Help for Disabled People?

[Human Errer]

I'm currently in the United States, and believe I may have dual citizenship by birth (born outside Canada to a naturalized parent). I'm on Social Security Disability and have a very limited, fixed income.

If I were to move to Nova Scotia, does anyone know whether or not it would be difficult for me to find public housing? Is there somewhere I can go to find eligibility criteria, and whether or not there is a long waiting list to get into housing there? I'm having difficulty finding any resources on my end.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[canuck78]

I'm currently in the United States, and believe I may have dual citizenship by birth (born outside Canada to a naturalized parent). I'm on Social Security Disability and have a very limited, fixed income.

If I were to move to Nova Scotia, does anyone know whether or not it would be difficult for me to find public housing? Is there somewhere I can go to find eligibility criteria, and whether or not there is a long waiting list to get into housing there? I'm having difficulty finding any resources on my end.

Thanks in advance for any help.

There are wait list for public houses in all of Canada. Some wait decades. Your going to face similar issues in Canada when it comes to disability payments not providing much to live on. Most depend on food banks. The fact that you haven't spent years in Canada will also not give you priority. Do you have a support system? I would stick close to them. The Maritimes also has a serious shortage of doctors and wait times tend to be the longest in the Maritimes.

 

[Human Errer]

There are wait list for public houses in all of Canada. Some wait decades. Your going to face similar issues in Canada when it comes to disability payments not providing much to live on. Most depend on food banks. The fact that you haven't spent years in Canada will also not give you priority. Do you have a support system? I would stick close to them. The Maritimes also has a serious shortage of doctors and wait times tend to be the longest in the Maritimes.

Thanks for the quick response.

I do not have much support here in the US, unfortunately. I really wanted to go to Nova Scotia, which is where my mother was naturalized. I've been there, and I love it. It sounds like Montreal might be a better choice, despite the fact that I basically only know how to say "please" and "thank you" in French! (Not a very good look for someone who is part French-Canadian, I know...)

Is it possible to find an apartment on ~$900 USD/month? I can work part-time and make up to ~$800 USD/month without jeopardizing my SSDI benefits. Would that be enough to live a decent life in Canada, especially considering the alternative is living in the worst country (pandemic-wise, at least) on earth right now?

The bottom line is: I really don't feel like dying because some moron who thinks 175 million or so of their fellow citizens are involved in some whacky conspiracy to destroy a reality t.v. star/failed businessman who lost an historic election but still insists that he won because his ego won't let him admit failure despite his life being a long string of one failure after another thinks it's okay to walk around and passive-aggressively breath on everyone around them without a mask on during the most catastrophic global pandemic in 100 years.

Just sayin.

 

[Human Errer]

There are wait list for public houses in all of Canada. Some wait decades. Your going to face similar issues in Canada when it comes to disability payments not providing much to live on. Most depend on food banks. The fact that you haven't spent years in Canada will also not give you priority. Do you have a support system? I would stick close to them. The Maritimes also has a serious shortage of doctors and wait times tend to be the longest in the Maritimes.

Also - are you saying that Canadian citizens who live abroad for a while have to wait long periods of time to receive any benefits just because they weren't physically present in Canada for a while? That seems strange to me. Citizens should be entitled to, and able to obtain, services regardless of how long they have been physically present in the country, no?

Are you thinking that I'm *applying* for citizenship, or was this advice based on the knowledge that I'm (most likely) *already* a citizen by birth?

 

[steaky]

Thanks for the quick response.

I do not have much support here in the US, unfortunately. I really wanted to go to Nova Scotia, which is where my mother was naturalized. I've been there, and I love it. It sounds like Montreal might be a better choice, despite the fact that I basically only know how to say "please" and "thank you" in French! (Not a very good look for someone who is part French-Canadian, I know...)

Is it possible to find an apartment on ~$900 USD/month? I can work part-time and make up to ~$800 USD/month without jeopardizing my SSDI benefits. Would that be enough to live a decent life in Canada, especially considering the alternative is living in the worst country (pandemic-wise, at least) on earth right now?

The bottom line is: I really don't feel like dying because some moron who thinks 175 million or so of their fellow citizens are involved in some whacky conspiracy to destroy a reality t.v. star/failed businessman who lost an historic election but still insists that he won because his ego won't let him admit failure despite his life being a long string of one failure after another thinks it's okay to walk around and passive-aggressively breath on everyone around them without a mask on during the most catastrophic global pandemic in 100 years.

Just sayin.

What worst country living on earth (pandemic-wise)? You mean the US? What about Hawaii?

 

[Human Errer]

What worst country living on earth (pandemic-wise)? You mean the US? What about Hawaii?

Other than remote locations which are capable of controlling the influx of visitors (like Hawaii), most places in the US are seeing substantial spread at the moment. Even in NH where I live, which is mostly rural. We get a lot of visitors from Massachusetts who for some reason think it’s okay to walk around without a mask in our small, rural communities. The same is true everywhere in the US. Not to mention all the people who are convinced that it’s all a hoax because the orange child who currently occupies the White House says it is...

 

[canuck78]

Thanks for the quick response.

I do not have much support here in the US, unfortunately. I really wanted to go to Nova Scotia, which is where my mother was naturalized. I've been there, and I love it. It sounds like Montreal might be a better choice, despite the fact that I basically only know how to say "please" and "thank you" in French! (Not a very good look for someone who is part French-Canadian, I know...)

Is it possible to find an apartment on ~$900 USD/month? I can work part-time and make up to ~$800 USD/month without jeopardizing my SSDI benefits. Would that be enough to live a decent life in Canada, especially considering the alternative is living in the worst country (pandemic-wise, at least) on earth right now?

The bottom line is: I really don't feel like dying because some moron who thinks 175 million or so of their fellow citizens are involved in some whacky conspiracy to destroy a reality t.v. star/failed businessman who lost an historic election but still insists that he won because his ego won't let him admit failure despite his life being a long string of one failure after another thinks it's okay to walk around and passive-aggressively breath on everyone around them without a mask on during the most catastrophic global pandemic in 100 years.

Just sayin.

Moving to another country involves huge exposure to others, it is expensive and you need to pay for your 14 day quarantine. The majority of landlords will want to meet you in person before renting to you. Your biggest issue is that it is very unlikely that you will be able to enter Canada until you have your proof of citizenship. By the time you get your proof of citizenship the vaccines roll out would have started. Canada also has struggled with covid in the 2nd wave. When the Biden administration comes into power hopefully things will change in terms of leadership. Would work on your proof of citizenship and then you can make your choice. If you live in Canada you'll need to file both Canadian and American taxes. As a newcomer you will not be given priority when it comes to things like subsidized housing. You may go on a wait list to get a family doctor and have to rely on a walk in clinic. Most province had an up to 3 month waiting period to receive healthcare although this has been temporary waived.

 

[Human Errer]

Moving to another country involves huge exposure to others, it is expensive and you need to pay for your 14 day quarantine. The majority of landlords will want to meet you in person before renting to you. Your biggest issue is that it is very unlikely that you will be able to enter Canada until you have your proof of citizenship. By the time you get your proof of citizenship the vaccines roll out would have started. Canada also has struggled with covid in the 2nd wave. When the Biden administration comes into power hopefully things will change in terms of leadership. Would work on your proof of citizenship and then you can make your choice. If you live in Canada you'll need to file both Canadian and American taxes. As a newcomer you will not be given priority when it comes to things like subsidized housing. You may go on a wait list to get a family doctor and have to rely on a walk in clinic. Most province had an up to 3 month waiting period to receive healthcare although this has been temporary waived.

The 75 million or so people who voted for the orange baby aren’t going anywhere, and he’s making sure of that with his post-election temper tantrum. There is a lot of talk about a second civil war in the US, and the “reality” t.v. star-in-chief would love nothing less. I feel an extreme sense of urgency to get away from this country before it descends into its darkest period yet. I think I’ll take my chances in Canada, but thanks for the head’s up.

Also - I’m disabled. I don’t pay taxes unless I work part time to supplement my SSDI. I will still receive my SSDI for the rest of my life, even if I renounce my US citizenship (which is definitely on the table). Usually, there are programs available to disabled people that aren’t available to everybody else, because we can demonstrate a special need. Canada is no Netherlands, but I’m sure there are programs for disabled people there.

 

[canuck78]

The 75 million or so people who voted for the orange baby aren’t going anywhere, and he’s making sure of that with his post-election temper tantrum. There is a lot of talk about a second civil war in the US, and the “reality” t.v. star-in-chief would love nothing less. I feel an extreme sense of urgency to get away from this country before it descends into its darkest period yet. I think I’ll take my chances in Canada, but thanks for the head’s up.

Also - I’m disabled. I don’t pay taxes unless I work part time to supplement my SSDI. I will still receive my SSDI for the rest of my life, even if I renounce my US citizenship (which is definitely on the table). Usually, there are programs available to disabled people that aren’t available to everybody else, because we can demonstrate a special need. Canada is no Netherlands, but I’m sure there are programs for disabled people there.

Would stop watching Fox news and reading crazy internet sites. Are you sure you can keep your SSDI if you renounce your citizenship and/or leave the US. How long did you work before claiming SSDI? There are many disabled people in Canada and they wait for medical care like all other Canadians. It is fairly typical to wait 3-6 months to see a specialist but sometimes longer, a year to have elective surgery is pretty standard in many regions although it likely to be longer now, etc. Canada does acute in hospital care really well not chronic and outpatient care. In some regions we also do cancer care pretty well. There are many on disability, welfare or low income seniors who depend on charity to get by. Without friends and family in Canada it may be very difficult especially if you do have friends and family in the US. Many things are not covered through the Canadian healthcare system. I am still thankful but you seem to have a very idealized version of Canada without much knowledge or experience when it comes to Canada. In many provinces prescriptions are not covered. Canada has around 70% medicare. Do you have funds to move? First and last month's rent? First you need to get proof of your citizenship. If you are serious about eventually moving to Canada once/if you get citizenship I would start researching cost of living in Canada and in various cities and compare the cost of food, phone, rent, utilities, etc. and look to see what is covered and won't be covered in Canada. I would also join forums talking to other disabled people in Canada and talk to people in different provinces about wait times, positives/struggles, access to services, etc.

 

[Astanavtik]

I know the struggle you are going through. You should prepare yourself because moving somewhere else it's tiring. It would help if you had a support system and financial stability. It was hard for me when I decided to move away from my hometown. My disability just made everything more complicated. I was not able to find a well-paid job. Thanks to my family and friends that supported me emotionally and financially, I found something. I started organizing games for seniors. I was surprised at how well it went. And they were all really friendly. They didn't mind I was different.