By Lise Lareau,
Co-Chair, Kerry’s Place Family Advisory Committee
What is Canada Disability Benefit?
The new Canada Disability Benefit is the federal income support for low-income adults with disabilities, aged 18-64, which began in July. It pays up to $200 a month. In theory, the benefit is good news!
It applies to all our family members, as long as they’re under 65. They are supposed to simply apply to Service Canada to get it. But it turns out only a percentage of Canadians who
qualify are actually getting it.
Who qualifies?
To qualify for the Canada Disability Benefit, your family member must be approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), which is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency.
If your loved one already has the Disability Tax Credit, they’re in good shape. They can simply apply to Service Canada for the Benefit. Kerry’s Place managers are helping people with this application and 6 of our supported individuals are now getting the payment monthly.
If your family member does not have the Disability Tax Credit – it’s a bit more complicated. Here’s what they need to do.
- Step 1: Someone must help them apply to the CRA using the 16-page T2201 form. The trick is that this form must be filled out by a doctor, certifying that the person has Autism and is indeed disabled. In many cases, doctors charge a fee to do this form.
Please reach out to the manager at the Kerry’s Place home where your loved one lives if you need help. They can assist with the medical appointment and provide support with the application.
- Step 2: Once CRA approves the DTC for your family member, which can take many weeks, they can then get the Canada Disability Benefit. Advocacy groups are pushing for this benefit to be easier to access, even automatic, but the DTC step is the rule now.
Having a ‘DTC certificate’ is like gold in other ways. It’s how the CRA identifies Canadians who are disabled for various tax-related benefits. So for many reasons, it’s worth getting.
Why getting the Disability Tax Credit is beneficial?
The biggest benefit that comes from the Disability Tax Credit is for family members to claim it on their own taxes. It amounts to a significant tax break, if the parents or siblings can show they provide some support to the disabled individual. However, to be approved to claim this credit is tricky. The CRA will only recognize family members who have ‘proper authorization’ – which means the applicant must be the legal representative of the disabled person. Being a parent is not enough in many cases, and siblings mostly aren’t recognized. CRA told me that having legal guardianship was necessary in my case when I applied to claim the DTC as a sibling.
So be warned. In most cases, getting disability benefits in this country takes time and patience. The good news is that many Kerry’s Place staff members are aware of these issues and family members in Supported Living can contact their site managers if they need support with applications and information.