Today, Bill C-20, an act respecting further COVID-19 measures, received the official Royal Assent from the Government of Canada. This means that qualifying Canadians with disabilities will receive a one-time benefit of $600 to help cover extra costs resulting from COVID-19. The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, announced the news last week that they had shared the draft legislative proposal that would facilitate these payments and would make the benefit available to more people to include approximately 1.7 million Canadians with disabilities. To qualify, individuals must be recipients of any of the following federal programs or benefits:
- people who receive the Disability Tax Credit,
- CPP disability payments,
- or supports from Veterans Affairs Canada.
Included in the new, revised disability benefit legislation:
- 1-time federal $600 benefit
- Expanded eligibility covers 1.7 million Canadians
- 60 days to apply for Disability Tax Credit (DTC) if not already approved, from July
- No need to apply for the 1-time benefit if you already have the DTC, CPP or Veterans disability. You will receive it automatically in the coming weeks.
Through the Access RDSP partnership program (Plan Institute, Disability Alliance BC, and BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society) we can provide free one-to-one support to guide you through the process of applying for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). To get in touch with us, please call our toll-free helpline at 1-844-311-7526 or email info@rdsp.com.
For help sheets, tips, and information about the DTC, click here.