Government of Canada extends deadline to apply for the Disability Tax Credit to receive the COVID-19 one-time payment for persons with disabilities

In May 2020 the Canadian Council of the Blind reported its findings from a survey of Canadians living with vision loss as it relates to the Pandemic, and now we see some of the strategy employed by the Government of Canada to help ameliorate those hardships.  Read the CCB Press Release, Canadian Council of the Blind’s COVID-19 Impact Study Reveals Disturbing Reality for Those Canadians Living with Vision Loss: Speaking from her home in Nova Scotia, Gillis spoke of the need for government to recognize the circumstances presently impacting all Canadians with disabilities, but specifically the over 1,560,000 Canadians living with vision loss. “The vision loss community was too often marginalized and already socially and economically depressed prior to the arrival of the pandemic,” said Gillis, noting that, “the present situation has only served to magnify those barriers and obstacles.”

 

Government of Canada extends deadline to apply for the Disability Tax Credit to receive the COVID-19 one-time payment for persons with disabilities

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

See the full text of the Government  News release here:

October 23, 2020              Gatineau, Quebec              Employment and Social Development Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the lives and health of all Canadians, and disproportionately affected Canadians with disabilities as they continue to face many long-standing barriers further heightened by the pandemic.

It is for this reason that the Government of Canada is continuing to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are supported. This includes the one-time non-taxable and non-reportable payment of up to $600 to support Canadians with disabilities to help with additional expenses incurred during the pandemic.

 

 

The one-time payment will help persons with disabilities deal with the expenses incurred during the pandemic, such as:

• expenses related to hiring personal support workers and accessing other disability supports;
• paying for increased costs for medical supplies and medication;
• the purchase of personal protective equipment;
• higher costs associated with physical distancing and working from home; and,
• the increased use of transportation and home delivery services to obtain groceries and prescriptions.

The vast majority of eligible Canadians – nearly 1.6 million people – will begin receiving their payment on October 30, 2020, using direct deposit and mailing information from existing government programs.

Canadians eligible for the one-time payment for persons with disabilities include individuals who:

• have an existing valid Disability Tax Credit (DTC) certificate;
• are eligible and have applied for the DTC by December 31, 2020;
• are a beneficiary as at July 1, 2020 of:
  • Canada Pension Plan Disability; and/or
  • Quebec Pension Plan Disability Pension; and/or
  • one of the disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).

 

“The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on every Canadians’ life, and particularly so on the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are dealing with increased costs for many of the essential supports they need, like safe access to food, medication and services. We have extended the deadline to apply for the Disability Tax Credit so that more Canadians with disabilities can access the benefit and get the financial support they need. We will continue to work closely with the disability community to support Canadians with disabilities and their families through this difficult time. Our Government remains committed to a disability inclusive pandemic response and recovery, and we continue to work to remove barriers and increase accessibility across Canada.”

– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough