PEOPLE receiving provincial income assistance in British Columbia who are also eligible to receive the new federal Canada Disability Benefit will keep the entire benefit, thanks to a B.C. exemption.
The first Canada Disability Benefit payments from the Government of Canada will begin in July. The exemption applies to all recipients of income, disability and hardship assistance under the B.C. Employment and Assistance program. This exemption is part of the Province’s ongoing work to reduce poverty and improve the lives of people with disabilities. The Canada Disability Benefit is a federal initiative aimed at reducing poverty and supporting the financial security of Canadians with disabilities.
“With the cost of living so high, it’s more important than ever to ensure people with disabilities have access to the supports they need,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, on Friday. “With this exemption, people receiving provincial assistance can keep the full support they receive from the federal Canada Disability Benefit.”
Eligible people can receive up to $200 per month, or $2,400 per year in additional income from the federal Canada Disability Benefit. With this B.C. exemption, any Canada Disability Benefit payment received from the federal government will not affect provincial income assistance payments. This formalizes a commitment the B.C. government first made in September 2024. Ensuring people can keep all of the Canada Disability Benefit is also one of the commitments under the four-year agreement between the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Green Party signed in December 2024.
“People with disabilities disproportionately live below the poverty line in B.C., often forced to choose between food and shelter,” said Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. “The B.C. Greens pushed for this vital step in our agreement with the government, so now people with disabilities in B.C. can access the full range of supports available across Canada.”
Applications for the federal Canada Disability Benefit opened June 20, 2025, and can be submitted to the Government of Canada online, by phone or in person at a Service Canada centre. To support individuals with the application process, three B.C.-based organizations, Disability Alliance BC, British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society and Plan Institute, will provide accessible, individualized navigation services to disability programs and benefits, including the federal Disability Tax Credit and Canada Disability Benefit.
“Ensuring that federal Canada Disability Benefit payments will be exempted from any clawbacks will surely increase the dignity and financial security of British Columbians on income, disability and hardship assistance,” said Helaine Boyd, executive director, Disability Alliance B.C. “Disability Alliance B.C. is here to support the disability community in getting access to the federal Disability Tax Credit and the Canada Disability Benefit.”
Applicants can also use the newly launched benefit estimator tool, which can be found on the federal government’s Canada Disability Benefit page, to find out how much they may qualify to receive each month. To access the tool, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/
The federal Canada Disability Benefit is estimated to benefit approximately 85,000 people throughout B.C.
BACKGROUNDER
Eligibility criteria for the federal Canada Disability Benefit
To be eligible for the federal Canada Disability Benefit, people must:
* be approved for the federal disability tax credit;
* meet the income threshold based on family type (for example, $23,000 for a single person);
* be between 18 and 64 years old;
* have filed an income tax return for the previous tax year;
* for those who have a spouse or common-law partner, their partner must also have filed their 2024 income tax return to be eligible;
* be a Canadian resident for income tax filing purposes; and
* be one of the following:
– a Canadian citizen;
– a permanent resident;
– an individual registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act;
– a protected person; or
– a temporary resident who has lived in Canada throughout the previous 18 months.
* People do not need to be receiving provincial income or disability assistance to qualify for the Canada Disability Benefit.
