The Canadian flag, $10-a-day childcare, the Canada Child Benefit — these are all celebrated hallmarks of the Liberal government legacy — but noticeably absent from this list is the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). This omission underscores how easily people with disabilities are forgotten amid national crises and celebrations in our political landscape.
When the CDB Act, introduced by the Liberal government, received Royal Assent in June 2023, with cross-partisan support, it promised transformative change for millions of Canadians with disabilities. The Act’s stated objective, “to support the financial security of people with disabilities,” is clear, compelling and urgently needed.
Now the final CDB regulations have been published, the last hurdle before the CDB becomes a reality.
We should pause to celebrate this moment and acknowledge the tireless advocacy that made the CDB a reality. This achievement reflects the dedication of parliamentarians, civil society, and — most importantly — people with disabilities themselves.
But we also need to recognize that the CDB falls far short of what is needed. The amount, at $200 monthly, is inadequate to lift anyone out of poverty; there’s restrictive eligibility, tied to the cumbersome Disability Tax Credit (DTC) which excludes many persons with disabilities, and there’s still the risk of provincial claw backs, which means the money would not help those it is intended to reach.
Achieving true financial security for people with disabilities requires more than symbolic commitments. Whatever party forms the next government, they must strengthen the CDB through increased funding, streamlined eligibility and harmonization across all federal and provincial income and disability support programs.
For the 1.6 million working-age Canadians with disabilities living below the poverty line, financial insecurity is a relentless daily reality. Many must make impossible choices between paying rent or buying food, affording medication or keeping the lights on.
These hardships are not hypothetical; they represent the real-life experiences of far too many Canadians with disabilities who have waited decades for meaningful support.
People with disabilities like Stacie B, who’s a 46-year-old mother and has been on dialysis for kidney failure since 2018 due to a rare autoimmune disease, finds herself unable to afford transportation to get to her dialysis appointments and is forced to miss necessary treatments.
Or Dawna, a 55-year-old woman who lives with multiple sclerosis who finds herself missing meals because she cannot secure the special food and medication she requires; she skips important occupational therapy appointments because she can’t afford them.
These struggles are not theoretical scenarios — they are painful realities experienced daily by many Canadians. People with disabilities are forced to make impossible choices every day.
The CDB is designed to alleviate this suffering by providing direct financial assistance, enabling people with disabilities to live with dignity and participate fully in society. This isn’t merely a policy goal; it’s a lifeline for those overlooked by Canada’s existing income support systems.
For many, the CDB — if funded and rolled out properly — could be the difference between isolation and community participation, between constant anxiety about survival and the freedom to plan for the future.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership was instrumental in securing unanimous parliamentary support for the CDB legislation. Finalizing the regulations now solidifies this achievement as one of the most significant social policy advancements in recent Canadian history. It also demonstrates the government’s cross-partisan resolve to honour commitments despite political turbulence.
It’s a good start. But the next government, whatever political stripe, must work to strengthen the CDB.
People with disabilities often find themselves sidelined amid competing priorities and political uncertainty. We must not let that happen.
As accomplished women with disabilities, we urge all political parties to commit explicitly to ending disability poverty and ensuring people with disabilities are not forgotten amidst tariff threats or announced government spending cuts.
Without an adequate and accessible CDB, countless Canadians with disabilities will remain trapped in poverty, unable to meet basic needs or experience dignity.
As Parliament moves inevitably toward an election, people with disabilities, should not be left behind once again.
Photo courtesy of DepositPhotos
