SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Disability Tax Credit

Honourable senators, “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable.” This may be the most Canadian thing ever said by a non-Canadian.

I’m sure many of you recognize these famous words. They belong to one of the greatest advocates for inclusion and empathy the world has ever known. Through his deep moral convictions, Mahatma Gandhi paved the way for a renewed wave of humanism in the second half of the 20th century. Nearly 80 years after his death, sadly, the wave seems to be receding, even here in Canada.

Despite our good intentions, we are failing the most vulnerable members of our society.

The new Canada Disability Benefit has been in effect for just over three months now.

Even the maximum amount of $200 per month is a long way from lifting Canadians with disabilities out of poverty, which is the program’s intended goal.

Unfortunately, it is not just the benefit itself that falls short. It is difficult for people to qualify for the benefit because they first have to be eligible for the federal Disability Tax Credit, or DTC.

A few months ago, I was talking with a former colleague, a former senior official who worked for years at the highest levels of government. He has a young child with a disability, and he told me how hard it is, even for him, to figure out the complex process for applying for the DTC.

That leads us to the following problem. To be eligible for the DTC, a person must pay taxes. However, many of the people who the Canada Disability Benefit is supposed to be helping the most, those living in abject poverty, can’t get this benefit because they don’t earn enough money to be eligible for the tax credit.

That is only the tip of the iceberg. Only a fraction of Canadians with disabilities are eligible for the benefit because of the many problems with these programs. Even fewer of these individuals manage to get out of poverty.

Of course, there are solutions. This is budget season. Advocates are currently pressing for changes, including increasing the federal benefit, removing the Disability Tax Credit requirement and allowing anyone who already receives a provincial or territorial disability benefit to automatically qualify for the federal benefit. I’ll be adding my voice to those pushing for these changes, and I hope some of you will consider doing the same. Thank you. Meegwetch.