Will the CDB Affect Other Benefits?

There is concern that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) may prompt clawbacks of other benefits. A clawback happens when a person’s income assistance benefit is reduced because they have income from somewhere else, and can mean that the person is no better off even though they are receiving an additional benefit, such as the CDB.

The CDB will not reduce the amount you receive from other federal income benefits, including the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Workers Benefit, and the GST/HST Credit.

However, to stop the CDB from clawing back provincial and territorial social assistance, each province or territory must list it as exempt income. If no action is taken, the CDB will automatically result in clawbacks.

Each province or territory will establish its own policy regarding whether the CDB will clawback other social assistance programs.

The following provinces and territories have announced that there will be no clawbacks:

• British Columbia: Persons with Disabilities (PWD)

• Manitoba: Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities

• New Brunswick: All services under social assistance / Family Supports for Children with Disabilities Program / Disability Support Program / Long Term Care Program

• Newfoundland and Labrador: Newfoundland and Labrador income supplement / Newfoundland and Labrador disability amount / Newfoundland and Labrador disability benefit

• Nova Scotia: Income Assistance

• Nunavut: Income Assistance

• Ontario: Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) / Ontario Works / Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD)

• Prince Edward Island: Assured Income and other social assistance

• Quebec: Basic Income Program / Social Solidarity Program

• Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID)

• Yukon: Social assistance, including the Yukon Supplementary Allowance

The following province is clawing back the CDB:

Alberta is currently the only province/territory that has announced that it will be clawing back the CDB. Clawbacks will be made to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program. This means that if you receive AISH, your monthly AISH benefit will decrease by the amount of the CDB that you receive.

The Alberta government has stated that they will require AISH recipients to apply for the Canada Disability Benefit. All people currently receiving AISH must notify their local AISH office of the status of their CDB application by September 5, 2025. Learn more about CDB and AISH on the next page.

The following province has not yet made an announcement:

The Northwest Territories is the only province/territory that has not made an announcement about the CDB yet.