Over the past few months, EVA Canada provided input and recommendations to the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson in their development of a new service improvement request to the Canada Revenue Agency to assist Canadians fleeing abuse or violence. This service improvement request outlines further actions to better address some of the barriers those in or leaving an abusive or violent situation face in accessing benefits and credits and navigating the CRA webpage.
“Gender-based violence takes many forms, and economic dependence and abuse can act as significant barriers to leaving an abusive relationship or an unsafe situation,” said Erin Whitmore, Executive Director of EVA Canada. “Survivors also face difficulties getting re-established after experiencing violence, which highlights the importance of facilitating survivors’ access to the benefits that they are entitled to. Beyond improving existing processes for survivors, we would like to see tax filing and income supports become more equitable and easier to access, to address persisting socio-economic inequities within our society that allow gender-based violence to flourish.”
Read the full press release here: