Walking (Slowed Walking)

Samuel was an active 40-year-old, who played many sports growing up and continued being active into his adulthood.  Samuel noticed that as he aged, his previous and numerous sports injuries were catching up to him.  He stopped playing recreational hockey a few years earlier, then sometime as time passed he needed to limit the types of sports he played and limited them to playing golf only. He would play only if he had access to a golf cart, as he found walking to be painful after 20 minutes or so.  His wife found that without a cart, he would delay their games significantly and encouraged him to use a cart to keep the game at a regular pace.  Samuel also found that when going shopping or on casual walks, he would need to walk at a slower pace, though often would push himself to keep up with others. When he had the option, he would either avoid walking all together, or try to limit walks to no more than 5-10 minutes at a time.  If he had to walk, he would normally need to take a break every 20 minutes or so. Samuel was diagnosed with mild to moderate arthritis, and regularly took over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications.  His doctor reported that due to his previous injuries, his joints showed signs of premature aging and arthritis, though felt that his walking was not restricted enough to qualify for the DTC.

Samuel’s friend, who we had helped with a similar DTC application, based on slowed walking, referred him to our service for a free DTC Assessment.  We explained to Samuel that a person can who is “able” to walk can qualify, that they need only be slowed in walking.  The “inordinate amount of time” definition within the DTC application forms states that a person need only be “three times” slower than an average person.  We assessed that because he needs to take breaks only after 20 minutes or so of walking, and that his walking pace is somewhat slowed, he meets the “inordinate” criteria, and thus qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit.  He explained that he felt his walking began to be slowed to that degree 7 years prior.

From our assessment, Samuel qualified for 7 years, we explained this to him and his doctor, and how the DTC Certificate and follow up DTC form mailed directly to his doctor from Canada Revenue Agency, would need to be completed according to Samuel’s specific case, and helped with submitting these forms to CRA, and his claim was approved, where he received a lump sum of $14,734.  

Sherry, a 58-year-old who has COPD, restricting her breathing such that she walked slower, where she walked about “three times” slower than an average person, needing to take frequent breaks when walking, and only able to walk shorter distances, also qualified with our help.  She received a full ten-year approval and an income tax credit/refund of $17,554.  Because Sherry retired a few years earlier and her annual taxable income was reduced, some years of her DTC approval did not result in her receiving her full DTC benefit, so the “unused portions” where transferred to her husband, resulting in the couple receiving the full benefit that was due.

Common medical conditions that can cause slowed walking and qualify for the DTC:

COPD, Lung/Breathing Disorders, Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Stenosis, Tendonitis, Club Foot, Hip Problems, Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement, Foot Injury, Ankle Injury, Knee Injury, Hip Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, Age Related ailments, Asthma (moderate to severe), Cancer, Fibromyalgia, Heart Attack, Stroke, Ataxia, Balance/Inner Ear Restrictions, Dizziness, Vertigo, affective disorders and psychiatric conditions, cardiovascular diseases, infection and metabolic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, neurologic disorders, sensory abnormalities, medications, and many, many, more.  
Be sure to take our Free Instant Online DTC Assessment to determine whether you may qualify, for which number of years, and the benefit amount available for your specific case, for past and future years.  Remember it absolutely FREE!  CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE DTC ASSESSMENT.

Making Every Canadian Count: How Disability Tax Credits and Benefits Help Average Canadians

Life can be hard enough without having to worry about financial struggles. But for Canadians with certain disabling conditions, life can be even more difficult. They are often ineligible for certain benefits and may believe they have no other options. The good news is that help is available in the form of Disability Tax Credits (DTC) and other disability-related benefits. This case study carousel dives into how these credits and benefits help Canadians with limiting conditions live better lives.

Children’s DTC Claims

Children who are restricted in any of the listed DTC “basic activities of daily living” categories (described in our case studies in this section) can qualify for the DTC as well.  There is not age limit for this program, where young and old can qualify.  The key difference is

Diabetes

People who are diabetic generally fall within two main groups within the DTC qualifying criteria, those who insulin dependant and those who are not.  For diabetics who are Type I diabetic, or insulin-dependant (also know as Juvenile Diabetes), the DTC may be applicable to them based on the “Life

Mild Restrictions (Cumulative Effects of 2 or More Functions)

Many people and their medical practitioners are not aware that patients with mild restrictions may qualify for the DTC.  The DTC qualifying criteria define three different levels of restrictions may each qualify.  The first two are defined under the “Markedly Restricted” definition, as patients who are EITHER “unable” to

Mental Functions

Matthew was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD when he was a child, and is now 32 years-old. He is married, has two children, and is working full-time.  He was on medication when he was younger but found that the medication made him feel very groggy and “not himself”, so he stopped

Dressing Restrictions

Elaine is a 70 year-old with lower back disorder.  She is generally able to walk at a regular pace, yet finds that bending over is particularly difficult for her.  As a result she takes more time to dress. This includes her morning dressing routine, such as putting on her

Food Preparation and/or Feeding

Tara is a 62 year old client, who had been diagnosed with moderate arthritis which primarily effected her shoulders, arms, wrists, hands.  Being that her work and her previous sports activities required repeated upper body effort, her upper body arthritis was most prominent.  She could walk at a regular

Bowel/Bladder (Increased Frequency in the washroom)

Beverley is a 22-year-old who has Crohns Disease.  She was diagnosed with her condition 4 years earlier, though was symptomatic for 6 years prior to her diagnosis.  Prior to her diagnosis and treatment, she was having 10-15 bowel functions a day, with very loose and uncontrolled bowel movements, often

Walking (Slowed Walking)

Samuel was an active 40-year-old, who played many sports growing up and continued being active into his adulthood.  Samuel noticed that as he aged, his previous and numerous sports injuries were catching up to him.  He stopped playing recreational hockey a few years earlier, then sometime as time passed

Speaking (Moderate Speech Impediment)

Frank is a 32-year-old who has a speech impediment. He has a cleft pallet that causes his speech to be difficult to understand by others. He has partaken in speech therapy to help improve his speech articulation; however, others continue to have difficulty in understanding him.  They will miss

Hearing (Moderate Hearing Loss)

Jennifer, is a 53-year-old who is hard of hearing, and had been informed about the Disability Tax Credit.  She had gradual hearing loss over the years, where her condition progressed such that she required hearing aids 11 years prior.  The hearing aids helped, but she continued to be hard

Skip to content