JDRF and Diabetes Canada join together to propose a solution for Canadians with diabetes on the Disability Tax Credit

JDRF and Diabetes Canada join together to propose a solution for Canadians with diabetes on the Disability Tax Credit

TORONTO, Nov. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JDRF Canada and Diabetes Canada sent a joint letter to The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue yesterday outlining their proposed solution to the issue of access to the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) for people with type 1 diabetes.

In the letter, JDRF Canada and Diabetes Canada requested:

1. Recent interpretation of guidelines, the new direction and the language in the clarification letters provided needs to be immediately reversed to pre-May status, and in the interim replaced with a directive using new language to the effect that:
   
   An adult who independently manages insulin therapy on a regular basis and whose claim has been certified by a qualified medical practitioner who has attested to the fact that they meet the 14 hour a week requirement using the eligibility criteria in the Income Tax Act will generally be approved for the DTC unless there are exceptional circumstances that warrant denial.
   
   
2. All people with diabetes who have been denied the DTC since May 1st will have their T2201 forms reviewed under the new directive.
   
3. Eligibility criteria in the Income Tax Act should be clarified to remove the ambiguity around calculating carbohydrates (not currently allowed) which is in the case of diabetes an essential and inseparable function to calculating insulin dosage, which is allowed.
4. Eligibility criteria in the Income Tax Act should be modernized and amended such that the language reflects that doctors can certify that their patient has type 1 diabetes and is following their prescribed regimen, but does not require certification of activities performed by the patient in a non-clinical setting. This modernization should include reconsidering the ongoing relevance of the 14 hour per week requirement.

Further recommendations include:

1. The government should establish an advisory committee comprised of medical professionals, Diabetes Canada, JDRF Canada and patients with type 1 diabetes to provide CRA with advice on policies and practices regarding the interpretation of claims from people with diabetes going forward. Reports and recommendations made by that advisory committee to CRA should be made public. That committee should be established by no later than November 30, 2017.
2. The Disability Advisory Committee, which was dissolved in 2006, should be reinstated with a mandate to act as a liaison between Parliament and the CRA to address systemic problems in the administration of the Disability Tax Credit.

Both JDRF and Diabetes Canada urge the type 1 diabetes community to take action by contacting their MPs to ask them to fight so Canadians with diabetes can access the Disability Tax Credit https://e-activist.com/page/15416/action/1

About JDRF Canada

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. Our goal is to raise funds to support the most advanced international type one diabetes research and progressively remove the impact of this disease from people's lives ? until we achieve a world without type 1 diabetes. 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 jdrf.ca.

About Diabetes Canada

Diabetes Canada is the registered charity that is making the invisible epidemic of diabetes visible and urgent. Diabetes Canada partners with Canadians to End Diabetes through:

• Educational programs and support services;
• Resources for health-care professionals on best practices to care for people with diabetes;
• Advocacy to governments, schools and workplaces; and
• Funding world-leading Canadian research to improve treatments and find a cure.

For more information, visit diabetes.ca or call 1-800-BANTING (226-8464).

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

JDRF Canada media contact:
Chloé Roussel
National Bilingual Communications Specialist
JDRF Canada
Phone: 647.789.2459
[email protected]

Diabetes Canada Media contact:
Sherry Calder
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
Diabetes Canada
Phone: (902) 453-3529
Mobile: (902) 210-1799
[email protected]