People receiving provincial income assistance in British Columbia who are also eligible to receive the new federal Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) will keep the entire benefit, thanks to a B.C. exemption, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction recently announced.

The first Canada Disability Benefit payments from the Government of Canada will begin in July 2025. 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 ministry said.

 The Canada Disability Benefit is a federal initiative aimed at reducing poverty and supporting the financial security of Canadians with disabilities.

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.

“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. “With this exemption, people receiving provincial assistance can keep the full support they receive from the federal Canada Disability Benefit.”

Applications for the federal Canada Disability Benefit opened June 20, 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.

The federal Canada Disability Benefit is estimated to benefit approximately 85,000 people throughout B.C.

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