For many Canadians with disabilities, applying for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) can be an important first step toward accessing financial supports and programs. However, there are often barriers to easy access, including financial barriers.
The Canada Revenue Agency confirms that applicants are responsible for any fees their medical practitioner charges to complete a DTC application. While those fees may be claimable as a medical expense on a tax return, that does not help those who need to pay the bill today. For someone living with a disability, that upfront cost can be enough to make an already complicated process even harder.
In 2026, the federal government introduced a new $150 supplemental Canada Disability Benefit payment intended to help offset the cost of obtaining the DTC. This is an important step toward recognizing that the cost of obtaining medical certification can be a barrier. However, the payment is not available for everyone who applies for or receives the DTC. The $150 supplemental payment is only available for people approved for the DTC who also qualify for the Canada Disability Benefit monthly payment.
There are Canadians who may qualify for the DTC but not the Canada Disability Benefit because of the CDB’s eligibility requirements. For those people, the cost of having a medical practitioner complete the application remains an out-of-pocket expense. This is the gap we at Disability Alliance BC are aiming to address.
We’re relaunching our DTC Medical Fees Fund to help reduce one of the financial barriers that stand between a person and the support they may be entitled to access. No one should need to abandon the DTC application process because they can’t afford the medical practitioner fee. Our DTC Medical Fees Fund is designed to help address this gap.
We’re asking our community, supporters, organizations, professionals, and donors to help us build this fund. Every contribution helps remove the financial barrier from someone trying to access the DTC, and your donation can help someone take that next step.
$25 can help us begin building a fund that is there when someone needs it.
$50 can help offset part of a medical practitioner’s fee.
$100 can make a meaningful contribution toward helping someone complete their DTC application.
$250 or more can help us support multiple applicants.
You can also help us spread the word about this fund to your friends, families, and networks. Together we can help remove the financial barriers that stand between Canadians and the supports available to them.
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a key federal disability benefit, but the medical certification needed to apply can be costly. In this article, we discuss why we think it is still important to apply for the DTC, and the actions we are taking to reduce financial barriers to accessing it.
Why is the DTC important?
The DTC was first designed as a way to help reduce the strain of the exorbitant costs of living that people with disabilities often face. As a non-refundable tax credit, it helps people with disabilities and their caregivers reduce the taxes they owe. Over the years, DTC eligibility has been connected to other financial programs like the Canada Workers Benefit Disability Supplement, Child Disability Benefit, Canada Dental Care Plan, and Registered Disability Savings Plan. Altogether, this can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars to put towards immediate and future needs. It also makes the DTC one of the primary ways the federal government recognizes disabled populations in Canada.
The DTC can be cost prohibitive
Despite all its benefits, the DTC is still underutilized, in part because getting the DTC can cost money. While applying for the DTC is free, the application asks people to prove their disability through medical certification, which means medical practitioners have become unwitting gatekeepers to financial supports. The application is long, and medical practitioners can charge for their time.
DTC medical fees are currently unregulated. At DABC, we hear from our clients that medical fees can cost people anywhere between $100-$250. For anyone living in poverty, the cost of this help can be prohibitive.Put simply, many people are unable to afford the financial support they need.
The time for action is now.
DABC has long advocated for better regulations so that compensation for medical certification does not fall on people with disabilities. The time to take action on this issue, however, has become even more urgent.
In June it was announced that coming July 2025, low-income individuals with the DTC can apply for the Canada Disability Benefit, which can add up to $200/month for those living in poverty. What this means is that a lot more people will need the DTC, and fast.
In this year’s federal Budget 2024, the government announced that they will devote $243 million over 6 years, beginning in 2024-25, to provide coverage for medical certification fees with $41 million each following year. We are happy to hear that the government will provide some financial relief for these costs and know that people will need to receive this relief soon. We have joined our partners at Indigenous Disability Canada, and a coalition of other disability organizations in requesting for immediate release of this funding. Read the letter here.
DTC Medical Fees Fund for BC Residents
While we wait for federal funding, we know that the funding allocated may not come as soon as people need and may not be enough to cover all the costs someone might be facing. That’s why we’re launching the DTC Medical Fees Fund to help fund individuals who need support as soon as possible. We envision this fund as a mutual aid hub, where all proceeds will go directly to the people that need it. People with disabilities should not have to pay money to access social and financial supports. Help us raise money by contributing to the fund or by sharing with others who may be able to contribute. Fundraising begins this month but will continue as long as there is a need. You can donate to the fund via the donate button here: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/direct-service/dtc-medical-fees-fund.
Stay tuned for more details on how to apply for funding.
