Manitoba Supports provides financial assistance, health (dental, optical and prescription drug) coverage, and other special needs, including medical supplies and equipment to persons living with severe and prolonged disabilities.

The department of Families is now seeking, through an Expression of Interest (EOI), an agency, or a collection of agencies, to deliver community-based assistance to support Manitobans throughout different regions of the province to access services in the community and those provided by governments. The agencies will provide personnel who will offer navigational and support services targeted towards some of the most vulnerable Manitobans with disabilities, including those who would not normally apply for assistance and who may require high levels of support.

We are pleased to provide the Expression of Interest here for your consideration. The deadline for submission is July 17, 2023 at 11:59 PM (CST). Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca.

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.

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.

March 2023

Public Information Session – Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities
Please join us for a virtual information session about the new Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities program.

  • Date: Monday March 20th, 2023
  • Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Location: Virtual session – link will be emailed upon registration.
  • Who should attend: This information session is for anyone who wants to learn more about Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities.
  • Registration: email disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca or phone 204-945-1040 or toll-free number 1-877-403-MSPD (1-877-403-6773) to leave a message with your name and an email address to be used to join the session. Please let us know if you require any accommodations. 

We Want to Hear from You!

The Manitoba government invites you to join us for an in-person community engagement session in Thompson, to hear your feedback related to Manitoba’s new income support program for persons with severe and prolonged disabilities, and how it can best support those living in Northern locations.

  • Date: Tuesday March 21, 2023
  • Time: Afternoon 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. or Evening 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  • Topic: Rural / North specific issues and considerations
  • Location:

How to register:

  • By email to disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca or phone 204-945-1040 or toll-free number 1-877-403-MSPD (1-877-403-6773) and leave a message.

Please include your name and whether you are registering for the afternoon or evening session in the email or voicemail message. If you require any accommodations such as ASL Interpretation to participate in this session, please let us know.

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

are eligible to be enrolled. All EIA recipients who meet 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 benefit month. Contact information was also provided for anyone who had questions about the new program and how they could opt out of the new program if they prefer to remain on EIA.

In early January 2023, all Manitoba Supports clients 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 clients 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 are not automatically eligible for the new program will be able to apply beginning April 1, 2023. More information will be available soon.

We Want to Hear from You!

We are hosting in-person public engagement sessions across the province! If you would like to join us at an upcoming session to share your feedback about the new program, please register by emailing disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca or by phoning 204-945-1040 or toll-free number 1-877-403-MSPD (1-877-403-6773) to leave a message with your name and the date of the session that you are registering for.

Date: Wednesday February 15, 2023
Time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Topic: Rural / North specific issues and considerations
Location: Brandon
Central Community Club
529 4th St, Brandon, MB R7A 3H5
Central Community Club - Google Maps

Date: Thursday February 16, 2023
Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm
Topic: Rural / North specific issues and considerations
Location: Dauphin
Parkland Recreation Complex – Aspen Lodge banquet room
200 1 St SE, Dauphin, MB R7N 1Z7
Dauphin Recreation Services - Google Maps

November 2022

We are excited to announce that the disability income support program will launch very soon for people already receiving EIA!  Here is what persons will get as soon as they are enrolled:

  • Benefits will increase.
  • Laundry and telephone allowances will be added automatically to everyone’s budget.
  • Clients 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.
  • Clients will still have access to all the same financial, health, and other benefits you had 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.
Timelines

The program will launch in two phases beginning in the new year.

Phase 1: January 2023

The program will open to current EIA Disability recipients in the following groups:

  • People who receive services from Community Living disABILITY Services (CLDS).
  • People who live in personal care homes.
  • People who are receiving the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability benefit.

Everyone in these groups will receive a letter in December 2022 with more details about their file.

Phase 2: April 2023

  • All other EIA clients can apply, and will need to participate in a disability impact assessment.
  • All Manitobans can apply, and will need to provide financial information as well as complete a medical form and functional assessment.

Refer to What We Know for more information for clients.

Contact Us:

We Want to Hear from You!

We are hosting public engagement sessions across the province!  If you would like to join us in person or virtually to share your feedback on the new program, please contact disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca or 204-945-1040 or toll-free number 1-877-403-MSPD (1-877-403-6773) for more details.

  • Virtual (Microsoft Teams) – December 9, 10:30 a.m.
  • Winnipeg – December 16, 2022 (this session will focus on how the new program can support people impacted by mental health disabilities.)
  • Steinbach – January/February (details to be determined)
  • Selkirk – January/February (details to be determined)
  • Brandon – January/February (details to be determined)
  • Dauphin – January/February (details to be determined)
  • Morden – January/February (details to be determined)
  • Thompson – January/February (details to be determined)

Regulatory Consultation:

The proposed Disability Support Regulation and Amendments to the Assistance Regulation were posted online in August 2022 for 45 days of public consultation.  We are now working to develop a What We Heard report that will be shared online in the near future.

While the official regulatory consultation period has ended, feedback about the proposed regulations, and other features of program development, can still be submitted at any time to disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca.


October 2022

Engagement sessions are now underway to discuss these topics:

  • Program name
  • Accessibility of services and supports
  • How the program will be funded and delivered
  • Mental health supports
  • Support for Indigenous persons
  • Support for people in rural and northern locations

For more information, to attend a session, or to provide your feedback on these topics, please email disabilitysupport@gov.mb.ca

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