GATINEAU, QC, 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.
The Government will analyze and consider the feedback received
before finalizing the regulations that will be published in Part II
of the Canada Gazette. Payments for the Benefit are to start
in July 2025, following successful
completion of the regulatory development process.
Quote
"With the release of the draft regulations, we have reached
another significant milestone in our work to make the Canada
Disability Benefit a reality. We look forward to hearing feedback
from the disability community on the regulations as we deliver this
historic Benefit to Canadians with disabilities."
The Honourable Kamal Khera
Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
Quick facts
- The Canada Disability Benefit Act received royal
assent on June 22, 2023, and came
into force recently, on June 22,
2024. As required by the Act, persons with disabilities from
a range of backgrounds must be provided with meaningful and
barrier-free opportunities to collaborate in the development and
design of regulations for the Canada Disability Benefit.
- Building on engagement activities that took place in 2021 and
2022, the Government launched a two-phase engagement process in
summer 2023, to inform the development and implementation of
regulations for the benefit. All the input received from over 8,000
Canadians through ministerial and technical roundtables, bilateral
meetings and an online engagement process was considered by the
Government as it developed the draft regulations.
- Budget 2024 proposes other key measures to support persons with
disabilities including investments to expand the disability
supports deduction; ensuring access to essential drugs and medical
devices; creating a new Youth Mental Health Fund; and improving
recruitment and assessment processes for persons with disabilities
through the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with
Disabilities.
Associated links
- Canada Gazette Part I - Draft Canada Disability Benefit
regulations
- Summary of the proposed Canada Disability Benefit
Regulations
- Overview of the Canada Disability Benefit
- Starting the engagement process to design the Canada Disability
Benefit Regulations
- Canada's Disability Inclusion
Action Plan
- Landmark Canada Disability Benefit legislation receives royal
assent
- Budget 2024
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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada