🧠 AI Fact-Checker: Global Undercutting of Disabled Welfare

Across the world, governments are quietly tightening social safety nets, and disabled individuals—often already at the margins—are feeling the squeeze. Below is a fact-checked snapshot of troubling developments in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, followed by a focused view of life for disabled Canadians today.

🌍 Global Trends in Disability Support

Country	Policy Shift	Impact on Disabled People
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	Cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP)	Over 3 million families could lose £1,720/year; mental health claims are hit hardest
🇺🇸 United States	Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” includes "no tax on tips" and claims no tax on Social Security	Misleading language; Social Security still taxed depending on income. Medicaid & SNAP cuts harm disabled Americans
🇨🇦 Canada	Energy grants like Greener Homes exclude most disabled; Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) launched	CDB pays max $2,400/year but many may not qualify; provincial clawbacks are possible
🇦🇺 Australia	Reforms to Disability Support Pension (DSP)	Stricter eligibility; long-term payouts reduced
🇳🇿 New Zealand	Supported Living Payment tied to work history	Access limited; long-term support is being scaled back

🇨🇦 Life for the Average Disabled Canadian

Despite new programs like the Canada Disability Benefit, many disabled Canadians remain worse off than their non-disabled peers. Here's what the data reveals:

• Income Inequality

  • Disabled Canadians earn 20% less than non-disabled individuals.

  • Those with severe disabilities earn up to 30% less.

  • Over 1.5 million live below the poverty line—twice the rate of non-disabled people.

• Poverty Line Misrepresentation

  • Disability-related costs are not factored into the official poverty line.

  • Advocates say the true poverty threshold should be 30% higher to reflect real expenses.

• Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) Limitations

  • Max payout is $200/month.

  • Access requires approval for the Disability Tax Credit, which excludes many.

  • Provinces may claw back CDB amounts from existing provincial disability cheques.

• Employment Barriers

  • Only 62% of disabled Canadians are employed, compared to 78% of non-disabled.

  • For those with very severe disabilities, employment drops to just 30%.

• Mental Health Gap

  • Rising rates of mental health-related disability, especially among youth.

  • These are harder to prove and often disqualified under stricter eligibility rules.

🧭 Bottom Line: Invisible & Systemically Excluded

From Toronto to Wellington, disabled citizens are being asked to survive on less and navigate systems designed with blind spots. Reforms are labeled as “empowerment” or “modernization,” but the effects are:

• Shrinking support

• Rising thresholds

• Increased vulnerability