*FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS

*SEVERE CIRCUMSTANCES*

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

We are all aware that the Canadian Child Tax Benefit is implemented to ease and help prevent child poverty.

What isn't known is what little there is when the Canadian Government requires Information and they hold a families main income source for raising children. This has happened to my family & due limitations and disabilities we are limited as to what we can do to accommodate for our family's survival, through out the 3 months or so that it takes for forms to be processed by our Government. The resources that are made available to us our the same ones we already use with the monthly child tax. Back Pay is Great! BUT! 3 Months min. is a long time to with hold a Disabled family's main source of monthly income without having something in place to help these families that go through this, survive, and be able to provide for their children accordingly. On Disability with Child Tax is already living below the poverty belt, but what do they expect a family of two Adults and 5 children; 16 and under to do in the mean time. We are allowed a little less than $500.00 a month for the next 3 or so months to support our living cost, food, transportation, & so on. Anyone with a larger family knows that $500 isn't enough for a family of 7 to live off. I feel as my children are suffering from an error that wasn't clearly laid out to us when our income tax was being filed. We filed common law and this became questioned and we sent in everything they had asked for except a separate tax form for being a spouse claiming absolutely $0.00, but it is still required! This is fine, I don't mind any of the Canadian Laws and regulations that are put into place, just as long as they could be more clear, because this has turned our household into complete chaos and has created an enormous amount of tension and stress throughout our household. These are stresses that children shouldn't have to deal with, but it is hard to hide that their monthly income has been cut off, when you are already living month to month, their are no reserves. Obviously if we had alternative options I wouldn't be writing this article in desperation for my family. Sorry Guys! Stability is essential in raising children, especially children with ADD. Already vulnerable by our own disabilities, raising children in a stable home requires hard work. Maintaining balance and harmony between 5 children, 3 who are teens, requires constantly being on your toes . We live each days disasters as they come, who knew a tsunami would hit. Disaster relief from friends and relatives has taken us this far, but not without causing distress to their own finances. We've contacted support workers, anti-poverty organizations, government agencies and schools, all of who express empathy for our situation, and we are on their list of things to do.

"HELP KEEP OUR DREAM ALIVE"