On June 13th, 2024, Members of Parliament, Bonita Zarrillo and Laurel Collins, introduced a new federal bill (Bill C-403), which proposes that people receiving the Persons with Disabilities Benefit (PWD) receive automatic approval for federal benefits, including the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), Canada Pension Plan-Disability (CPP-D), and Canada Disability Benefit (CDB).  

A recording of the news conference can be found here and you can read the proposed bill here.  

DABC is in full support of Bill C-403; if adopted it will bring forward a change that we have advocated for over many years. Last year, in our submission to BC’s poverty reduction strategy, we advocated that “the level of stress and pressure placed on individuals to “prove” their disability can be mitigated against through finding ways to streamline the process” and that “individuals who have already gone through an application process for a different disability benefit should not need to go through the same validation process again.” If passed, Bill C-403 could reduce such stress and increase greater access to these benefits for countless people with disabilities in BC and across Canada. 

Join the Disability Alliance BC Board: Make a Difference!

Are you passionate about disability advocacy? Do you want to use your lived experiences to drive positive change? Disability Alliance BC (DABC) is looking for individuals to join our Board of Directors in 2024!

Who We’re Looking For:

• • Dedicated Advocates: If you have a passion for disability rights and advocacy, we want you!
  • Diverse Voices: We welcome candidates from all over BC, especially those from Vancouver Island and Northern, Central, and rural regions. We encourage applications from BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
  • Experienced Leaders: Prior experience on non-profit or community boards is a plus, but not required.
  • We value lived experiences that reflect the diversity of our community.

Why Join Us?

Since 1977, DABC has been a powerful voice for people with disabilities in British Columbia. We are a provincial non-profit and registered charity dedicated to supporting people with all disabilities to live with dignity, independence, and as equal participants in the community. We promote disability issues through direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research, and publications.

What You’ll Do:

As a Board Member, you will:

• Oversee the performance of our Executive Director.
• Ensure fiduciary and legal oversight.
• Guide the implementation of our strategic plan.
• Use your experiences to advise on systemic advocacy and policy recommendations.

Commitment:

Our Board meets virtually, six times per year, making the time commitment manageable. In addition, you may be asked to join one of DABC’s committees.

Eligibility: To join, you must be:

• A person with a disability.
• A member in good standing with DABC (membership fee: $15).

How to Apply:

Ready to make an impact? Email our Board & Communications Coordinator, Chloe Krause, at chloe@dabc.ca for a nomination package. This will include:

• A nomination form (completed by a nominator).
• A form detailing your reasons for seeking nomination.
• A list of Board duties and responsibilities.
• DABC’s Annual Report.

Deadline: Applications are open on a rolling basis and will be considered until Friday, August 15, 2024. We look forward to hearing from you!

Download a copy of the Call for Nominations here.

April 16th, 2024

Today, the federal government released Budget 2024. Included in the Budget is new information about the Canada Disability Benefit Act (CDB), which received Royal Assent on June 22nd, 2023, but has yet to come into force.

Budget 2024 reveals the following updates about the CDB:

• The CDB will likely provide a maximum of $2,400 per year to eligible Canadians with disabilities.
• Only people with disabilities, ages 18-64, who live on low incomes and have been found eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) will be eligible for the CDB.
• Eligible Canadians will likely begin receiving CDB payments as of July 2025.
• The federal government will provide $243 million over six years, beginning in 2024-25, and $41 million per year ongoing, to cover the cost of the medical forms required to apply for the Disability Tax Credit, to expand access to the DTC and therefore the CDB.
• The federal government is calling on provinces and territories to ensure that CDB payments are not clawed back from provincial or territorial income/disability supports.

While DABC is happy to see a timeline for the enactment of the Canada Disability Benefit and the government’s recommendation against clawbacks, we are extremely disappointed to learn about the Disability Tax Credit eligibility requirement and the proposed $2,400/year cap. It can be very difficult for people with disabilities to be approved for the DTC due to its strict eligibility requirements, and $2,400/year is woefully inadequate; it will not lift most people with disabilities who are eligible for the CDB out of poverty.

DABC will continue to provide feedback to the government on the development of the Canada Disability Benefit.

In more positive news for Canadians with disabilities, “Budget 2024 announces the government’s intention to amend the Income Tax Act to make additional expenses eligible for the Disability Supports Deduction, subject to certain conditions, such as:

• service animals trained to perform specific tasks for people with certain severe impairments;
• alternative computer input devices, such as assistive keyboards, braille display, digital pens, and speech recognition devices;
• and, ­ergonomic work chairs and bed positioning devices, including related assessments.”

Read the full Budget plan here: https://budget.canada.ca/2024/report-rapport/budget-2024.pdf.