A snapshot of new disability research
A new Canadian Tax Observatory report finds that significant barriers to accessing the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) are preventing thousands of Canadians with disabilities from receiving federal benefits, with only 17% of online applicants completing the application process. The research identifies 10 major obstacles and estimates that automatically granting DTC eligibility to provincial disability assistance recipients could provide certification to 673,000 additional Canadians and lift up to 53,000 people out of poverty. Despite recent federal efforts to simplify the application process, the report calls for broader reforms to improve access to disability benefits and reduce poverty among Canadians with disabilities.
