AdvocateCANDTC - YEG Disability Tax Credit - DTC Advocacy Services

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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06/12/2025

Ridiculous -

This will also backlog applications for everyone else!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BoGAn3wPX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/06/2025

another ridiculous thing from Alberta’s UCP

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CT1nK4Uww/?mibextid=wwXIfr

MEDIA RELEASE: For immediate release – May 6, 2025

The Government of Alberta’s decision to claw back the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) – a federal benefit intended to help lift Canadians with disabilities out of poverty – from AISH recipients is punitive, mean-spirited and undermines the benefit’s fundamental purpose. Now, to add insult to injury, they have informed AISH recipients they must apply for the benefit, which requires going through a time-consuming and complex eligibility process that requires applying for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) which often can cost as much as $300, so that, should they be eligible, the government can reduce their AISH by the corresponding amount. This is an unconscionable decision to take money meant to improve the lives of people with disabilities and redirect it to government coffers.

“At the same time as this government is cutting income taxes, it is effectively adding close to 10% tax on disability by clawing back up to $200/month of what would be the combined amount of AISH and CDB,” says Inclusion Alberta CEO Trish Bowman. “What moral justification could there possibly be for leaving Albertans with disabilities to live off less than MLAs receive for their taxpayer-funded housing allowance? To suggest the amount of AISH alone is adequate shows just how out of touch this government has become with the realities of people with disabilities and their families.”

“The Government of Alberta could have helped reduce the poverty and struggles experienced by many people with disabilities without spending anything, by simply staying out of the way and allowing adults on AISH to access the CDB,” said Ashton Kennedy, an Inclusion Alberta board member who receives AISH. “This may not seem like a lot of money to some, but it would have made a big difference for me. Instead, the government cruelly made the decision to take it away and on top of that, force people to find money they already don’t have to complete the application process.”

Inclusion Alberta calls on the Government of Alberta to reverse their decision to claw back the Canada Disability Benefit, allowing the benefit to do what it is intended to do; reduce poverty for people with disabilities. In line with other federal benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, the CDB should be considered exempt income. The government should never seek to address its budget challenges at the expense of those already disadvantaged and living in poverty. Surely, this is not the Alberta that we have become.

https://inclusionalberta.org/connections/media-release-government-of-alberta-requires-people-with-disabilities-on-aish-to-apply-for-federal-benefit-and-will-reduce-aish-for-those-who-receive-it/

04/18/2025

Here is your public service announcement - it is your right and privilege to vote in all elections. It is more important than ever to exercise this right! Early voting starts this weekend! Curious about where each party stands in terms of the DTC and other supports for those with disabilities? Here is some information I have complied for you!

Conservative: Their platform lacks specific commitments regarding disability support. In the past, they did not support the expedited passage of Bill C-35, which aimed to establish the Canada Disability Benefit, leading to a delay in its implementation.

Liberal: While in power, they passed the legislation that will start the Canada Disability payments to everyone with DTC approval this coming July. They supported the Accessible Canada Act, and have a Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which is comprehensive strategy aiming to reduce poverty and improve inclusion for Canadians with Disabilities. They have also invested in programs that increase employability of people with disabilities.

NDP: they are strong advocates for disability support, they have also proposed legislation to streamline access to the DTC by allowing automatic qualification for individuals already receiving provincial disability benefits. (This makes sense to me - if someone in Alberta is approved for AISH - they they should automatically be approved for the DTC). They would like to increase the amount of the Canada Disability benefit (double it!), expand eligibility for disability benefits, and strengthen the Accessible Canada Act.

Green: Their platform includes ideas to reform the entire DTC process, enhancing the Canada Disability Benefit, putting employment protections in place, and investing in affordable, accessible housing.

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03/26/2025

Good morning! An interesting change to CRA process/determination appears to be happening this week in approvals seen - with 3/5 of my last clients approved the CRA have only approved from the current year forward. This is the case with clients who are being psychologically assessed as of now, and even with the psychologist indicating that impairments have started prior to this year - without "proof" in the form for medical records - it appears they are only approving the minimum years they can. So for those of you who are just reading my posts and wondering - could I be approved? The answer is still yes (I am still at a 100% approval rate with almost 40 clients served!) - I can help you do that - BUT it will always be easier for those who have seen their doctors over the years and expressed their struggles, and there is documentation of that. Moral of today's story - if you are even thinking of starting this process - make a doctor's appointment today and go to them and express all the ways you are impacted in your everyday life to them as soon as possible.

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03/19/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bfa1jdCJ5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Alberta plans to cut funding for the province’s disability program by $49 million, but says income for program recipients will be unaffected.In Budget 2025 announced on Feb. 27 the province called it a “tough but realistic” budget with a projected $5.2 billion deficit for the future year. The ...