People with disabilities may be missing out on basic needs: B.C. auditor general

VICTORIA – B.C.’s auditor general is warning that disabled people may be at risk of not having their basic needs met.

Russ Jones has found several problems with the provincial program aimed at helping people with disabilities in his report into the Social Development Ministry.

Jones says the ministry doesn’t define the extent to which basic needs should be met and has limited information on how effective the program has been.

He says that people living with disabilities already face many challenges but the program that should be simple and accessible is not.

He makes 10 recommendations, including implementing ongoing eligibility checks because some recipients may be getting undeserved benefits while others miss out.

The ministry’s program was designed to assist vulnerable people whose disabilities leave them financially dependent.