Some citizens of Canada could be eligible for a new benefit cheque as the Canada Disability Act received royal assent on June 22, 2023, after it was unanimously passed by the House of Commons and passed by the Senate.
However, the Canada Disability Benefit payments may start rolling out a year after it was passed.
The federal budget 2023 dedicated $21.5 million to continue work on the benefit, including engagement with the community of the disabled and the provinces and territories on the regulatory process.
After this month’s announcement, the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, couldn’t offer any specifics on what the benefit will look like or when eligible Canadians will be able to get it.
The new benefit aims to level the playing field as the Canadian government discovers that working-age Canadians with disabilities stand a higher chance of living in poverty than working-age people without disabilities and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened things.
According to Statistics Canada, the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 with disabilities was 65.1 per cent in 2022 against 80.1 per cent for those without disabilities.
In a press release, Khera said: “This is just one part of the extensive consultations our Government is doing with the disability community on the Canada Disability Benefit.
“I encourage all Canadians to participate in the consultations. With your help and input, we’ll be able to build a better benefit and a more inclusive and accessible Canada!”
Canadians have until December 2 to provide feedback on the new benefit through the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations Online Engagement Tool.
Also, there will be additional opportunities to provide input after the official publication of the draft regulations, which is expected to take effect sometime in 2024.
