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Correspondence regarding the Canada Disability Benefit

On October 26, 2023, the National ME/FM Action Network wrote the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities expressing our interest in the Canada Disability Benefit, the proposal to provide supplemental payments to low-income working-age disabled persons. Copies of this letter were sent to the disability critics for the three opposition parties, Tracy Gray, Louise Chabot and Bonita Zarrillo. A copy was also sent to the Executive Director of the Office of Disability Issues, the government group coordinating the development of CDB regulations.

The Network’s letter is here:

On December 14, 2023, we received a reply from the Minister. The reply provides information about the consultation process going forward.

In one paragraph, the letter refers to a meeting held on November 1, 2023 between staff in the Office of Disability Issues and three executive members of the Disability Tax Fairness Alliance. The Network president, Margaret Parlor, was one of the three. We emphasized the importance of fair, inclusive criteria. We pointed out that the Disability Tax Credit does not identify a number of people who should be receiving the Canada Disability Benefit and cautioned against putting too much reliance on it in its present form.

The letter from the Minister is here: