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Advocacy

The following are some of the current advocacy efforts for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). This list is not exhaustive, and we update it regularly. If you have any advocacy efforts you would like to share, please contact us.

Current Advocacy Campaigns

Plan Institute and our partners remain committed to advocating for a Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) that fulfills its obligations to lift people in Canada living with disabilities out of poverty. We will continue to work alongside the disability community to encourage the Canadian government to take action, including on the following:

  • Expand eligibility to include more options beyond the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).

  • Address the insufficient amount of the benefit, especially considering the higher cost of living faced by people with disabilities.  

  • Prevent the CDB from clawing back other benefits.

  • Ensure that income is determined based on the individual receiving the CDB, not based on family income.

The following are current advocacy campaigns we participate in, along with some from our partners. These campaigns highlight many of the community’s concerns regarding the current CDB regulations, as well as actions you can take.

The National Disability Network: Improve The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB)!

The National Disability Network, which Plan Institute is a part of, calls on Members of Parliament and all political parties to step up for Canadians with disabilities. The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) needs to be increased.  It must be meaningful, robust, and truly address poverty for people with disabilities. Join us in urging Parliament to ensure the CDB provides real support for people with disabilities.

Click here to learn more and get involved - English campaign

Click here to learn more and get involved - French campaign

Daily Bread Food Bank: Fund the Benefit

Daily Bread Food Bank is calling on the government to:

  • Raise the Benefit amount of the CDB.

  • Improve the restrictive eligibility criteria.

  • Ensure the CDB is exempt from clawbacks to other benefit programs and ensure the CDB does not clawback other programs.

  • Increase the income threshold to at least the poverty line and ensure eligibility is based on the individual applicant’s income.

Their website provides a template for emailing your Member of Parliament and other political representatives involved in decisions about the CDB, urging them to make changes to it.

Click here to learn more about the Fund the Benefit campaign

Disability Without Poverty: 2024 Disability Poverty Report Card

Disability Without Poverty (DWP) and Campaign 2000 have released their second Disability Poverty Report Card. The Disability Poverty Report Card includes several recommendations for the Canada Disability Benefit, including raising the benefit amount and making eligibility more accessible.

Click here to learn more about the 2024 Disability Poverty Report Card

Disability Without Poverty: Shape the CDB campaign

DWP consulted with the disability community to help the government learn and understand the needs of people with disabilities to help shape the CDB. They received feedback from nearly 5,000 people through online surveys and peer-to-peer conversations. They are currently reviewing Phase 1 and 2 with their DWP Action Group, which includes participants from earlier project stages. The group will gather feedback on the responses.

Insights from the project's first two phases have helped inform their Better the Benefit campaign.

Click here to learn more about the Shape the CDB campaign

Disability Without Poverty: Better the Benefit campaign

Based on the results of the Shape the CDB campaign, DWP has made seven recommendations for a successful CDB. These recommendations include raising the benefit amount and making the application process easier. You can contact your Member of Parliament through the DWP website and download campaign documents to encourage the government to consider these suggestions.

Click here to learn more about the Better the Benefit campaign, to email your Member of Parliament in both English and French, and to download Better the Benefit campaign

Maytree: Advocacy toolkit – Preventing Canada Disability Benefit clawbacks 

Maytree has released a digital toolkit with documents to help organizations and individuals advocate and engage with government decision-makers to prevent CDB clawbacks in their province or territory. Some provinces and territories have already committed not to clawback social assistance. However, social assistance will be clawed back by default if no action is taken.

Click here to access Maytree’s Advocacy toolkit: Preventing CDB clawbacks

Advocacy in the News

We are proud to be part of a community that advocates for a better CDB. Community members are engaged in conversations and taking action to support CDB advocacy. Below are articles that discuss these conversations and initiatives.

November 2024

  • CDB: DABC's In-depth Review

  • Will the CDB Address Core Concerns for Indigenous Peoples? by Evelyn Huntjens

  • Why I Resigned from a CDB Advisory Group by Michael J Prince

  • Community Voices on the CDB

  • Disability Without Poverty Project Aims to Engage the Public by Amanda Lockitch

  • Plan Institute Developing Resources for the CDB by Stephanie Debisschop

September 2024

June 2024

April 2024