OTTAWA, ON – (June 27, 2018) — JDRF Canada welcomes a report released today by the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology entitled: “Breaking Down Barriers, a critical analysis of the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan”. JDRF President and CEO, Dave Prowten and JDRF Government Relations Director, Patrick Tohill appeared before the Committee in February 2018 and made recommendations on how these important programs could be reformed to make life better for Canadians living with Type 1 diabetes.
“We are very appreciative of the Senators who were involved in this study and developed this report,” says Dave Prowten, “JDRF along with Diabetes Canada and members of the type 1 diabetes community have been advocating for long-term changes to the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan. This report shows that real progress has been made in raising awareness about the barriers many Canadians with disabilities have been facing and that improvements to these programs should be made to ensure they’re fair and consistent for people.
Today’s report included a number of recommendations that JDRF has been advocating for, including:
- [Revising the Disability Tax Credit eligibility criteria so that] administrative guidelines which are not clearly specified in the Income Tax Act be reviewed so that they better capture the reality of people living with severe disabilities and are not unnecessarily prohibitive. This includes the requirement that at least 14 hours per week be spent on administering life-sustaining therapies.
- [Necessary measures are taken] to ensure that individuals are able to keep all contributions made to their Registered Disability Savings Plans for periods in which they qualified for the Disability Tax Credit.
“The report includes a number of exciting recommendations on steps the Government of Canada could take to improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities,” adds Dave Prowten. “JDRF Canada can be an important partner with the Government in exploring changes to these essential programs to ensure they are accessible and serve those in need.”
JDRF will continue to follow this issue closely and advocate for all Canadians living with type 1 diabetes.
About JDRF Canada
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of type 1 diabetes from people’s lives until we achieve a world without this disease. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure type 1 diabetes. JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of type 1 diabetes research. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.ca.
Media Contact
Erin Whittaker
National Bilingual Marketing & Communications Specialist
JDRF Canada
T: 647-459-7833
ewhittaker@jdrf.ca
