Cerebral Palsy & Disability Tax Benefits

Cerebral Palsy (CP) refers to physical disability in human development. It is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain. It can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth or a few months later. The symptoms are disturbances of sensation, depth perception and other sight-based perceptual problems. Communication and sometimes even cognition difficulties can arise. Secondary effect of CP can be epilepsy.
Spastic CP is the common type of the disorder. Both nervous system and muscular movement impairments are the consequences of spastic CP. There are many types of spastic CP depending on the region affected. But the underlying effect is abnormal muscle actions. Symptoms like involuntary muscle movements, balancing problems etc., and secondary conditions including seizures, speech disorder etc., are characteristic of spastic CP.
 
Persons affected by the disorder are not able to lead a normal life.  They have to be helped out constantly whether it is walking or feeding or speaking or recognizing people. Without the help of another healthy person the patients cannot carry out any activity and that way they are totally dependent on others.   Till recently there was no cure for cerebral palsy. Only symptoms were treated to avoid any complications from developing. However, stem cell research, which is a new research area for treating such dreaded illnesses, has come out with a method for treating cerebral epilepsy. This cure methodology is in the trying-out phase.

The Canadian Government has made disability tax benefits and grants available to such physically challenged persons who cannot work, earn and lead a normal life but nevertheless face and incur the cost of living expenditures. Because you are disabled due to cerebral epilepsy, you are not able to work and earn and therefore there is no need for filing the tax returns, it is not that you cannot receive the tax benefits. With the concerned doctor’s certification your supporting family member can become the claimant and will be entitled to credit on income taxes.  Even there is a provision to retrospectively claim the tax credit for the previous ten years.

The Canadian Disability Corporation has on-line qualification assessment to determine your eligibility and can take care of all documentation to help you in getting the disability tax credits processed and get you the benefits in time. They can also help you to apply to other programs available such as the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).