The Ontario PC government is taking meaningful action to protect the financial security of low-income individuals with disabilities by ensuring they can fully benefit from the new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB).
To safeguard social assistance recipients, the government intends to exempt the CDB as income, allowing individuals to receive up to $200 per month ($2,400 annually) from the federal benefit without seeing any reduction to their provincial social assistance payments. This exemption would apply to recipients of Ontario Works (OW), the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), and the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) program.
This latest move builds on the PC government’s record of strengthening social assistance, including:
- Tying ODSP and ACSD rates to inflation
- Increasing the earnings exemption so that people receiving ODSP can now earn up to $1,000 per month without it affecting their support or eligibility
- Providing additional support through Employment Ontario to help Ontario Works recipients find meaningful employment through job training and counselling
This is all part of your PC government’s broader plan to build a more compassionate, effective, and efficient social assistance system that provides targeted support to those who need it most—empowering individuals and protecting families across the province.