Ottawa, ON – In response to the tabling of Bill C-35, The Canada Disability Benefit Act, March of Dimes Canada applauds the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and the Trudeau government for taking this essential first step in creating a new federal benefit for Canadians with disabilities. 

We recognize Minister Qualtrough’s commitment to following through on the government’s promise to create the Canada Disability Benefit in the September, 2020 Throne Speech. Bill C-35 establishes the legislative framework for a new federal income support benefit to support working age adults with disabilities and will supplement – not replace – existing federal and provincial/territorial income supports people with disabilities receive, such as CPP-D, the Nova Scotia Disability Support Program or AISH in Alberta. 

In moving this legislation forward, the federal government is choosing to work with the disability community to reduce systemic inequalities for people with disabilities across Canada. By ensuring the voices of Canadians with disabilities are heard through an extensive, well-funded consultation process, the Canada Disability Benefit can be North America’s first truly inclusive and accessible income support program. 

Recognizing that people with disabilities in Canada disproportionately live in poverty, March of Dimes Canada is enthusiastic about the potential impact of this forthcoming benefit. If designed well, it has the potential to increase financial security and enable economic empowerment, quality work, independence and equality for many members of the community. 

“For far too long, living with a disability has meant living in poverty for hundreds of thousands of Canadians,” said Leonard Baker, President and CEO of March of Dimes Canada. “The Canada Disability Benefit represents an amazing opportunity to address economic inequality for people with disabilities across the country.”

As previously announced in The 2021 Federal Budget, the Canada Disability Benefit will be developed after broad stakeholder and community consultations. As one of Canada’s largest non-profit organizations supporting people living with a disability, March of Dimes Canada looks forward to acting in our role as a key stakeholder and to engaging our community to represent their voices and experiences in both the design and application and administrative process required to implement and integrate this new benefit. 

With the goal of ensuring the full impact of the Canada Disability Benefit is realized, March of Dimes Canada will advocate with all governments in advance of the announced July 21, 2021 federal/provincial/territorial (FPT) ministers’ meeting on this topic to ensure that existing income supports are not clawed back from recipients or reduced when the Canada Disability Benefit is implemented. We look forward to engaging with governments across Canada on this key issue for Canadians living with a disability.