TORONTO, Nov. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, national charity Prosper Canada launched an enhanced version of its Benefits Wayfinder, an online tool that makes it easier for Canadians with disabilities to identify and access government benefits to boost their incomes and/or reduce their expenses.
Sponsored by TD Bank Group, the Benefits Wayfinder is a bilingual, easy to use, plain language tool that provides customized benefit recommendations for each user based on their life circumstances.
Since its launch in January 2022, over 50,000 individuals have used the Benefits Wayfinder to find government benefits they are eligible for, but not yet receiving.
Today's re-launch includes the release of the Disability Benefits Compass, a new companion tool that helps people living with disabilities to navigate the complex and challenging process of accessing disability income supports.
Together, these two tools are helping to close Canada's benefit take-up gap.
"Every year, over one in five people with low incomes miss out on potentially thousands of dollars in benefits they could be receiving," said Prosper Canada CEO, Elizabeth Mulholland. "The Benefits Wayfinder is designed to help people to quickly and easily identify the benefits they're eligible for, but not yet receiving, and how to access them."
Disability benefits typically involve more onerous application processes and costs than other benefits and applicants say the experience is often challenging and even demoralizing. Available for free at disability.benefitswayfinder.org, the Disability Benefits Compass provides a much-needed resource to guide applicants step-by-step through the process, helping them to avoid common pitfalls and to successfully access the following disability benefits:
"We are proud to support Prosper Canada in developing the Benefits Wayfinder and the Disability Benefits Compass, which can help Canadians access eligible benefits through existing government social programs," said Uma Venkataramaiah, Senior Manager, Philanthropy, TD Bank Group. "As many Canadians navigate the impacts of increased costs in their day-to-day lives, supporting Canadians with access to resources and tools is one way to help ensure Canadians have the ability to achieve their goals in a changing world."
The Benefits Wayfinder and Disability Benefits Compass can be used by individuals and caregivers directly and/or by community service providers assisting them to access income benefits. Co-designed and co-developed with target users, both tools deliver on their promise to simplify and demystify the search for government benefits.
Prosper Canada is a national charity dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for Canadians living in poverty through program and policy innovation. Prosper Canada works with government, business, and community partners to develop and promote financial policies, programs and resources that remove barriers and help more Canadians to prosper. Learn more at www.prospercanada.org
For further information: Media contact: Prosper Canada, Wendy Abbott-Serroul, Tel: 416-993-6409, Email: wabbottserroul@prospercanada.org