Today the Budget came in and to start with there is not a lot of current promise with the new budget and supporting people with disabilities especially of low income. That being said they are looking to design a new benefit and to engage provinces and territories to receive enhanced programing and access to benefits, saving plans, and education funding.
Sadly we seen these type of committees set up many times and normally they get drastically changed from what is proposed and or the government does not get Elected again and uses it against the Disability community as a bargaining chip to re-elect them for another term. For example in Ontario Kathleen Wynne had a review done for Ontario Disability Support Program and then took that review and ripped it in half and than promised to give us half of the suggested changes if she gets elected again. Of Course she had one the worst losses if not worst in Ontario History after bring Doug Ford into Government.
Here is a Direct Copy of the Info you need to know! This is On Page 233 & 234
Towards a New Disability Benefit
Since 2015, the government has taken steps towards building an inclusive and
resilient economy that supports people with disabilities. In addition to enacting
groundbreaking legislation to create a barrier-free Canada, the government has
also taken concrete steps to help people with disabilities receive enhanced
programming and access to benefits, savings plans, and education funding.
- Budget 2021 proposes to provide $11.9 million over three years, starting in
2021-22, to Employment and Social Development Canada to undertake
consultations to reform the eligibility process for federal disability
programs and benefits. This will help maximize the reach of these programs
and improve the lives of Canadians living with disabilities. This work would
feed directly into the design of a new disability benefit.
In preparation for legislation, the government will undertake extensive
consultations with stakeholders on the design of the new benefit and engage
with provinces and territories, which play a central role in providing support to
many Canadians with disabilities. Employment and Social Development Canada
will also establish a steering committee to oversee the development of this
work, alongside the Canada Revenue Agency, the Department of Finance
Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada.
Improving Access to the Disability Tax Credit
In 2017, the Government of Canada reinstated the Canada Revenue Agency’s
Disability Advisory Committee to ensure tax measures for persons with
disabilities are administered in a fair, transparent, and accessible way. Since the
release of the committee’s first annual report in 2019, the government has
introduced many important changes, including improvements to its
communications and outreach activities for the Disability Tax Credit and
changes to Registered Disability Savings Plans to better protect beneficiaries. As
the government considers new recommendations from the committee, released
in a second report on April 9, 2021, the government is proposing to take further
steps to act on the guidance of the committee by improving the eligibility
criteria for mental functions and life-sustaining therapy. To help more families
and people living with disabilities access the Disability Tax Credit, and other
related support measures like the Registered Disability Savings Plan and the
Child Disability Benefit:
- Budget 2021 proposes to update the list of mental functions of everyday life
that is used for assessment for the Disability Tax Credit. Using terms that are
more clinically relevant would make it easier to be assessed, reduce delays,
and improve access to benefits.
- Budget 2021 also proposes to recognize more activities in determining time
spent on life-sustaining therapy and to reduce the minimum required
frequency of therapy to qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. To ensure these
changes enable applicants to have a fair and proper assessment of their
eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit, the government will undertake a
review of these changes in 2023.
It is estimated that, as a result of these measures, an additional 45,000 people
will qualify for the Disability Tax Credit, and related benefit programs linked to
its eligibility, each year. This represents $376 million in additional support over
five years, starting in 2021-22