In July 2026, Disability Without Poverty released Report 2 of our Disability Poverty Tracker – 333 people answered our cost-of-living survey in Q1 2026, pushing our longitudinal survey past 1,000 responses since the Canada Disability Benefit launched.
The findings are stark:
• 90% say their food costs rose this quarter – up sharply from last quarter
• 46% of CDB applicants were found eligible, down from 57%
• $200 is the maximum monthly CDB payment available, and still below the poverty line
• 95% feel moderate or intense financial strain; 76% skipped or delayed an essential
purchase
Read the detailed Report 2 here.
In October 2025, three months after the first payments of the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) were sent to approved recipients, DWP launched a longitudinal cost of living survey to see if the CDB was meeting the needs of disabled Canadians living in poverty over time.
The report covering the time period of October - December, 2025 marked the first of a series that monitors how well the CDB meets its named objective of reducing poverty and supporting the financial security of persons with disabilities in Canada.
Read the detailed Report 1 here.
