March 25, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Open Letter to the Honourable Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan, and the Honourable Terry Jenson, Minister of Social Services
On behalf of Barrier Free Saskatchewan, we are issuing this public statement in response to ongoing government decisions that are deepening poverty and inequality for people with disabilities across our province.
We are hearing directly from families—including parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities—who are witnessing the erosion of the supports they rely on to survive. Their message is clear: government policy is not protecting them. It is failing them.
Let us be direct. Words matter, and so do choices.
Referring to the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program as a “last resort” is unacceptable. It is demeaning, stigmatizing, and fundamentally inconsistent with the purpose of the program. People with disabilities are not an afterthought. They are not a burden. They are citizens entitled to live with dignity.
When government language frames essential supports as a last option, it sends a harmful message—that the lives of those who rely on them are worth less. This must stop.
What we are seeing is not support. It is systemic neglect.
SAID is increasingly difficult to access, provides inadequate income, and leaves recipients living well below the poverty line. This is not a safety net—it is legislated poverty, created and maintained through policy decisions.
At the same time, federal initiatives such as the Canada Disability Benefit are being structured in ways that exclude many of the people they are intended to support. Requiring access to the Disability Tax Credit creates financial and administrative barriers, shutting out individuals who are clearly eligible for assistance.
This is not an oversight. It is a failure to prioritize accessibility and fairness.
Recent budget decisions only make matters worse.
The termination of the Rental Housing Supplement—including the removal of supports for those who were previously grandfathered—represents a direct and harmful impact on people with disabilities. It will increase housing instability, deepen poverty, and push individuals further to the margins.
These are not abstract policy decisions. They will determine whether people can afford rent, food, and other basic necessities.
Balancing a budget by reducing supports for those who have the least is not fiscal responsibility. It is a political choice—one that disproportionately harms people who already face significant systemic barriers.
This approach is out of step with basic human rights.
Canada has committed to international standards through the United Nations, recognizing the right of persons with disabilities to live with dignity and security. Current provincial policy moves in the opposite direction.
Poverty among people with disabilities is not inevitable. It is the result of policy decisions—and those decisions can be changed.
We are calling for immediate action.
Barrier Free Saskatchewan calls on your government to:
- Eliminate the phrase “last resort” from all SAID policy language and public communications
- Increase SAID benefit levels to reflect the true cost of living
- Reinstate and protect housing supports, including the Rental Housing Supplement
- Advocate for and implement accessible pathways into the Canada Disability Benefit, including automatic eligibility for those already receiving SAID
- Commit to a human rights-based approach to disability policy that prioritizes dignity, inclusion, and financial security
Let us be clear about what is at stake.
With each budget, the gap between those with resources and those without continues to widen. People with disabilities are being left further behind as a result of current policy direction.
Disability is part of the human experience. The systems built—and dismantled—today will shape the lives of thousands of Saskatchewan residents, both now and into the future.
A government is ultimately judged by how it treats those with the least power. At this moment, that standard is not being met.
We urge you to change course.
Sincerely,
Brenda Edel
President
Barrier Free Saskatchewan