Ontario won't claw back federal disability benefit

Nkele Martin · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Amid growing concern from Ontarians with disabilities and their advocates, the province has announced it volition not claw backmost the incoming Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). 

The CDB was passed successful 2023, and the authorities committed $6.1 cardinal to it successful the 2024 national budget. Beginning successful July, eligible recipients tin person up to $2,400 per year, oregon a maximum of $200 per month.

In a quality merchandise connected Tuesday, the state announced it will beryllium exempting the national payment arsenic income. That means recipients won't person money deducted from their provincial societal assistance payments oregon entitlements specified arsenic the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

Since the CDB's passage, advocates have feared the provinces and territories whitethorn claw backmost the benefit. As of this March, at slightest 7 person promised not to bash that, but Alberta has announced it volition claw backmost the benefit under certain circumstances.

"It was a immense interest that this was not going to marque it to the radical who merit to spot this benefit," said Ron Anicich, co-chair of the ODSP Action Coalition.

Advocates relieved, but wary

Rabia Khedr, nationalist manager of advocacy radical Disability Without Poverty (DWP), said the quality from Alberta stoked fearfulness and disappointment wrong the disablement community. 

But Khedr said the Ontario authorities has antecedently taken "steps successful the close direction," including its decision to summation the ODSP exemption from $200 to $1,000, giving her anticipation that the state would bash the close thing.

"I ever felt powerfully that, due to the fact that they had committed to an net exemption, that determination is nary mode they could warrant clawing backmost a $200 national benefit," she said. "So I'm gladsome that they person confirmed that today."

Advocates accidental they inactive person different concerns astir the payment program, however.

In bid to beryllium eligible for the CDB, recipients indispensable beryllium approved for the disablement taxation credit, and for that they must person certification from a aesculapian practitioner.

"What we're seeing present is radical scrambling to motion up for the disablement taxation credit," said Anicich. "Which is good erstwhile radical person household doctors, but determination are 2 cardinal radical successful this state that bash not person household doctors who are conscionable incapable to entree this benefit."

To Khedr, the reply is to "simply chopped reddish tape."

"The folks that are successful the provincial strategy who person already filled retired aesculapian forms and person already attested to their disablement shouldn't person to implicit that benignant of scrutinizing process again," she said.

Instead, galore disablement advocates person been calling for the federal authorities to make recipients of provincial programs specified arsenic ODSP automatically eligible for the CDB.

In an email to CBC connected Tuesday, a spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said it's besides calling connected the national authorities to alteration the Income Tax Act to align those eligibility requirements.

"We judge radical who already entree the Ontario Disability Support Program and conscionable the different eligibility criteria should automatically suffice for the CDB, alternatively than beryllium required to wage $200 nether the programme arsenic it is presented," the spokesperson wrote.

Concerns implicit amount

Despite the bully quality connected clawbacks, Khedr and Anicich still regard the CDB's maximum monthly outgo of $200 arsenic inadequate and are calling for an increase.

"Ontarians with disabilities connected ODSP and who suffice for the campaigner disablement benefits inactive volition beryllium good beneath the poorness line," Khedr noted. "And surviving with a disablement costs astatine slightest 30 per cent above the poorness line."

Khedr said recipients desperately request the fiscal assistance and volition usage it to amended their lives. 

"It means that possibly they tin bargain healthier nutrient oregon supplements, possibly they tin bargain over-the-counter painkillers to negociate their time truthful that they tin adjacent see searching for enactment and improving their prime of life," she said. "It is wealth that volition beryllium spent connected necessities of regular living."

Khedr and Anicich are besides calling for better collaboration among radical with disabilities and their advocates, and demanded a accidental erstwhile decisions affecting their lives are made.

"There's thing similar lived experience — 'nothing astir america without us,'" Khedr said. "If they person america astatine the table, we volition marque it truthful casual for them to get argumentation right."