Question Period Note: CANADA DISABILITY BENEFIT

How has the Government of Canada managed the application intake and Call Centre volumes for the Canada Disability Benefit?

• The Government of Canada is focused on ensuring that persons with disabilities receive meaningful support through timely and reliable access to the benefit.
• The Canada Disability Benefit is a key component of Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan, representing a significant step in reducing poverty and improving financial security for working-age persons with disabilities. It is estimated to improve the financial well-being of over 600,000 low-income individuals, helping reduce poverty and promote inclusion.
• Service Canada plays a vital role in the successful delivery of the Canada Disability Benefit. Canadians can apply on-line, by phone, by teletypewriter, through the Canada Video Relay Service, by mail, or in person at a Service Canada Office or Community Outreach visit.

IF PRESSED (BUDGET 2025)
• Through Budget 2025, the government reaffirms its intention to lower barriers to access the Canada Disability Benefit by helping to offset the costs of applying for the Disability Tax Credit for Canada Disability Benefit recipients.
• These supplemental payments will be made to current and past Canada Disability Benefit recipients and are expected to be paid before the end of fiscal 2026-27, following the successful completion of a regulatory process to amend the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations.
• In addition, to help ensure Canada Disability Benefit recipients keep the full value of their benefits, Budget 2025 confirms the government’s intention to bring forward legislation to exempt the Canada Disability Benefit from being treated as income under the Income Tax Act.

The Canada Disability Benefit Act received Royal Assent on June 22, 2023, and came into force on June 22, 2024. The Act establishes the framework for the Canada Disability Benefit and provides authority to make regulations to enable the benefit to be paid. The Canada Disability Benefit Regulations, which set out key details of the benefit (including eligibility and amount), came into force on May 15, 2025.

Budget 2024 committed to an investment of $6.1 billion over six years beginning in 2024-25, and $1.4 billion ongoing for the Canada Disability Benefit, to provide a maximum of $2,400 per year to low-income persons with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64.

In the spirit of “Nothing Without Us”, Canadians with disabilities, disability stakeholders, Indigenous governments and organizations, and provincial and territorial governments, were actively engaged in the design and development of the benefit and regulations.

Engagement with the disability community and other stakeholders has been on-going since 2021. Client-facing products such as the application and letters were tested with the disability community. Feedback from the testing was incorporated, to ensure that the Canada Disability Benefit application process is as barrier-free as possible.

Following extensive consultations with persons with disabilities and the successful completion of the regulatory process, the Government of Canada began issuing payments to eligible Canadians in July 2025.

Bill C-15 – Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1 – was introduced in the House of Commons on November 18, 2025, and includes amendments to the Income Tax Act to exempt the Canada Disability Benefit from being treated as income under the Act.

Additionally, Budget 2025 proposes funding of $115.7 million over four years, beginning in 2026-27, and $10.1 million per year ongoing, including administrative costs, for a one-time supplemental Canada Disability Benefit payment of $150 in respect of each Disability Tax Credit certification, or re-certification, giving rise to a Canada Disability Benefit entitlement.

The Canada Disability Benefit is an important part of Canada’s social safety net, alongside Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Canada Child Benefit, and with further actions taken by the Government of Canada to ensure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities.

• The Canada Disability Benefit was launched on June 20, 2025, to provide direct financial support to low-income working-age persons with disabilities (aged 18 to 64). It is intended to supplement, not replace, existing supports.

• As of January 11, 2026, over 425K potential beneficiaries received a letter inviting them to apply for the Benefit. Those who did not receive a letter can still apply.

• The maximum benefit amount is $200 per month ($2,400 annually) for the first year (July 2025-June 2026) with annual inflation adjustments starting July 2026.

• As of January 11, 2026, over 375K client decisions have been processed, and more than 260K clients have received payments since applications opened in June 2025.

• Eligible applicants may receive back payments for up to 24 months from the date Service Canada receives their application (excluding months prior to the June 2025 launch of the program).

• The Canada Disability Benefit Call Centre continues to provide ongoing support, with over 220K calls answered between June 9, 2025, and January 11, 2026, with an average wait time of approximately 10 minutes.