New Brunswick's minister of social development said Friday that he is working hard to rewrite what he calls a "dumb government law" that deprived a Moncton man of the provincial disability supplement.

Writing in a blog, Kelly Lamrock comments on the case of Mike Kennedy, who was denied the supplement in September because his monthly federal pension is $1.70 over the limit.

Lamrock said when he heard about Kennedy's situation, he asked his department bureaucrats if he could issue a cheque to people who are just a little over the limit. But, he said, there is a law that prevents him from doing that.

In the blog, Lamrock said he is in the process of changing that law to introduce some discretion and do away with absolute cutoffs.

Instead, in a case like Kennedy's, the $1.70 by which he is over the limit every month would be deducted from the $1,000 annual disability supplement, Lamrock said.

On Wednesday, Tory critic Jack Carr called on Lamrock to intervene and use his power to give Kennedy the provincial disability supplement.

Kennedy, who has multiple sclerosis, then lost an appeal of the decision to strip him of the $1,000 per year supplement because his federal disability pension of $619.70 per month is just $1.70 over the limit to be eligible for the provincial supplement. He offered to repay the $1.70 per month, but was still turned down.

The disability supplement was introduced in 2000 to help disabled people on social assistance.