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Budget 2023 – Disability Inclusion Measures and Spending

In October 2022, the government launched the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to disability inclusion. Community engagement is a key aspect—the government needs to get views from Canadians with disabilities in matters that affect them. To further enhance disability inclusion in Canada:

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $10 million over two years, beginning in 2023-24, to Employment and Social Development Canada to help address the unique needs and ongoing barriers faced by persons with disabilities by investing in capacity building and the community-level work of Canada’s disability organizations.

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $21.5 million in 2023-24 to Employment and Social Development Canada to continue work on the future delivery of the Canada Disability Benefit, including engagement with the disability community and provinces and territories on the regulatory process.

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $10 million over two years, beginning in 2024-2025, for the Enabling Accessibility Fund to reduce waitlists for critical services and supports for persons with disabilities.

The government remains committed to the launch of a Canada Disability Benefit as part of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, including engagement with the disability community and provinces and territories on the regulatory process. Investments in Budget 2023 continue to lay the necessary groundwork for the Canada Disability Benefit, building off of the government’s reintroduction of the Canada Disability Benefit Act in June 2022.

Budget 2023 – Disability Inclusion in Other Departments

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $13.0 billion over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $4.4 billion ongoing to Health Canada to implement the Canadian Dental Care Plan. The plan will provide dental coverage foruninsured Canadians with annual family income of less than $90,000, with no co-pays for those with family incomes under $70,000. The plan would begin providing coverage by the end of 2023 and will be administered by Health Canada, with support from a third-party benefits administrator. Details on eligible coverage will be released later this year.

Budget 2023 proposes to provide $250 million over three years, starting in 2025-26, and $75 million ongoing to Health Canada to establish an Oral Health Access Fund. The fund will complement the Canadian Dental

Care Plan by investing in targeted measures to address oral health gaps among vulnerable populations and reduce barriers to accessing care, including in rural and remote communities.

·       Budget 2023 proposes to provide 11 million low and modest income Canadians with a grocery rebate which will mean $234 per single person, and up to $467 for families before

·       Budget 2023 proposes to create an automatic tax filing method for people who are low income and would not usually file tax returns.  The plan would allow eligible Canadians to auto file their tax return over the phone by answering a series of short questions CRA will proactively reach out to Canadians who qualify. This targeted approach will enable more Canadians to access existing government benefits

·       Budget 2023 announces the government’s intention to extend the Qualifying Family Member provision until December 31, 2026. To further increase access to RDSPs, the government also intends to expand the provision to include adult siblings of an RDSP beneficiary. These measures are expected to cost $13 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $3 million ongoing.

Source: Government of Canada releases Budget 2023 From: Department of Finance Canada




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