Summary of the Evaluation of the Canada Disability Savings Program

Alternate formats

About the Program

Based on recommendations from an expert panel in 2006, the Government of Canada introduced the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) in 2008 to help families save for the long-term financial security of persons with disabilities. The Canada Disability Savings Program (CDSP) complements the RDSP by offering financial incentives through the Canada Disability Savings Grant (CDSG) and the Canada Disability Savings Bond (CDSB). The CDSP is jointly managed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) which is also responsible for administering the Disability Tax Credit. Legislative authority for the RDSP is the Income Tax Act for which the Department of Finance has responsibility.

Key findings

• ESDC collaborated with partners to improve awareness of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) among persons with disabilities
• Mass mail-outs from the Government of Canada were effective in encouraging beneficiaries and plan holders to open an RDSP
• Community-based organizations also played an important role in encouraging and supporting applications
• Finding knowledgeable financial institutions that offer the RDSP remains a challenge, creating delays in opening some RDSPs. However, it is becoming easier than in previous years
• The complexity of the application process and the effort required were also common barriers for potential beneficiaries and plan holders to opening an account
• The CDSG and the CDSB play a role in encouraging plan holders to open an account and to contribute savings
• The extent to which plan holders choose to save outside an RDSP is unclear. For those who did, it was often due to a perception that other plans were better suited to the realities of persons with disabilities
• Plan holders, beneficiaries, and stakeholders felt that certain aspects of the RDSP were not well adapted to the specific needs and circumstances of persons with disabilities
• Key challenges were related to penalties for early withdrawals, and certain age limits associated with the eligibility for the grants and bonds.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Program continue to work with, and support partners and stakeholders, particularly community-based organizations, to improve their capacity to promote the RDSP and the grants and bonds, broaden outreach and communication efforts, and provide more one-on-one support as required by certain individuals to open and maintain an RDSP.