This is why the Cœliaque Québec organization has been asking the provincial government for several years to create financial assistance for people living with this disease.
There is no medicine for this disease, the treatment consists of a strict gluten-free diet for life.
explains Édith Lalanne, the president of the organization.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects more than 80,000 Quebecers. In sufferers, the consumption of gluten, a type of protein found in wheat, rye and barley, causes a disproportionate immune response.
Over time, this causes intestinal damage, in addition to having several side effects such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea or constipation.
Extra pressure on the wallet
According to Édith Lalanne, a basket of gluten-free groceries can cost up to 40% more than a basket of regular foods. According to a survey conducted by his organization last fall, 86% of celiacs would be bothered by extra expenses
.
Nicole LeBlanc knows something about it. She has lived with this disease for 25 years. Herself a nutritionist, she has studied the repercussions on a daily basis for a long time.
On her counter, she prepared a sample of certified gluten-free products and their regular equivalents. This bread [sans gluten] weighs 340 grams and cost me $7.29. A 675 gram whole wheat loaf costs an average of $4
she explains.
The same observation can be made for the other other products. For spaghetti from the same company, the regular 500-gram box retails for $1.49, while the gluten-free box costs $3.99 for 160 grams less.
We eat three times a day 365 times a year, so it’s an issue that challenges us every time we eat.
relate-t-elle.
At this time, for adults who have been officially diagnosed with the disease, the only form of financial assistance available is the federal medical expense tax credit. However, the procedure to take advantage of it is complex.
We ask people, every day or every week, when they buy gluten-free products, to identify them, to find a comparable product with gluten, to do the differential calculation of all that, and to come and put the total amount in his medical expenses on the tax report
explains Edith Lalanne.
His organization estimates that 75% of people diagnosed with the disease do not take advantage of this tax credit because the procedure is too complicated. To simplify the lives of people with celiac disease, she suggests that Quebec adopt a simplified aid measure, which could take the form of an allowance, for example.
Nicole LeBlanc is one of those who take the time to claim the tax credit. She worries, however, for those who are unable to do so: Think of the very low earners who don’t file a tax report, they don’t have access to it, then it’s the people who need it the most
. She points out that access to gluten-free foods can be difficult at food banks.
Édith Lalanne explains that unlike other allergen-free products such as nuts or eggs, gluten-free products are considerably more expensive.
Following requests from Radio-Canada, the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity confirms that it has had several discussions with Cœliaque Québec and indicates that the creation of a benefit for recipients of social assistance with a diagnosis celiac disease could be evaluated soon.