The Canadian Disability Benefit (CDB) was supposed to provide up to $200 per month in benefits starting on July 1st. But as of June 12th, the application hasn’t launched yet. According to an operator at Service Canada’s CDB, they’re “hoping” to launch the applications on June 20th.

An operator on the CDB hotline confirmed the following details with The Canadian Health Sentinel:

• The application will launch on June 20th and will be processed through Service Canada

• 80% of applications will be processed within 28 days

  • On June 17th, Minister Hajdu’s office clarified that this was incorrect, writing that “Service Canada is currently establishing service standards for the Canada Disability Benefit”

• The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will assess eligibility criteria

  • On June 17th, Minister Hajdu’s office clarified that the eligibility is determined by Service Canada and only the Disability Tax Credit is assessed by the CRA.

• A doctor’s note will not be required for the benefit, though it is needed to get the disability tax benefit which is required for eligibility

At the time of the publication, Patty Hajdu, the minister in charge of overseeing the CDB did not provide confirmation. However, two other people who called the hotline also received the same date. Incidentally, June 20th is the last day that the House of Commons will meet until a Summer Sitting on July 16th.

On June 17th, Minister Hajdu’s office clarified that rather than having 80% of applications processed within 28 days, Service Canada is currently establishing service standards for the Canada Disability Benefit.

Cate Rivers relayed to The Canadian Health Sentinel what one of the hotline operators told her about the benefit: “It’s not much but it’s better than what you’re getting now.”

A Brief History of the CDB

The government has been discussing and planning the benefit in some form for over five years.

In 2019, Justin Trudeau promised to introduce more supports to coincide with the expansion of medical euthanasia, to ensure people don’t choose to die due to poverty or lack of support. The CDB was formally announced in the Throne speech in 2020.

The benefit was introduced into the House of Commons in a June 2021 bill, described by minister Carla Qualtrough to bridge “the gap between the poverty line and what people receive in their respective provinces.” About 27% of Canadians are disabled and roughly one in six are living in poverty.

But the up to $200 per month provided by the benefit will only lift about 2% of disabled Canadians out of poverty. Alberta has already announced that they intend to clawback the benefit, meaning that it won’t reach the people who need it.

“My thoughts mostly consist of internal screaming at this time thanks to the constant struggle to stay housed, fed and alive,” Sarah-Jane Kennett of Alberta told The Canadian Health Sentinel. Kennett is also concerned about provincial clawbacks. But even if she did get the full extra $200 each month, “it will not significantly improve our circumstances as my kids eat that in groceries every two weeks.”

How Bureaucracy Bogs Down the CDB

To qualify for the CDB, people need to be approved to receive the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).

The DTC uses a restrictive definition of disability and the form is complicated and confusing. Owing to the complex nature, most people give up on the application after starting with the CRA reporting only 24% of people who start the online application complete it.

Getting the DTC also requires medical practitioners to fill out forms. Since the DTC is a tax-credit, people with disabilities who don’t work or receive little income saw no use in filling it out since they won’t really receive a benefit. That means there will be a potential influx of applicants going to doctors to fill out the forms.

The Canadian Medical Association criticized the approach because of the number of hours it would take doctors to fill in these forms, with take about 45 minutes. Many disabled Canadians might not have access to a family doctor or can’t afford the charge to fill out the form.

After they pay to fill out the form, some recipients may receive the equivalent of less than $20 per month in a lump sum.

“My doctor may refuse to fill it out,” Stacey, another disabled Canadian, told The Canadian Health Sentinel. “It’s hard to get a good doctor when depression and neurodivergence get in the way of any relationship. Many doctors are ableist.”

Because of the design of the CDB will increase total income when it comes to filing taxes, and may decrease other income-tested benefits like the Canadian Child Benefit. Disabled Canadians receiving employment insurance benefits because they worked last year may not be eligible to receive the CDB, even if you receive the DTC.

On June 10th, a calculator went live on the CDB site, suggesting that receiving income from the Canadian Child Benefit and the Registered Disability Savings Program may affect the CDB payout.

Are Concerns About the CDB Going ignored?

When the Federal government opened up a period for open consultation on the CDB regulations, it received an out pour of comments from almost 1000 individuals and organizations that spotted some of these flaws and even proposed fixes.

But as Asif Khan, a research and policy analyst for the Income Security Advocacy Center, wrote in Policy Magazine, “the final regulations made no meaningful changes to core concerns such as benefits amounts and eligibility.”

Meanwhile, Hajdu, the minister overseeing the launch of the CDB, is at the United Nations and posting pictures and videos on X about her speaking on disability. The posts do not mention how the Committee on the Rights of Disabled Persons condemned Canada’s Track 2 MAiD and the CDB a few months prior.

UPDATE: On June 13th, Hajdu’s press office emailed responses to questions about the CDB.

On CDB clawbacks

When asked about any plans to address clawbacks from Alberta’s provincial government, the Hajdu’s office wrote that “the federal government cannot dictate to provinces and territories how they will treat the CDB.” The office added that “the federal government has called on them to exempt CDB payments from counting as income in relation to provincial or territorial supports.”

What happens to people who aren’t able to apply on time?

For people who are unable to get their forms filled out on time, they may be eligible for back payments “for up to 24 months from the date they apply, up to June 2025.“ If the application is approved in September for example, they may be eligible for back payments for July and August..

What is the rationale for requiring people with the disability tax credit to apply for the CDB?

The press office did not directly answer this question.

“The Canada Disability Benefit Act states that payments of the CDB are to be made to persons who are eligible for the benefit and apply (or have an application made on their behalf),” they wrote. “The Government has made the application process as simple as possible – with options to apply online at Canada.ca/disability-benefit, or in-person at Service Canada locations or via telephone.”

A response to the UN CRPD Report

The office explained that the Canadian government will “engage” with the disability community in the coming months. Below is the full response:

“Canada takes the recommendations of UN human rights bodies, such as the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, seriously. The Government of Canada, in collaboration with provincial and territorial partners, is reviewing all recommendations made by the Committee, and will engage with the disability community on next steps in the coming months.

The Canada Disability Benefit will improve the financial security of persons with disabilities. It will provide up to $2,400 to eligible persons with disabilities who are between the ages of 18 and 64. This amount will grow with inflation.

The Benefit is intended to supplement existing federal, provincial and territorial benefits and programs for persons with disabilities that are already in place.

It leverages existing processes, such as the Disability Tax Credit, as eligibility criteria. As per the legislative requirement, the application process for the CDB will be as barrier-free as possible. It is estimated that 465,000 Canadians will receive the Benefit in 2025-26.”

Although 465,000 Canadians may receive the benefit, it is estimated that it will lift about 2% of disabled Canadians out of poverty.

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I'm a science and health journalist who is disappointed and fed up with the lack of news coverage surrounding Long COVID, ME/CFS, chronic illness, and disability issues in Canada. I decided to start this newsletter to provide a home for the news stories that don’t get coverage in Canada’s news ecosystem, which lacks outlets for good, science-based reporting.