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Two-Thirds of RDSP Money Goes Unclaimed: How Ottawa's $70,000 Disability Benefit Actually Works

  Published August 19, 2026 Of the 311,000 active Registered Disability Savings Plans opened since the program launched in 2008, Canadians have contributed $3.3 billion — and Ottawa has matched that with $5.1 billion in grants and $2.1 billion in bonds, according to figures reported by BNN Bloomberg on Wednesday. That sounds like a program working as intended. It isn't. The same report cites the latest Statistics Canada tally showing that two-thirds of the government money set aside for the RDSP goes unclaimed every year, largely because eligible Canadians don't know the plan exists. If you or someone in your family is approved for the Disability Tax Credit, this is one of the highest-value accounts the federal government offers — richer, dollar for dollar, than the RRSP, the TFSA, or the RESP. Here's how the math actually works, and what it takes to claim your share. Who qualifies Anyone approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) — via CRA Form T2201, certified by a medi...

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Ottawa Expands Automatic Tax Filing to Simplify Tax Returns


 The federal government is taking significant steps to modernize the tax filing process for Canadians. In a recent fall economic statement, Ottawa announced plans to expand automatic tax filing services, aiming to make it easier for Canadians, especially those with simple tax situations, to file their annual returns.

The initiative, which builds on a national pilot program launched in 2023, will allow the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to automatically file tax returns on behalf of eligible lower-income Canadians starting as early as the 2025 tax year. The program has already shown promising results, with over two million eligible Canadians participating in the pilot and receiving billions in benefits and credits.

The expansion will also explore options to make free online tax software more accessible, ensuring that more Canadians can benefit from simplified tax filing. This move is part of Ottawa's broader efforts to reduce the complexity and cost of tax filing services, making them more user-friendly and efficient.

With these changes, the government hopes to increase tax compliance and ensure that more Canadians receive the benefits and credits they are entitled to. The CRA's SimpleFile service, which allows tax returns to be filed in as little as 10 minutes, will play a crucial role in this initiative.

As Ottawa continues to push for a more streamlined tax filing process, Canadians can look forward to a simpler and more efficient way to manage their taxes in the coming years.




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