Canadian Disability Benefit

As Stephanie hears from constituents wondering about what is happening with the Canadian Disability Benefit (CDB), she wanted to provide this update.

When the Liberal government tabled the legislation which established the CDB (C-22) at the end of the spring Parliamentary session in June 2022, Stephanie was very concerned about the lack of detail provided.

While she supported the stated intent of C-22, she continued to ask the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion to confirm: the amount of the Benefit; when it would be available; who would be eligible; and whether applying for this benefit would result in disabled Canadians seeing other benefits clawed back.

The government was either not able or unwilling to answer these questions before the legislation passed the House of Commons – with unanimous consent in February 2023 – or before it received Royal Assent in June 2023.

However in their 2024 federal Budget, the Liberals revealed the maximum amount the CDB will provide eligible Canadians (those with a valid Disability Tax Credit) would be $200 monthly – and even that would not be rolled out until July 2025 at the earliest.  Disability advocates were very disappointed with the amount of the promised benefit, as it wouldn’t even come close to lifting Canadians with disabilities above the poverty line. (In Alberta, the combination of AISH and CDB would provide a maximum of $2063 monthly. Resolute Legal The New Canada Disability Benefit (CDB): The Ultimate Guide)

One other key concern that Stephanie and her Conservative colleagues tried to have the government address was whether the CDB might be eligible for clawbacks by insurance companies and other benefit providers. However the Liberal-NDP coalition refused to include that stipulation in C-22, leaving open the possibility that disabled Canadians do not see a net increase in the benefits they receive.

Conservatives – and specifically Pierre Poilievre – have long been opposed to clawbacks, in particular those that penalize disabled Canadians who work. As he stated in 2023, “For those roughly a million Canadians with disabilities who do work, we need to reform the benefit programs to reward that work. Right now, there are clawbacks if you’re a person on disability and you get a job. Often, they take away your income, rental support, even medication.” He has pledged to work with provinces to “ensure workers with disabilities always benefit from working another hour, taking another shift or accepting a job opportunity.”