Members of the disability community celebrated the federal government’s announcement of the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) in June 2023. Yet this year’s federal budget revealed that a person with disabilities would only receive a maximum of $200.00 monthly – if they are eligible.
The Canada Disability Benefit is the result of the tireless work of the disability community who have long called for a benefit to lift people with disabilities out of poverty. Persons with disabilities disproportionately live in poverty compared to people without disabilities.
The federal government released the Canada Disability Benefit’s proposed regulations in June and called for comments from people and organizations by September 23, 2024.
In consultation with CUPE’s National Persons with Disabilities Committee, CUPE has written a submission on the CDB regulations. CUPE is calling for the following recommendations.
- Increase the amount of the CDB to bring recipients to 30 per cent above the poverty line
- Ensure any persons with disabilities who already receive federal, provincial or territory disability funding automatically qualify for the Canada Disability Benefit
- Develop a clear plan so that injured workers and people with episodic or temporary disabilities are included in the CDB
- The CDB should be a guaranteed income support program for people with disabilities, sufficient to eliminate poverty for people with disabilities.
- Make the CDB an exempted refundable tax credit so there are no claw backs due to pensions, EI or other benefits
The CDB is an opportunity to uphold principles of disability justice such as intersectionality, leadership of those most impacted, and collective access in much-needed funding for people with disabilities.