Child Tax Benefit

People with disabilities know all too well that because of their disability they face enormous expenses -- mobility, equipment, supplies, medications -- that the able-bodied population does not have to pay. For many people, this totals thousands of dollars annually. The disability credit on their income tax return is at least a token acknowledgement that overall household income does not in any way reflect how much money the family actually has available, once they’ve paid their disability-related expenses.

However, when it comes to the Child Tax Benefit, parents with disabilities are not treated fairly.

This benefit is intended to assist parents in need with the costs of raising children. But, to calculate the Child Tax Benefit, Revenue Canada uses the total household income without applying the disability credit. As a result, families in which one parent has a disability are often deemed not in need of a baby bonus, and are left to struggle to meet both child care costs and their own disability expenses -- a challenge not faced by able-bodied parents.

Why aren’t the costs of disabilities accounted for in this situation? Perhaps it is simply because the old stereotypes persist and it is assumed that people with significant disabilities do not have children. This government policy definitely needs an update if parents with disabilities are to be treated in an equitable manner.