By Krista Carr, CEO of Inclusion Canada
As many people in Canada gathered around their tables on Easter weekend, sharing warm meals with family and friends, a quieter, far less comfortable reality was unfolding behind closed doors across the country. For many people with disabilities, the holiday was not defined by abundance but by impossible choices — between paying rent or buying groceries, between keeping the lights on or filling a prescription.
The rising cost of living in Canada has become a dominant national concern, but its impact is not felt equally. Inflation has driven up the price of basic necessities — food, housing, electricity and medication — at a pace that far outstrips income supports for the most vulnerable. Among those hit hardest are people with disabilities, many of whom rely on fixed or limited incomes that have not kept up with this rapid escalation in costs.
About 27 per cent of people in Canada live with a disability, and they are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as those without disabilities.
In this context, the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) was introduced with the promise of reducing poverty and improving financial security for individuals. Yet in its current form, the benefit amounts to roughly $6.66 per day — a figure that is not only inadequate but, frankly, disconnected from the lived reality of those it is meant to support.
While any additional income is welcome, $6.66 a day does not buy dignity. It does not cover a meal, let alone contribute meaningfully to rent, utilities or essential medical expenses. In cities and rural communities alike, housing costs alone can consume the majority of a person’s income. Add to that the rising price of groceries — where even basic staples have become noticeably more expensive — and the financial strain becomes overwhelming.
For individuals with disabilities, these pressures are often compounded by additional costs others may not face: specialized diets, mobility aids, transportation and other disability-related supports. Medication, in particular, can be a significant and unavoidable expense. Yet for many, it becomes one of the first things sacrificed when budgets no longer stretch far enough.
This is the cruel arithmetic of poverty: when resources are scarce, survival takes precedence over health. Skipping medication, delaying treatment or rationing doses becomes a coping mechanism — one that carries serious, long-term consequences. People with disabilities are already navigating food, housing and economic insecurity while also facing systemic barriers to employment and social isolation.
Many people with disabilities are unable to access even the $6.66 per day because of administrative barriers. Applicants must first qualify for the Disability Tax Credit, which typically requires access to a family doctor willing to complete the forms — often at a cost. To qualify for the CDB, individuals are also assessed not only on their own income but on the income of those they live with. Put simply, the benefit remains too small, too restrictive and too difficult to access for many who need it most.
As a minimum starting point, the Canada Disability Benefit should be $1,393 per month, in line with the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors, and adjusted to reflect the true cost of living with a disability. It should then be increased over time as the gap between income and the cost of living continues to widen.
If Canada is serious about reducing poverty and promoting inclusion, the approach must be bolder and more responsive to actual needs. This means aligning disability income supports with the true cost of living, ensuring individuals can afford not just to survive but to live with dignity. It also means recognizing that poverty is not just about income — it is about access, opportunity and the ability to participate fully in society.
No one should have to choose between rent and medication. No one should face hunger in a country of such abundance. And no one should be left behind by policies that fail to reflect the realities of everyday life.
If the federal government is serious about building a strong Canada, it must include people with disabilities in that vision.
