The Canada Disability Benefit Journey
Disability Without Poverty (DWP) was established when activists across the country united to combat poverty related to disabilities. Their work focused on the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), introduced in the 2020 Throne Speech. Thanks to numerous petitions, open letters, opinion pieces, gatherings, partnerships, and non-partisan efforts by DWP, the CDB received unanimous royal assent in June 2023. Now, our work is to ensure that the CDB becomes a benefit that truly helps people with disabilities rise out of poverty.
LEADERSHIP
Our progress is the result of the dedicated efforts of many individuals, particularly the members of the Leadership Group. Their guidance has been crucial in shaping our core principles and providing the vision necessary for our continued advancement.
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Join us and our partner organizations to advocate for a better Canada Disability Benefit.
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Read the stories of disabled Canadians living in poverty as they advocate for a better way.
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Starting in July 2025, people with disabilities receiving the Disability Tax Credit are expected to receive a maximum of $200 per month under the new Canada Disability Benefit.
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The federal budget only set aside $200 per month/person for the Canada Disability Budget.
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Seven-in-ten say the federal government is moving too slow to enact benefit.
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After reading the outcomes of the Government's consultation process, recorded in the Disability Inclusion Action Plan Report, (DIAP) DWP saw a gap articulated by some of those involved:
"Although we did reach some, we unfortunately did not adequately consult with various marginalized or hardest-to-reach communities, including targeted and meaningful outreach to persons with disabilities who also identify as 2ISLGBTQ+, racialized and Indigenous persons with disabilities, refugees with disabilities, people with disabilities experiencing houselessness, people with disabilities who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, veterans with disabilities, people with disabilities who are or have been institutionalized, or Northern communities" (DIAP 32).
To rectify this omission, DWP began its own consultation process intent on reaching those maginalized and hardest-to-reach communities mentioned in the DIAP report.
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With our partner Community Food Centres of Canada, almost 100,000 physical postcards were sent to the office of Finance Minister Freeland. A virtual campaign at the same time.
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Disability Without Poverty‘s first annual report card looks at our government’s performance towards people with disabilities who live in poverty. We think that it is important for us to show the statistics and to combine them with real stories from people with disabilities who live in poverty.
Just like any report card, we have given the government a grade for their performance.
We grade them as I for Incomplete.We see there is a lack of support, a lack of progress, and there needs to be better data about the real experience of disability in Canada.
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"Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we start the hard work of mobilizing to ensure nothing about us without us during the regulation process."
Michelle Hewitt.
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Following the federal election, and fueled by intense pressure from the disabled community, the CDB is re-introduced under the new name Bill C-22.
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Initiated by Michelle Hewitt, the petition was presented by MP Mike Morrice to the House of Commons on February 10, 2022 with almost 18,000 signatures.
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DWP extends its deepest gratitude to the exceptional leaders who played a pivotal role in pioneering our organization.
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The 2020 Speech from the Throne proposes a Disability Inclusion Plan (DIAP), the cornerstone of which is to be the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) (Bill C-35 later Bill C-22). In her Mandate Letter of December 2021, Minister Qualtrough is tasked with the design, introduction and implementation of the CDB.
