ISAC is running a summer website series to promote materials that will help individuals and/or their caregivers, friends, healthcare professionals and other support workers, apply for the Disability Tax Credit and the Canada Disability Benefit. We will only share materials created by trusted sources.
What is the Canada Disability Benefit?
The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is a new federal government benefit that provides direct income support to people with disabilities who are between 18 and 64 years old and who are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). There are other eligibility requirements for the CDB as well, including income-related eligibility requirements. Read more about the CDB on the government’s website at this link.
What is the Disability Tax Credit?
The Disability Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit designed to help with costs associated with a disability. The DTC is not a monthly payment. The purpose of the DTC is to reduce the amount of income tax people with disabilities, their families, or their supporters, pay annually. This means that it can help someone pay less tax. If the person with the impairment does not owe taxes, they can transfer the DTC to a spouse or a family member. If no one in their family owes taxes, it is still worthwhile to apply for the DTC because it makes people eligible for other government benefits. Read more about the DTC on the government’s website at this link.
You may be eligible for the DTC if a medical practitioner certifies that you have a severe and prolonged impairment. You will need a medical practitioner to fill out some of the forms, and it will likely take several months for your application to be reviewed and approved. Applications for the DTC go through the Canada Revenue Agency.
How are the CDB and the DTC related?
The DTC serves as a gateway program for other income and tax benefits, including the Canada Disability Benefit.
You have to first qualify for the DTC before you can apply for the Canada Disability Benefit.
Spotlight on: “Can I get the Canada Disability Benefit?” by Steps to Justice
Direct link to the resource: https://stepstojustice.ca/questions/income-assistance/can-i-get-the-canada-disability-benefit
Who is it meant for? Applicants and their supporters
Is it available in multiple languages and/or formats? Yes! The resource is available in French here: https://stepstojustice.ca/fr/questions/income-assistance/suis-je-admissible-a-la-prestation-canadienne-pour-les-personnes-handicapees
Why we like it:
The Steps to Justice Q&A for the Canada Disability Benefit provides a straight forward overview of the process for applying to receive the CDB. The resource breaks down the multi-step CDB application process into digestible sections, including all the relevant information one needs to access the CDB. It also includes a summary of the appeal process, which is not always included in other public sources of information about the CDB.
The website breaks up the question of “Can I get the Canada Disability Benefit?” into five steps:
- The first step outlines what eligibility criteria are required to access the CDB and how the CDB amount is calculated.
- The second step provides more information on the Disability Tax Credit requirement for the CDB and describes what the DTC’s test for disability looks like.
- The third step explains the application process and processing times for the DTC.
- The fourth step explains the application process and processing times for the CDB.
- The fifth and last step summarizes the appeal process to take if an applicant is denied the CDB.
This resource provides legal information about the CDB application process in an easy-to-navigate manner. However, if you have any questions during the process, want legal advice about your specific case, or a legal opinion on your CDB appeal prospects, contact your local community legal clinic for more information. You can find your local community legal clinic by typing in your postal code at this link.
Additional info for Ontario applicants using this resource:
There is nothing additional that Ontario applicants need to consider when using this resource. Steps to Justice is a collaborative project led by Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) and funded by Legal Aid Ontario, the Law Foundation of Ontario, and the federal and provincial governments.
CLEO provides many resources that help simplify legal processes for Ontarians. Steps to Justice contains step-by-step information on a variety of legal questions that you may have beyond the CDB.