AdvocateCANDTC - YEG Disability Tax Credit - DTC Advocacy Services

04/28/2026

Federal Spring Economic Update was released today and had some interesting things to say:
i) They intend to simplify the DTC application/process for people with certain long-lasting medical conditions (list includes Alzheimer's disease, paraplegia, severe bilateral hearing loss, Stage III or higher COPD, cystic fibrosis, Level 3 Autism, Schizophrenia amongst others)
ii) expanding the list of medical practitioners who can certify eligibility for the DTC (OTs can now speak to eliminating; physiotherapists can now speak to feeding and dressing; SLPS can now speak to feeding, hearing) Will add podiatrists to the list of medical practitioners who can certify impairments in the area of walking that are within their scope of practice to assess.
ALL for 2026 forward.

Reach out if you have any questions!

03/20/2026

Good morning, Happy Friday and first day of Spring! Just wanted to pop on and share some good news! People always seem in disbelief when I tell them what the DTC could mean to them in terms of tax refunds. In Alberta, for a family with a moderate income and pays taxes on that income, and a child under the age of 18 years old who is approved for the DTC going back the maximum allowed 10 years... the refund is $42,644.02. CAN YOU IMAGINE?! Well, this morning I have one client who is not imagining... they are living it. **Side note, this is why everyone should beware those companies who charge by commission! They don't want you to know what kind of money they are talking about when you sign contracts to pay 30-55% of your total return. Think about that if this family had to pay 30% commission - that would be $13,000 of this!!

03/14/2026

Happy Saturday! This week was again full of challenges with the CRA - fighting about extra information needed, and type of doctor used, and how long the person has been my client's doctor.... challenging but worth it - because in the end I can help enough to change people's lives. One client told me yesterday their 2025 tax return/refund increased by $3400 when they added the DTC credit in and I was crying with excitement for them!! THEN We ended the week on a VERY high note with my favorite kind of approval of all - an INDEFINITE one - typically reserved for conditions that are permanent (total hearing loss, type 1 diabetes, sometimes autism, almost all of my clients regardless of impairment category over the age of 75 ... but this takes the pressure, stress and worry off the client with disabilities because it means they never have to apply again! Contact me today if you or a family member are over the age of 75 years - often they have mild impairments in many, many categories that would equal an approval!

Also this week - a client with a very nice return... 10 years of reassessments, adult in Alberta with a moderate income - $25, 694!!

03/07/2026

Well… 2026 has come out swinging! 😅

The CRA has appeared to have tightened things up so far this year — especially on adult DTC applications. There are new processes on their end I believe, more questions, and a lot more scrutiny about which medical professionals’ people are using and how many years they are approving based on how long a person has been with that medical professional - than we’ve seen in the past.

The good news? Applications for minors are still sitting at a 100% success rate this year, which is something I’m incredibly proud of and grateful for. It reminds me why I do this work every day. 😊 On completed tax reassessments so far in 2026 my clients are also averaging about a $3000 return per year – lifechanging money if they are approved for several years backwards!

Behind the scenes I’ve also been doing a lot of thinking about how I can help people beyond just writing & submitting applications and advocating with medical professionals and the CRA. There may be some education and consulting opportunities coming soon for families and professionals who want to better understand the DTC process and how to navigate it properly.
More to come on that soon… 👀

A new BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit was announced in February - and this can provide up to $17,000 a year for families as well - if you are in BC be sure to look into this!

I am also FINALLY almost caught up on my waitlist, and that means if someone comes to me right now, I can get started ASAP in their support!

As always, thank you to everyone who continues to trust me with your applications and stories. This work means a lot to me.

– Vicky | advocateCANDTC Inc.

01/16/2026

I have ADHD - one of the reasons I started doing this work.

To my clients - I see you, I understand you - I’m just really good at reminding YOU what to do next (and I have people in the background supporting me too).

GIVE YOURSELF GRACE! (Even if you are getting a 7th reminder from me to complete your paperwork) 🙂

01/01/2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

IT'S RECAP TIME! What an amazing year of working for you! My first full year of business, with some highs and lows, and really, really, hard work. The joy I hold in helping others is beyond measure, I hope that 2026 continues to be successful! Let me know if you have questions or want to explore how I can help!

*These numbers count only fully completed files - some of the denials that occurred are still in active reviews and appeals.

10/05/2025

***Alberta only warning about parent strike pay***

It has yet to be confirmed if the strike pay ($30/day to parents of children not in school because of the teacher’s strike). But here’s how it could impact those with a DTC approval even more…

Your child disability benefit (monthly payment for those with a DTC approval) is based on your eligibility for the Canada Child Benefit (child tax). Your Canada Child Benefit (child tax) is based on your income. So if you are someone who sits right on the edge of being eligible for child tax and then the extra money from the GOA in the form of ‘support for parents’ puts you over the income level to receive the Canada child benefit- you will lose both - the child tax and child disability benefit starting July 2026 (I’m sure Danielle Smith is hoping by then you will forget how your income changed enough for this to happen)..

What can you do??

10/01/2025

Good morning! It feels like Monday.. but it's Wednesday already! Just an update to let everyone know the CRA continues to be behind in processing DTC applications and right now they are at about 16 weeks. (Submitted one on Friday and the expected date of decision is not until January 18, 2026!). The CRA continues to be also be very slow on some tax reassessments for those approved as well, I still have clients waiting since February 2026 - and a client who submitted their reassessments last week has an expected completion date in MAY 2026!! All of this to say - the sooner you get an application in - the sooner the process starts! reach out if you have any questions, I have just a few intake dates left before the end of 2025!

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08/26/2025

Some interesting information from the 2024 Fifth Annual Report of the Disability Advisory Committee:
1. As reported in the 4th DAC report, only one quarter of persons with disability who are likely eligible, submit a completed DTC application.
2. While population data estimates have limitations, it is clear that far too few eligible persons with disability are applying for and receiving DTC approval. Despite the fact that most completed applications (96.6%) are approved (fewer than 4% are either rejected or under appeal) it is evident that more support and accessibility in the process is needed for applicants to successfully complete the process (Parts A and B).
3. For those who do receive a DTC certificate, some trends are emerging. In 2022, there was an increase in the number of individuals with DTC certificates (1,465,430 total individuals), with 66% receiving certificates of indeterminate duration (most frequent in seniors) and 33% receiving temporary certificates (most frequent in youth). In 2022, a total of 950 objections were received with 510 and 60 being allowed in full and in part. Among those with restrictions in daily living activities, difficulties with walking and mental functions are the most commonly reported, occurring at twice the rate of other types of restrictions. Mental functions are also the restriction in daily living with the highest number of objections. Restrictions related to walking, mental functions, and life-sustaining therapy have increased compared to previous years.
4. There were 25 recommendations from the 2023 report and only 4 have been implemented!!
5. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and the territories all have DTC uptake rates that are below their respective shares of the Canadian population
6. In 2022, only 64% of DTC certificate holders claimed the credit. (this means the applicant has done all the work and has been approved and then forgets to actually claim it at tax time!!)
You can find the full report by Googling, "2024 Fifth Annual Report of the Disability Advisory Committee"

08/14/2025

It's been a while since I posted as things over here have just been wild! Ever since I took May off I have been playing catch up but also this job has gotten a LOT harder. If you are on my wait list and waiting for an intake date, just know - I am working through it every single day.

I think that the CRA has made it harder as of late for adults to be approved for the DTC in order to filter out more people that may be eligible for the new monthly disability benefit. Until this benefit was announced we had a 100% approval rating - since it was announced we have secondary questionnaires going out to doctors on almost every single application, and I have had a handful of denials now (that doesn't mean I am not still working on them, it just means more work and advocacy in the appeals process).

If you have questions - please reach out at any time! I am working on building my team as well so moving forward I hope to be able to serve eve more people in need - which there may be because of all the denials and strict criteria for approval.

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06/17/2025

Can you believe the first official day of summer is this week?? It feels like time is always flying by! I have been pretty quiet in the last bit due to being away and then catching up but here are some updates!

With July on it's way so is the initiation of the new Adult Canada Disability Benefit. If you are already approved for the DTC, keep an eye out for a letter from Service Canada, make sure you can get into your Service Canada account, and apply for this benefit on June 20! This benefit is for lower income individuals and can be up to $200/month.

With this new benefit coming I think the CRA has become even MORE stringent on eligibility criteria and in the past month I have have now had a few denials (my success rate is now 96%). Just because they are denied does not mean my work it over! For these people I will work with them to advocate to their doctors and the CRA until they are approved!! This is one of the benefits of having our services - denial work is included in the base Advocacy Services.

I have also just started working on the waitlist I racked up while being closed for intakes for 2 months - so if you want our Advocacy Supports let us know and we will get you on the list!

annnnddd I wouldn't be a true fan if I didn't say let's go Oilers!!!

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