This report describes the concept of the welfare wall and explores its application to persons with disabilities. The ‘welfare wall’ refers to a cluster of factors that together act to trap people on social assistance (commonly known as ‘welfare’) and make it difficult for them to move off that program of income support, if they so choose. The report first sets out a brief description of the disability income system in Canada. This description helps situate welfare within the broader spectrum of income security programs in the country. The paper then explores social assistance and explains the notion of the welfare wall and its relevance to disability, in particular. Finally, it sets out key policy prescriptions for breaking down the welfare wall that would reduce, if not eliminate, significant barriers to labour market engagement for persons with disabilities. This report was undertaken at the request of the pan-Canadian Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy (CRWDP). Because the work was conducted on behalf of the Ontario cluster, the examples presented in this paper focus primarily upon that jurisdiction.
