For Immediate Release

March 29, 2023

(Toronto) – Disability Without Poverty is encouraged by some positive signs from yesterday’s budget, which will bring the much-needed Canada Disability Benefit closer to reality. However, these developments won’t pay the rent or put food on the table for people with disabilities living in poverty today, who continue to wait for support.

The Spring Federal Budget has allocated $21.5 million to support the creation of the administrative framework for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). This includes facilitating the engagement of the disability community, provinces, and territories for the development of the regulations for the benefit, a critical part of the ongoing co-creation of the CDB, as promised by Minister Qualtrough.

The budget included a number of other items in support of people with disabilities, including a one time increase of GST refund payments, targeted at helping vulnerable families through our current massive food inflation crisis. We believe that this increase should be made permanent.

As we continue with the development of the Canada Disability Benefit, we urge all parties to work as swiftly as possible to bring this much needed benefit to people with disabilities. Specifically, we urge the government to Budget the Benefit in the fall economic statement.

Rabia Khedr, National Director of Disability Without Poverty states “while we are encouraged by what we have seen today, poverty doesn’t take a break. People with disabilities are falling further behind.”

The urgency and importance of getting much-needed money into the pockets of people with disabilities living in poverty remains. “The CDB represents an opportunity to ensure that all people in Canada, including disabled people, have a decent standard of living. We must make this a reality soon,” says Michelle Hewitt, Chair of Disability Without Poverty.