February 28, 2025 Gatineau, Quebec Employment and Social Development Canada
The Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, issued the following statement today regarding the Canada Disability Benefit:
"I am very proud to announce that the final Canada Disability Benefit Regulations are now complete and will come into force on May 15, 2025. This means that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) will be delivered on time, with the first cheques going out to Canadians in July of this year.
This is a significant and historic accomplishment. The CDB is an important step forward to improving Canada's social safety net and furthers actions taken by the Government of Canada to help ensure the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities.
With an investment of $6.1 billion over six years beginning in 2024-25, and $1.4 billion per year ongoing, this benefit will support over 600,000 Canadians with disabilities, by supplementing existing federal, provincial, and territorial income support measures.
In the spirit of "Nothing Without Us," our government engaged Canadians with disabilities, disability stakeholders, Indigenous governments and organizations, and provincial and territorial governments in the development of these regulations. I want to thank everyone who has helped shape this new benefit. We will continue to seek input for future improvements.
These final regulations confirm the details of the CDB, such as eligibility criteria and benefit calculations. Starting in June 2025, residents between 18 and 64 years old can qualify for the benefit if they have been approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and meet the benefit's other eligibility requirements. The Government will provide details on the application process in the coming months, including information on when, where, and how to apply.
The final CDB regulations will be published by the Government in the Canada Gazette, Part II in the coming weeks."
