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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
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
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
March of Dimes Canada and Maytree: No Clawbacks from the Canada Disability Benefit
March of Dimes Canada and Maytree have created an email template to tell your provincial or territorial representative to change social assistance regulations to prevent the CDB from clawing back social assistance. Alberta, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and the Yukon Territories have still not announced if they will claw back the CDB amount from existing provincial/territorial disability income support programs or services.
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.
March 2025
March 20th, 2025
Inclusion Alberta responds to the decision by the Government of Alberta to claw back the CDB.
March 18th, 2025
Inclusion Canada on why the CDB does not go far enough to address disability poverty.
Press Release: Final Canada Disability Benefit regulations fall short
March 12th, 2025
After the release of the finalized CDB regulations, Disability Without Poverty and disability advocates urge Canadians to press election candidates to #BetterTheBenefit.
February 2025
CUPE urges immediate action on the Canada Disability Benefit
Feb 19th, 2025
In a letter to Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) calls on the federal government to finalize the regulations of the CDB. They emphasize that “delaying action risks further hardship for individuals who cannot afford to wait for the support they desperately need.” They are also urging the federal government to enhance the current regulations.
November 2024
Why the Canada Disability Benefit won’t end disability poverty, and how it could
November 26th, 2024
By Jennefer Laidley, Alexi WhiteContributors from Maytree advocate for the expansion of eligibility and access to the CDB, as well as safeguarding it from clawbacks.
By Katherine Scott and David Macdonald
November 26th, 2024Contributors from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives say that while the CDB is a positive step forward, its restrictive eligibility criteria and lack of funding may limit its effectiveness in helping people.
November 21st, 2024
Our official announcement of the launch of two new initiatives ahead of the release of the CDB: our CDB website, CanadaDisabilityBenefit.ca, and one-on-one support for Disability Tax Credit applications through our Disability Planning Helpline.
Disability Alliance BC Transition Magazine
Fall/Winter 2024
This edition of Disability Alliance BC’s Transition Magazine focuses on the CDB. Articles include:
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
Why the Canada Disability Benefit Needs to Be Better: Our Feedback on the Proposed Regulations
September 23rd, 2024
Inclusion Canada’s feedback to the proposed CDB regulations, including suggestions for improvement.
Submission to the Government of Canada on the Canada Disability Benefit Draft Regulations
September 23rd, 2024
March of Dimes’ response to the Government of Canada’s consultations on the CDB. They also identified the main challenges with the current CDB proposals and provided recommendations to address them.
Not too late to better the Canada Disability Benefit
September 20th, 2024
Maytree’s response to the CDB regulations and recommendations.
Six key takeaways from Welfare in Canada, 2023
September 10th, 2024
Maytree discusses findings from their report, Welfare in Canada, 2023. One of the key points is that the CDB is unlikely to lift social assistance recipients with disabilities out of poverty.
June 2024
Correspondence from the Disability Community regarding the Canada Disability Benefit
June 2024
In June 2024, over 80 organizations submitted a letter to Premiers and Ministers of Finance across Canada, asking that they commit to not clawing back any existing disability income supports when the CDB is released.
April 2024
2024 Federal Budget is full of actions, short on results for the most marginalized
April 21st, 2024
Maytree’s response to the 2024 Federal Budget, including their response to the proposed CDB regulations.
April 18th, 2024
Our response to the 2024 Federal Budget announcement, including the announcement of CDB funding and regulations.