While only adults are eligible for social assistance, families can claim the DTC for minor dependents.Īnother, major issue with the provincial approach is that, so far, most jurisdictions have been clawing back assistance payments for those who also receive federal emergency benefits, Carr and Prince said. That, however, would have missed a number of families with children with disabilities, Carr notes. Some disability advocates have been asking the government to administer the funds through provincial and territorial income assistance programs, both Prince and Carr said. However, she added, the DTC is “a very imperfect mechanism” to distribute the income support. The pandemic is causing “hardship and crisis,” not to mention increased expenses, in the disability community, Carr said. That Canadians with the DTC would receive some help is “a good thing,” said Krista Carr, executive vice president of the Canadian Association for Community Living, who spoke to Global News before the vote.ĬACL told Global News in a statement it is “extremely disappointed” with the delay the disability benefit now faces, adding that “persons with a disability shouldn’t have to wait any longer for financial relief.” READ MORE: Canadians with lifelong disabilities can lose disability tax credit And while that would ensure the income support would reach some 1.2 million people, it also means it wouldn’t reach hundreds of thousands more Canadians with disabilities, many of them in low-income households, who don’t have the DTC, according to experts. Only those with a valid certificate for the DTC, a non-refundable credit for people with disabilities and their families, would be eligible to receive Ottawa’s COVID-19 aid. While his disability is a lifelong condition, he lost his eligibility for the federal disability tax credit (DTC) and with it the ability to receive the $600 payment. Morley, who was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is one of those people. READ MORE: Liberals fail to win support for latest CERB bill on fraud fines, jail time The money “misses all kinds of people,” said Ottawa resident Robert Morley, speaking before Parliament’s vote on Wednesday. That financial aid is now in limbo, as the measure was part of a bill that failed to receive bipartisan support on Wednesday.īut even if Ottawa finds a way to deliver the income support, as government officials have vowed to do, the funds will remain out of reach for a significant share of Canadians with disabilities. On June 5, the federal government promised a one-time payment of up to $600 for Canadians living with disabilities to help lessen the financial strain tied to the novel coronavirus pandemic.