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Winnipeg Free Press
21-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Unlocking ‘gateway benefit'
Opinion Michelle MacIver didn't hear about the many government benefits available for her son, who has a disability, from a financial institution or a family physician. Rather, she heard about them through word of mouth. 'I was talking to other parents who told me about the DTC (Disability Tax Credit),' says the Portage la Prairie mother of two young boys. That began a multi-year journey of navigating doctor's offices, government websites, social media and various organizations to understand not just how to apply for the credit, but also whether her son would even qualify. 'There is a lot of misinformation — like people on social media telling me my son wouldn't qualify,' she says, noting it took two years before she finally sent the 16-page tax document to Canada Revenue Agency. MacIver's glad she did. Not only does the credit provide more than $3,000 in tax savings annually, provincial and federal, it is also the 'gateway benefit,' she says. It leads to other programs aimed at providing financial support for Canadians with disabilities and their families, such as the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). Those qualifying for the credit will also be eligible for the new Canada Disability Tax Benefit, which starts next month, paying adults with disabilities up to $200 a month, depending on family net income. While that won't help the MacIver family, given her son is nine years old, it will be a small boost to many Canadians with disabilities. The poverty rate for people with disabilities is about twice the national average, according to Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty. What's more, they face larger costs. The cost of living is estimated to be about 30 per cent higher, given many require additional medical equipment and supportive care, a study from Inclusion Canada found. Federal and provincial disability benefit programs are designed to help address these issues, but many are underused, including the gateway tax credit DTC. A Statistics Canada report estimates most Canadians with disabilities have not received the credit. Take-up among those with the most severe impairments is only about four in 10. Use is estimated at about only about 20 per cent for those with severe disabilities, a little more than 10 per cent for Canadian moderate impairments and less than five per cent for people with mild disabilities. These Canadians are not only missing out tax savings; they are forgoing tens of thousands of government monies to help them save for the future through an RDSP. 'It's not being maximized well at all,' says Sara Kinnear, Winnipeg-based director of tax and estate planning at IG Wealth Management. She points to the low take-up of the RDSP, which provides annual grants and bonds to individuals with disabilities age 49 and younger. Statistics Canada data shows the use rate is about 35 per cent. That likely does not reflect the total number of disabled Canadians missing out because the gateway DTC, necessary to open an RDSP, has a much lower take-up rate. One key reason for the low usage is the complexity involved in being approved for the DTC, says Liss Cairns, program manager with the Plan Institute in Vancouver, a non-profit that supports people with disabilities. Applying for the credit is complicated, requiring a health-care provider to fill out and sign the form to confirm an individual's disability. Many physicians now charge fees in the hundreds of dollars to do so, though Cairns adds new federal funding will help cover those costs. Other challenges include public perception, especially for the RDSP. Another issue is awareness even for individuals, who have the DTC and are eligible to open an RDSP. 'Many think, 'What value is this for me? I can't save anything,'' Cairns says. Even individuals who cannot contribute their own money to an RDSP could be missing out. They may be eligible for the Canada disability savings bond whereby the federal government contributes $1,000 annually to their RDSP to a lifetime maximum of $20,000. Of course, individuals and their families able to contribute to an RDSP are eligible for the Canada disability savings grant. A matching grant, it provides up to $3,500 annually from the feds ($3 of benefit for every $1 contributed) to a lifetime maximum of $70,000. Both the bond and grant are pared back gradually as household net income rises. The bond is eliminated when income exceeds about $56,000, and the matching grant is reduced to $1,000 maximum per year when income exceeds about $111,000. 'Overall, it's a great program, but it's also probably the most complicated registered program,' Kinnear says, noting individuals must be wary of early withdrawals for the plan. Money withdrawn from an RDSP within 10 years of the last grant or bond may be subject to steep penalties, she adds. It's also important to start as soon as possible not only because money in the RDSP can compound tax-free. Grants and bonds can only be received up to age 49 though individuals can contribute to their plan up to age 59. 'The design is really to provide retirement savings for these individuals,' Kinnear says, adding all financial institutions can help set up an RDSP. Another resource is the Plan Institute. MacIver leaned on the organization, which provides free assistance, to access the gateway DTC, which allowed her to open the RDSP for her son. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Today, she is a word-of-mouth advocate, helping other parents of children with disabilities. 'Generally, their response is: 'I had no idea this all existed.'' But they're often elated they do exist. If only these many programs were easier to access. 'We know it can be very complex and overwhelming,' Cairns says. 'But we also see the amazing financial empowerment that this can bring.' Joel Schlesinger is a Winnipeg-based freelance journalist joelschles@
Winnipeg Free Press
19-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ottawa shows no signs of limiting MAID after UN panel calls for reversal
OTTAWA – Ottawa is giving no sign that it intends to amend existing legislation on medical assistance in dying — something a UN committee called for earlier this spring. The federal minister responsible for disabilities spoke at a hearing of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last week, about two months after the committee called on Canada to repeal the 2021 law that expanded eligibility for assisted dying to those whose deaths were not reasonably foreseeable. Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu gave a speech at the UN last Tuesday to mark 15 years since Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 'It's about, for me, making relationships in this space and making sure that I have a really strong connection with the community, which I think is really important to be a good minister,' she said in an interview after the speech. Her address did not cite the committee's report, which was released in late March as the federal election got underway. The report said the committee is 'extremely concerned' about Canada's policy on track 2 medical assistance in dying. '(T)he concept of 'choice' creates a false dichotomy, setting up the premise that if persons with disabilities are suffering, it is valid for (Canada) to enable their death without providing safeguards that guarantee the provision of support,' the report said. In a written statement, a spokesperson for Hajdu said the government thanks the committee for its report. 'MAID is a deeply personal choice. We will make sure that the rights of persons with disabilities are upheld and protected,' said Jennifer Kozelj. Disability rights groups in Canada have argued the law singles out people with disabilities who are suffering because they're unable to access proper support. Last September, Inclusion Canada was among a group of organizations that filed a Charter of Rights challenge against what's known as track 2 MAID. In court documents, they argued the law 'allows people with disabilities to access state-funded death in circumstances where they cannot access state-funded supports they need to make their suffering tolerable.' The organization's CEO, Krista Carr, said she wants to see Ottawa deliver an action plan on implementing the recommendations in the UN report. 'It was crystal clear — the United Nations said they need to repeal track 2 medical assistance in dying,' she said. Garnett Genuis, the Conservative employment critic, said he came away from the UN event worried about Canada's international reputation being harmed by what he called Ottawa's 'failures to uphold our obligations to protect the rights of people with living with disabilities.' 'There is a lot of concern internationally within the disability rights community about what's happening in Canada around euthanasia and people living with disabilities,' he said. Genuis said he would support additional guardrails around track 2 assisted dying. In New Zealand, he pointed out, health professionals cannot suggest assisted dying as an option but are able to provide information to patients who ask for it. 'I think that would be a meaningful way of improving the experience of people living with disabilities who interact with the health-care system,' he said. The offices of Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Justice Minister Sean Fraser did not say whether Ottawa is considering changes to the assisted dying law as a result of the report. A spokesman for Michel cited strict eligibility requirements and 'multiple robust safeguards' in the current law. Canada's medical assistance in dying law was updated in 2021 after the Quebec Court of Appeal found that limiting access to people whose deaths were reasonably foreseeable amounted to discrimination. The federal government opted not to take that ruling to the Supreme Court, and instead changed the law to broaden eligibility. The latest annual report on medical assistance in dying shows that 622 of the 15,343 people who had an assisted death in 2023 were part of that track 2. They included 210 people who self-identified as having a disability. The report said that less than three per cent of the people who qualified for an assisted death in 2023 said they did not receive the disability support services they needed. The most frequently reported disabilities among MAID recipients were mobility and pain-related. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. To be considered eligible to apply for MAID, a person must have a grievous and irremediable medical condition. For people whose death is not reasonably foreseeable, there's a minimum 90-day waiting period between the first assessment and the procedure. The applicant must be informed of counselling, mental health supports, disability supports, community services and palliative care, and must be offered consultations with relevant professionals. The applicant and two different medical practitioners also have to discuss means to relieve the person's suffering and 'agree that the person has seriously considered these means,' according to Health Canada's website. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.
National Observer
19-06-2025
- Business
- National Observer
People with disabilities concerned proposed Liberal bill will hike federal taxes
Advocacy groups are asking the federal Liberal government to adjust its proposed tax bill to ensure people with disabilities don't end up paying more to the Canada Revenue Agency. Inclusion Canada says it favours Ottawa lowering the lowest marginal tax rate from 15 to 14 per cent, as proposed in the bill that passed first reading earlier this month. However, the group says the unintended result of the change is that tax credits for people with disabilities will decrease in many cases. That's because the credit — used to reduce taxes payable — is generated by a formula that is tied to the marginal tax rate, and by dropping that rate to 14 per cent, the credit shrinks. Krista Carr, the CEO of Inclusion Canada, said in a telephone interview Monday "we're really hoping this is something that will be remedied, but as of yet we've not had a response." The lobby group says without this change, many lower income people with disabilities who rely on the tax credit will be paying about $100 a year more to Ottawa. The March of Dimes, an organization that also works on behalf of people with disabilities, says in a release that families with children with disabilities would lose an average of about $156 per child. The federal Finance Department didn't immediately provide a comment on the groups' request for the change to the bill. The Liberals have said reducing the marginal tax rate will save two-income families up to $840 a year in 2026. Ottawa has also noted that beginning in July eligible Canadians can receive up to $2,400 a year from the Canada Disability Benefit. Carr said people with disabilities will lose money in the tax credits "that are fundamentally important to them as it helps offset the expenses related to disabilities." She argues the simple fix is to amend the bill to keep the marginal tax credit rate at 15 per cent, "just for the calculation of these particular tax credits." Carr also said tax credits on medical expenses will also be affected, and that could further add to the tax bill for people with disabilities. Nicholas Taylor, a resident of Cooks Brook, N.S., said in an interview Tuesday that the extra $100 in taxes would be roughly equivalent to a month of medication costs. The 39-year-old has polyneuropathy — a condition that where peripheral nerves in the body are damaged — which limits Taylor's mobility and requires the use of a wheelchair. "For myself, that's a month's worth of medication. I'm diabetic and the blood strips that I have to purchase, they're also about $100 for a package," Taylor said. With tax payments annually of about $450 on $12,000 in income, Taylor estimates the extra $100 the changes may cost him represents a 25 per cent tax increase. "We need people with disabilities to be consulted before policies like this are brought in," Taylor added.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
People with disabilities concerned proposed Liberal bill will increase federal taxes
Nicholas Taylor, 39, of Cooks Brook, N.S., outside of their mother's home in this undated handout photo. HALIFAX — Advocacy groups are asking the federal Liberal government to adjust its proposed tax bill to ensure people with disabilities don't end up paying more to the Canada Revenue Agency. Inclusion Canada says it favours Ottawa lowering the lowest marginal tax rate from 15 to 14 per cent, as proposed in the bill that passed first reading earlier this month. However, the group says the unintended result of the change is that tax credits for people with disabilities will decrease in many cases. That's because the credit — used to reduce taxes payable — is generated by a formula that is tied to the marginal tax rate, and by dropping that rate to 14 per cent, the credit shrinks. Krista Carr, the CEO of Inclusion Canada, said in a telephone interview Monday 'we're really hoping this is something that will be remedied, but as of yet we've not had a response.' The lobby group says without this change, many lower income people with disabilities who rely on the tax credit will be paying about $100 a year more to Ottawa. The March of Dimes, an organization that also works on behalf of people with disabilities, says in a release that families with children with disabilities would lose an average of about $156 per child. The federal Finance Department didn't immediately provide a comment on the groups' request for the change to the bill. The Liberals have said reducing the marginal tax rate will save two-income families up to $840 a year in 2026. Ottawa has also noted that beginning in July eligible Canadians can receive up to $2,400 a year from the Canada Disability Benefit. Carr said people with disabilities will lose money in the tax credits 'that are fundamentally important to them as it helps offset the expenses related to disabilities.' She argues the simple fix is to amend the bill to keep the marginal tax credit rate at 15 per cent, 'just for the calculation of these particular tax credits.' Carr also said tax credits on medical expenses will also be affected, and that could further add to the tax bill for people with disabilities. Nicholas Taylor, a resident of Cooks Brook, N.S., said in an interview Tuesday that the extra $100 in taxes would be roughly equivalent to a month of medication costs. The 39-year-old has polyneuropathy — a condition that where peripheral nerves in the body are damaged — which limits Taylor's mobility and requires the use of a wheelchair. 'For myself, that's a month's worth of medication. I'm diabetic and the blood strips that I have to purchase, they're also about $100 for a package,' Taylor said. With tax payments annually of about $450 on $12,000 in income, Taylor estimates the extra $100 the changes may cost him represents a 25 per cent tax increase. 'We need people with disabilities to be consulted before policies like this are brought in,' Taylor added. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. By Michael Tutton
Winnipeg Free Press
19-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
People with disabilities concerned proposed Liberal bill will increase federal taxes
HALIFAX – Advocacy groups are asking the federal Liberal government to adjust its proposed tax bill to ensure people with disabilities don't end up paying more to the Canada Revenue Agency. Inclusion Canada says it favours Ottawa lowering the lowest marginal tax rate from 15 to 14 per cent, as proposed in the bill that passed first reading earlier this month. However, the group says the unintended result of the change is that tax credits for people with disabilities will decrease in many cases. That's because the credit — used to reduce taxes payable — is generated by a formula that is tied to the marginal tax rate, and by dropping that rate to 14 per cent, the credit shrinks. Krista Carr, the CEO of Inclusion Canada, said in a telephone interview Monday 'we're really hoping this is something that will be remedied, but as of yet we've not had a response.' The lobby group says without this change, many lower income people with disabilities who rely on the tax credit will be paying about $100 a year more to Ottawa. The March of Dimes, an organization that also works on behalf of people with disabilities, says in a release that families with children with disabilities would lose an average of about $156 per child. The federal Finance Department didn't immediately provide a comment on the groups' request for the change to the bill. The Liberals have said reducing the marginal tax rate will save two-income families up to $840 a year in 2026. Ottawa has also noted that beginning in July eligible Canadians can receive up to $2,400 a year from the Canada Disability Benefit. Carr said people with disabilities will lose money in the tax credits 'that are fundamentally important to them as it helps offset the expenses related to disabilities.' She argues the simple fix is to amend the bill to keep the marginal tax credit rate at 15 per cent, 'just for the calculation of these particular tax credits.' Carr also said tax credits on medical expenses will also be affected, and that could further add to the tax bill for people with disabilities. Nicholas Taylor, a resident of Cooks Brook, N.S., said in an interview Tuesday that the extra $100 in taxes would be roughly equivalent to a month of medication costs. The 39-year-old has polyneuropathy — a condition that where peripheral nerves in the body are damaged — which limits Taylor's mobility and requires the use of a wheelchair. 'For myself, that's a month's worth of medication. I'm diabetic and the blood strips that I have to purchase, they're also about $100 for a package,' Taylor said. With tax payments annually of about $450 on $12,000 in income, Taylor estimates the extra $100 the changes may cost him represents a 25 per cent tax increase. 'We need people with disabilities to be consulted before policies like this are brought in,' Taylor added. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025.
