Snowbirds of Moncton Seek Waiver of Rule That Cuts Off Disability Benefits for Adult Children – New Brunswick

Now that April and Amelia Chase are adults, they are cut off from the $800 monthly disability allowance they receive from New Brunswick each time they spend winters in Florida with Snowbird’s parents.

Amelia is non-verbal, lives with hearing loss, and has developmental disabilities as a result of a genetic disorder called Coffin-Siris Syndrome.

April has blindness, cerebral palsy, a genetic disorder called microdeletion syndrome, and is also developmentally disabled.

A 21-year-old adopted brother needs round-the-clock care from parents Pam and Terry Chase.

Pam Chase said in an interview with Global News that her daughters had no problem getting child disability benefits during the winter in Florida before they turned 19.

“There was no indication that they would lose their support when they became adults, because when they came here as children, the support followed them. I didn’t,” she said.

The Department of Social Development’s policy states, “If a recipient leaves the state for an extended period of time, usually more than 30 days, the recipient will be disqualified.”

This means that April and Amelia will be cut off from their income and incontinence supplies while they are in the United States, and their benefits will have to be reassessed each time they return to Canada.

The Chases have sent out multiple emails asking for exemptions from that rule, as they believe their daughters’ quality of life will be severely impacted by not spending the winter in the United States.

“In April she has cerebral palsy and can’t enjoy winter at all and can’t move around. Amelia, you’ll have to meet her to understand, she’s terrified to death like ice. So , winter would not be a great option for them and would not be good for their quality of life,” she said, adding that Canadian winters also cause problems for her husband Terry’s arthritis.

She also said she wanted to provide young women who cannot travel on their own with the enjoyment that travel can bring while they can.

“The idea here is to give them as much life and adventure as possible because there comes a point when we’re too old to do that,” she said. rice field.

The Department of Social Development declined to comment on specific cases, saying only, “We always do everything we can to help people in need, especially those in New Brunswick with disabilities.” rice field.

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