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GATINEAUQC, June 28, 2024 /CNW/ – Persons with disabilities face significant barriers to financial security, making it hard to cover the costs of today, or save for the expenses of tomorrow. To assist with financial pressures, the Canada Disability Benefit will provide a social safety net between existing federal benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit and Old Age Security pension for persons with disabilities.
Today, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, invites Canadians—especially persons with disabilities, their caregivers and family members, disability stakeholders and organizations dedicated to working with persons with disabilities—to comment on draft regulations for the Canada Disability Benefit that have been published in Part I of the Canada Gazette. This consultation will remain open until September 23, 2024.
Budget 2024 provides an investment of $6.1 billion over six years beginning in 2024–25, and $1.4 billion ongoing for the Canada Disability Benefit, with the intent of supplementing existing provincial and territorial benefits. Residents between 18 and 64 years old may qualify for all or some of the CDB, up to a maximum of $2,400 per year, if they have a Disability Tax Credit (DTC) certificate and a net family income below $45,000 (if single), $58,500 (if they have a spouse or partner who doesn’t qualify) or $70,500 (if their spouse or partner also qualifies). As proposed, this Benefit is estimated to increase the financial well-being of over 600,000 low-income persons with disabilities.
The Government of Canada welcomes the early indications from the Governments of Nunavut, Manitoba and Nova Scotia to ensure Canadians are better off by not clawing back the Benefit. At the same time, the Government also applauds the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for bolstering their support for persons with disabilities who are eligible to receive this Benefit.
As provinces and territories play a critical role in providing supports and services to Canadians with disabilities, the Government of Canada will continue to engage with them to understand how the Canada Disability Benefit may interact with existing provincial and territorial income-tested programs, including disability programs and social assistance, to avoid persons with disabilities facing claw backs.
To ensure access to the Canada Disability Benefit for eligible Canadians, and to reduce financial barriers, Budget 2024 further provides funding of $243 million over six years, beginning in 2024–25, and $41 million per year ongoing, to cover the cost of the medical forms required for the DTC application process. Additionally, the Government is investing $23.5 million to work with community non-profit disability stakeholder groups to help more eligible Canadians access the DTC and navigate further disability-related federal benefits.
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