DABC's Review of the Canada Disability Benefit proposed regulation
September 23, 2024 by DABC
When first announced in September 2020’s throne speech, the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) held the promise of lifting people with disabilities out of poverty.
The CDB as proposed underdelivers on this promise; people with disabilities will only be able to receive a maximum of $2,400 a year. For most, this is not enough to cover higher costs of living or exorbitant medical costs associated with living with a disability.
Regulations published in June 2024 reveal restrictive policies around eligibility criteria, income thresholds, and earning caps that may further entrench people with disabilities in cycles of poverty. DABC has published an in depth review of the proposed regulations, with 20 recommendations for change. This review has been submitted to the federal government during the consultation period.
You can read our review here:
https://disabilityalliancebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Canada-Disability-Benefit-In-Depth-Review-by-DABC.docx.
What do you think of the proposed Canada Disability Benefit?
In June, the federal government published their proposed regulation for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). The CDB will likely provide a maximum of $2,400 per year–$200 per month–to eligible Canadians with disabilities. Eligibility will also be limited to people who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. Applications to the CDB are slated to open in Spring 2025.
Consultations on the proposed regulation are currently underway. DABC has been working on our in-depth review of the proposed regulation, which we hope to share with our networks very soon. This review will also be sent to the federal government as part of the consultation process.
In addition to this advocacy work, we are also planning to discuss the topic of the Canada Disability Benefit in our next issue of the Transition magazine, and we want to hear from you!
What do you want to tell government to consider in their future deliberations around the CDB process or the benefit amount? Please send your short response of up to three sentences to transition@dabc.ca by September 12th for our upcoming edition on the CDB. We can publish your comments anonymously or with your name(s), whichever you choose.
