Question Period Note: Tabling of Employment and Social Development Canada’s Supplementary Estimates (A) for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2027

Why is Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requesting $2.7 million of Funding to administer supplemental payments to Canada Disability Benefit recipients in the Supplementary Estimates (A) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2027?

• ESDC is requesting funding through Supplementary Estimates (A) to support the implementation of a $150 supplemental payment for eligible and entitled Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) recipients with an approved Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
• The supplemental payment, announced in Budget 2025, is intended to help offset fees that individuals often pay to medical practitioners when applying or recertifying for a DTC certificate.
• Past, current, and future Canada Disability recipients with an approved Disability Tax Credit will receive the supplemental payment, with the first payments expected to be made before the end of 2026-27. The payment will be issued for each DTC certification or re-certification.
• The funding will support the administration and implementation of changes to deliver the payment through the existing Canada Disability Benefit system.

The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) 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. Eligibility for the CDB requires an approved Disability Tax Credit (DTC) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency.
Many individuals must pay medical practitioners out-of-pocket to complete the DTC certification, which can create a financial barrier to accessing the CDB.
To address this, Budget 2025 announced a fixed $150 supplemental payment for CDB recipients who have an approved DTC certificate while receiving the benefit.
Expected result: Eligible and entitled CDB recipients will receive the supplemental payment for each DTC certification or recertification while receiving the CDB. This will help offset application costs and support improved access to the CDB.
Table: Funding for Canada Disability Benefit
Funding (in $) and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Existing Funding
(Main Estimates 2026 27) Supplementary Estimates (A) Total Funding
FTE 12 19 31
Salary 1,121,535 1,825,598 2,947,133
Other operating costs 532,820 867,304 1,400,124
Total Operating (Vote 1) 1,654,355 2,692,902 4,347,257
Employee benefit plans 302,814 492,911 795,725
Total Funding 1,957,169 3,185,813 5,142,982

• Budget 2025 announced a $150 supplemental payment for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) recipients who hold an approved Disability Tax Credit (DTC) to help offset out-of-pocket medical practitioner fees required to apply for or renew the DTC certificate.
• An approved DTC certificate is an eligibility requirement for the CDB.
• First supplemental payments are expected to be made before the end of 2026-27.