Income program for people with disabilities replaces individual caseworkers, raising barriers for some clients
'I was seen as a person. Now, not so much': says Alex Lytwyn who lives with cerebral palsy
Alex Lytwyn has cerebral palsy and relies on the benefits obtained through the Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities to live, but he says a recent change in the province's income assistance program is creating difficulties to access some of its services.
Since the program for Manitobans living with severe and prolonged disabilities came into effect in the spring of 2023, Lytwyn worked with an assigned case worker to get assistance if there were any issues, changes in service or benefit requests.
However, a provincial spokesperson said the department replaced individual caseloads in early December with a team-based approach.
"This was a shock," Lytwyn told CBC News in an email. "I had emailed three different workers, and every email came back saying that they had retired or had a new position. I felt so lost."
The government said the change will allow for benefits to be processed and completed in a more timely and consistent fashion, as clients won't be supported by an assigned member but by the most available staff at the time the request comes in.
But with the new central email address and phone line, Lytwyn said he has had trouble getting a response back from the department.
WATCH | Change to income assistance program for people with disabilities leaves user frustrated:
In one recent episode, Lytwyn said he had to hang up after waiting on hold for an hour with 47 people still ahead of him in the queue to contact Manitoba Supports.
"Having a case worker, I could contact them through email, and they were always there to help," he said. "I was seen as a person. Now, not so much."
David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association, said the new team approach resembles a call centre, and whenever a client phones in, they have to go through a lot more details for every single request, even if it's a minor file.
"It's exhausting," he said. "People don't want to tell their story every time they call in for something … it's painful."
With an individual case worker, Kron said, clients would build a relationship over time, and if the staff member stuck around long enough, it was easier to advocate for the needs of the person with disabilities.
"Being disabled physically and having a speech impairment, life is stressful," Lytwyn said. "Now the [Manitoba] government has added stress to it."
The province did not address these concerns in its statement but said the change has no impact on the type of services being offered, and staffing levels haven't changed.
Kron is hoping the province could change course on their new team approach, bringing on board a person who can work directly with people with disabilities and advocate for their cases.
"We really want to get to a person-centred, needs-based system," he said.
With files from Zubina Ahmed