News release

Child Disability Benefit comes into effect July 2003

Ottawa, July 17, 2003... The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) announced today the implementation of the new Child Disability Benefit (CDB) for children who have a severe and prolonged impairment. The first payment of the CDB supplement will be issued with the March 2004 Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) payment and will include a retroactive amount from July 2003 to March 2004 inclusively.

The CDB is a tax-free supplement, for eligible recipients, to the CCTB and the Children’s Special Allowance. It helps families with the cost of caring for children under the age of 18 who have a severe and prolonged mental or physical impairment. The CDB will provide up to $133.33 a month in financial assistance for each eligible child.

The CCRA will automatically calculate and include the CDB in the CCTB payment in March 2004 for families who have already submitted Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate. They will not have to complete any other forms.

If you receive the CCTB for a child with a severe and prolonged mental or physical impairment but have not submitted Form T2201 on behalf of that child, please complete the form, get it signed by a qualified person, and send it to your local tax centre.

To find out if your child is eligible for the CDB, please see the eligibility conditions outlined on Form T2201. Families with an eligible child who have not submitted Form T2201 are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to prevent delay when payment of the supplement becomes effective.

To get a copy of Form T2201 and for more information about the CDB supplement, the conditions for eligibility, and how to apply, visit the CCRA’s Web site at www.ccra.gc.ca/benefits, or call the CCTB enquiries line at 1-800-387-1193.

A fact sheet with more information is available at www.ccra.gc.ca on the CCRA Web site.

This document is also available for download in .pdf format.

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