DWP Reports & Submissions

Submission to the Department of Finance Canada: Consultation on Draft Legislative Proposals Relating to the Income Tax Act and the Income Tax Regulations – Disability Tax Credit Amendments (September 2026)

Recommendations

Recommendation 1: That the government guarantee income adequacy by increasing the Canada Disability Benefit to a level that ends disability poverty.

Recommendation 2: That the government replace the restrictive DTC disability definition with a new broader definition and grant automatic DTC eligibility to individuals receiving disability benefits through provincial/territorial social assistance programs.

Review Panel on the Lack of Accessible Housing in Canada

Introduction

Disability Without Poverty (DWP) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the National Housing Council’s Review Panel on the Lack of Accessible Housing in Canada. We commend the Council for establishing this review under the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA) and for centering the voices of people with disabilities and older adults who are disproportionately affected by Canada’s accessible housing crisis.

The Disability Tax Credit has become Canada’s primary gateway to disability supports. Recommendations include increasing the CDB, streamlining the DTC application process, and harmonizing definition of disability between federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you today on the progress Canada is making toward being barrier-free.  Talking about accessibility to any level of government is always complicated, because responsibility is siloed. However, our lives as disabled people do not work in this way, and I believe the tone set by the federal government trickles down to other areas of influence. Therefore, I believe it's your job to set the bar high and expect that everybody else at least meets that standard.

 I have had the privilege to fly on a number of occasions. It is always extremely stressful and usually results in some damage somewhere to my wheelchair. I could give you a laundry list of things that have happened, but I'll concentrate on one major event.

In order for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to be available to eligible disabled people as soon as possible we ask that the Government of Canada commit $10B in the first year to deliver this benefit, rising by $2B annually until the additional costs of disability are met.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the Standing Committee on National Finance on Tuesday June 14th, as part of your deliberations on the omnibus budget bill, C-19. I hope I clarify any issues that you wished to hear more about below. 

I would like to focus on one small section of the massive bill you have before you found in Part 1(e) of the summary, expanding eligibility to the disability tax credit, known as the DTC.

I am a disabled woman with multiple sclerosis and live in Kelowna, B.C. At times, my disease has been aggressive and it's fairly advanced. I use a power wheelchair. I have severe fatigue and pain that is sometimes severe. However, I have a great quality of life.