This RDSP Awareness Month, we’ve emphasized that there’s more to the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) than you think. We’ve published blog posts on topics like the SDSP (an RDSP option for shortened life expectancy) and what the 2027 DTC changes mean for Canadians with disabilities. Alongside our Access RDSP partners, BCANDS/IDC and Plan Institute, we have held two Ask the Expert sessions: one on the DTC, and the other on the RDSP.
We’ve also amplified our request for support for our DTC Medical Fees Fund. Donating to this mutual aid fund means you’re directly helping people to access the DTC, by covering the fees charged by medical practitioners for filling out the application. Learn more here: Cover the Cost.
To close out the month, we’re sharing some key resources that can help you learn more about and access the DTC and RDSP.
RDSP.com: Find general information about the DTC and RDSP and the Access RDSP partnership, and access a variety of resources and guides.
RDSP Calculator: By answering a few simple questions, the RDSP Calculator can help you project the estimated future value of an RDSP, and the approximate value of future withdrawal payments.
My DTC: An online tool developed by DABC. It includes in-depth guides for both applicants and medical practitioners on DTC related benefits, eligibility, and the overall process, as well as tools to help with applying.
Mon CIPH: The French language version of My DTC, developed in partnership with Finautonome.
Disability Benefits Compass: Use this resource to help guide you through the DTC, RDSP, Persons with Disability (PWD) designation, and the Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D) benefit.
Benefits Wayfinder: This Canada-wide tool is available to help you find government benefits applicable to you and is not disability-focused.
DABC’s Help Sheet #14: The Disability Tax Credit and Help Sheet #15: The Registered Disability Savings Plan. Find them in English, Arabic, Persian, Punjabi and Spanish languages on our website: Help Sheets. These self-help guides explain the DTC and RDSP, and how to apply for them.
We hope you’ve found some of the information and resources shared this month to be helpful. Remember: There’s more to the DTC and RDSP than you think!
Ask our experts your questions about the Disability Tax Credit (DTC)!
Getting DTC approval is a big step toward starting your Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). Join us on October 22 for a live Q&A (webinar) about the DTC and the benefits you can access with approval.
This #RDSPAwarenessMonth, don’t miss the chance to learn what you may be eligible for.
One of the biggest challenges with accessing the Disability Tax Credit is the application process. Luckily, changes are coming into effect that will make the application process easier. The DTC is based on the effects of disability or impairment, not simply having a particular diagnosis. Applicants have traditionally needed a qualified medical practitioner to provide detailed information about how their impairment affects specific activities of daily living and whether the impairments meet the legislated requirements for the DTC.
The process can be time consuming for applicants and medical practitioners. However, things are being made simpler. As part of the federal government’s 2026 Spring Economic update which announced changes to the DTC, the application process is being streamlined for people with certain long-lasting medical conditions as of 2027. At the same time, beginning with DTC certificates issues after 2026, more types of health professionals will be able to certify certain impairments. These changes will make the DTC easier to access for many Canadians.
Under the new streamlined approach, if an individual has one or more of the medical conditions on the designated list, a qualified medical practitioner will generally only need to certify that the individual has the condition. This means the practitioner will no longer have to complete the same detailed assessment of how the condition affects the person’s daily living activities. However, the CRA still retains the authority to request additional medical information when necessary, and the underlying legislative requirements for the DTC are unchanged.
What this means is that instead of asking a medical practitioner to document the functional consequences for a condition that the CRA has identified, the new process puts greater emphasis on the diagnosis itself for these specific conditions.
Conditions included are:
Alzheimer’s disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Angleman syndrome
Autism spectrum disorder, level 3
Bilateral blindness
Severe or profound bilateral hearing loss
Severe Cerebral Palsy
Stage III or higher COPD
Cystic Fibrosis
Dementia
Down Syndrome
Advanced or severe Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Huntington Disease
Permanent colostomy or ileostomy
Severe Intellectual disability
Paraplegia
Advanced or severe Parkinson’s disease
Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia
Renal failure requiring lifelong dialysis
Lifelong continuous supplemental oxygen
Severe schizophrenia
Severe Sickle cell disease requiring transfusions
Spinal muscular atrophy types I and II
Severe stroke with no functional recovery
Severe traumatic brain injury
Certain upper and lower limb amputations
And a number of other specified conditions that can be found here.
Another important change is beginning in 2027; the list of health professionals who can certify certain types of impairments will expand.
For example, podiatrists will be able to certify impairments affecting walking within their scope of practice. Physiotherapists will be able to certify impairments affecting feeding and dressing, in addition to walking and certain cumulative effect assessments. Speech language pathologists will be able to certify certain impairments affecting feeding in addition to speaking, and certain cumulative effects assessments. Occupational therapists will be able to certify impairments affecting eliminating bodily waste, in addition to their existing areas. This means that instead of having to find another practitioner, many people wil be able to work with a practitioner who already understands their condition and functional limitations.
Overall, the changes coming into effect in 2027 may make it easier for many people to navigate the DTC, and understanding these changes is important. If you have a condition included in the streamlined list, talk to your medical practitioner about the new certification requirements. If you have been told in the past that applying for the DTC would be too complicated, it may be worth revisiting the question, considering the new rules. Don’t assume you aren’t eligible; the DTC may be more available to you than you think.
Error validating access token: The session has been invalidated because the user changed their password or Facebook has changed the session for security reasons.
