Updated October 2026
This page complements our Funding Changes guide. That page helps you find your family's situation; this one shows you what's happening to every family at once. Use the tabs to navigate.
Who gains, who loses, and what we don't know
What the 2026 funding changes mean for real family situations, worked through with the Ministry's own examples and rates.
The changes, in plain language
Autism Funding ends March 31, 2027. Two new programs replace it: a needs-based Disability Benefit ($6,500 or $17,000 a year) and an income-tested Disability Supplement (up to $6,000 a year, which requires the federal Disability Tax Credit). Whether a family gains or loses depends on the child's diagnosis, assessed need and age, the family's income, and whether the child has the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
What continues
- Health care, nursing supports, and At Home Program (AHP) Medical Equipment and Supplies benefits "remain unchanged," according to the Ministry.
- Direct Funded Respite and Agency Coordinated Respite continue for eligible families.
What ends on March 31, 2027
- Autism Funding: up to $22,000 a year for children under 6, and up to $6,000 a year for ages 6 to 18.
- School-Aged Extended Therapies (SAET): for children in the At Home Program from age 5 or school entry. Up to $5,760 a year each for occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech-language pathology, plus up to $1,920 for chiropractic or massage: a combined maximum of $19,200 a year, with exceptions for post-surgical rehabilitation.
Chiropractic and massage therapy are not on the Disability Benefit's list of eligible expenses. The Ministry may approve other services from regulated health professionals at its discretion.
Children moving from Autism Funding who qualify for the Disability Benefit start receiving it on April 1, 2027; At Home Program families may move over earlier. The first Supplement payment is in July 2027. Families whose child doesn't qualify for the Benefit, and who will rely on the Supplement, receive no Benefit or Supplement payments in April, May and June 2027. The Ministry has also warned that forms submitted after December 2026 "could result in a gap before Disability Benefit funding begins." No bridge funding has been announced. The guide says current benefits "will remain in place until you are successfully transitioned," but the Ministry's FAQ says families who don't submit their forms will be reviewed after Autism Funding ends.
Who loses: the Autism funding cliff
Four families who receive less in the first year of the new system, plus a side-by-side comparison. Most of the loss falls on children under 6 and on Autistic children who aren't on the automatic list. In these examples, the yearly loss ranges from $200 to $22,000.
Three of these families are the Ministry's own examples (personas) from its Guide for Current Service Recipients. Ava and Theo are our examples, worked out with the Ministry's published rates. Where the guide gives no age, we show the child at an age that illustrates the change.
Ava, age 2 Loss
Our example
Recently diagnosed Autistic (Level 1) at age 2. Struggles with emotional regulation, moving between activities, and sensory overload. Adjusted family net income $150,000. Her family does not have the Disability Tax Credit for her.
Ava isn't on the automatic (direct admit) list, so she would have to qualify through the needs-based review, which has no published threshold. Without the DTC, her Supplement is $0. Autism with an intellectual disability qualifies automatically, but a child of 2 is more often given a finding of global developmental delay than an intellectual disability diagnosis. Global developmental delay isn't on the automatic list, though the Ministry's eligibility table counts it as a sign of significant need. None of the Ministry's examples covers a child like Ava.
Sam, age 4 Loss
Ministry Persona 2
"Sam has Autism (Level 2) with intellectual disability, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." He struggles with social interaction and day-to-day self-care, including reliable toileting. He lives with his mom, whose adjusted family net income is $50,000. She already receives the DTC for Sam.
Sam qualifies automatically (Autism with an intellectual disability) and, like every eligible family, starts at the base level. The guide shows his support over his childhood rising from $144,000 to about $194,000, assuming a diagnosis at age 3. That total hides the drop in any year Sam is under 6 when the change takes effect.
Ollie, age 8 Loss
Ministry Persona 4
"Ollie has Autism. He is highly verbal and does not have an intellectual disability. He struggles significantly in social interactions and requires intensive social skill development. He also has ADHD and requires modifications at home, school, and in all environments to ensure he remains self-regulated." Diagnosed at age 6, which the guide calls the "most common age of diagnosis in BC." Adjusted family net income $120,000. His parents receive the DTC for him.
The guide says "Ollie does not qualify for the Disability Benefit." It puts his support over his childhood at $78,000 under Autism Funding and about $42,000 under the new system (ages 6 to 18), a difference of $36,000.
Autism Funding would pay $22,000 a year until he turned 6. Under the new system he would receive the $3,200 Supplement (if his family had the DTC by then): −$18,800 a year. The guide's example starts at age 6, after the under-6 rate has already ended.
Elliot, age 5 Loss
Ministry Persona 5
Elliot is a 5-year-old with Autism and a significant intellectual disability. He is non-speaking and needs intensive, ongoing support across daily living, learning and communication. Adjusted family net income $95,000.
The guide places Elliot at the higher Benefit level "based on the needs-based review process" and shows his support over his childhood rising from about $162,000 to about $292,000. If Elliot is still 5 when the change takes effect, his family receives $10,800 less that year. Under the new system, the Benefit and Supplement together top out at $23,000 a year per child ($17,000 plus $6,000), however many supports the child needs.
The Autism Funding portion disappears
Autism Funding was a separate stream for Autistic children. Families who received both Autism Funding and SAET lose more than families who received SAET alone. Two children with the same Benefit level and the same family income show the difference.
Hailey
Ministry Persona 3. No Autism diagnosis in the guide; no Autism Funding.
Born medically fragile, with a rare genetic condition and a significant intellectual disability. At Home Program. Adjusted family net income $150,000.
Theo, age 8
Our example. Autistic.
Profound Autism and a severe intellectual disability. At Home Program. Adjusted family net income $150,000.
The $6,000 difference between Hailey's and Theo's loss is exactly Theo's Autism Funding, which no longer exists as a separate stream.
Who gains, and what the gains depend on
Three of the Ministry's examples show gains. The size of two of them depends on the family having the Disability Tax Credit, and the third depends on which SAET figure you start from.
Sam, age 8 Gain
Ministry Persona 2, now school-age
The same Sam as above, with the same diagnoses, the same $50,000 family income, and the DTC.
A real gain for school-age children like Sam. It depends on the DTC: the guide says Sam's mom "already receives the federal DTC." Without it, Sam's family would receive $6,500, a gain of $500.
Chloe First-time funding
Ministry Persona 1
"Chloe has Down syndrome. She has an intellectual disability and various physical challenges associated with her genetic condition including spinal deformity which requires bracing, physical therapy, and extensive adaptations." Adjusted family net income $110,000.
Down syndrome qualifies automatically. The guide puts Chloe's support at nearly $190,000 over her childhood, where before she received no direct funding. This is the new system's clearest step toward fairness.
It also depends on the DTC. In the guide, Chloe's nurse practitioner completes the application. Families without a primary care provider may find that step harder. Without the DTC, Chloe's family receives $6,500.
Hailey Gain, by the guide's figures
Ministry Persona 3
Hailey was born medically fragile and depends on support for all aspects of daily living. "As part of her rare genetic condition, she also experiences significant intellectual disability." At Home Program. Adjusted family net income $150,000. Her parents receive the DTC.
The guide shows Hailey's support over her childhood rising from $218,000 to nearly $360,000, plus medical supplies. But SAET's maximum is $19,200 ($5,760 each for the three therapies, plus $1,920 for chiropractic or massage). Measured from the maximum, Hailey's family goes from $19,200 to $19,000, a loss of $200 a year.
Who qualifies automatically
The guide lists children who "automatically qualify include, but are not limited to, those with":
- moderate to profound intellectual disability
- medically and neurodevelopmentally complex children with genetically tested or clinically defined syndromic disorders associated with highest needs, including Down syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and others
- concurrent FASD and intellectual disability
- Autism with the most significant and pervasive needs: profound Autism, DSM-5 Level 3, Autism with an intellectual disability (any level), At Home Program eligibility, or Autism with bipolar affective disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, or catatonia
- severe self-injurious behaviour assessed and treated through BC Children's Hospital neuropsychiatry and/or the SIB Clinic at the Pacific Autism Family Network
- degenerative conditions with predictable decline, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and SMA types 1 and 2
- palliative conditions (life expectancy of six months or less)
- gross motor function similar to cerebral palsy at GMFCS levels 3 to 5
- children participating in, or eligible for, the At Home Program
Same child, different family income
The Supplement is income-tested. For one child, it is $6,000 a year at $50,000 adjusted family net income and $800 at $180,000: a $5,200 difference at either Benefit level.
Two things set what a family receives. Assessed need sets the Benefit: "All eligible families will begin at the base benefit level ($6,500 per year)," and a support planning process decides who moves to $17,000. The Ministry has not published how that decision is made. Family income sets the Supplement, which drops by 4% of income above $50,000 and reaches zero at about $200,000 for one child.
At the base level: Chloe (Persona 1)
$50,000 family income
$180,000 family income
Same child, same Benefit level. The higher-income family receives $5,200 less, or 42% less in total. The guide places Chloe's family at $110,000, where the total is $10,100.
At the higher level: Hailey (Persona 3)
$50,000 family income
$180,000 family income
The guide places Hailey's family at $150,000, where the total is $19,000. Compared with SAET at its $19,200 maximum, her family gains $3,800 a year at $50,000, loses $200 at $150,000, and loses $1,400 at $180,000. The income test applies whatever the child's diagnosis.
The child must have the federal Disability Tax Credit; without it, the Supplement is $0. The full $6,000 goes only to families with adjusted family net income of $50,000 or less. A child who has no DTC and doesn't qualify for the Benefit receives no Benefit or Supplement payments at all.
What we still don't know
Three open questions families need answered before April 2027: how the higher Benefit level is decided, what level of need qualifies, and whether community services will be there in time.
1. What separates a $6,500 child from a $17,000 child?
The guide says "All eligible families will begin at the base benefit level ($6,500 per year)," and that a support planning process will decide who qualifies for the higher level. The Ministry has not published the criteria, weights or thresholds for that decision.
2. Why are families submitting documents before the thresholds are public?
The guide promises that "Disability Benefit level determinations will be made using consistent, province-wide criteria, developed in partnership with child development professionals and shared transparently with families and service providers." The Ministry's eligibility table (last updated August 14, 2026) lists the areas of need it looks at, with examples of significant need and of documents families may already have, and says one area can be enough on its own. It sets no numeric threshold or scoring method, and says nothing about how the higher level is decided. Families are already being asked to submit documentation.
3. Will community services be ready, including in rural BC?
$80 million of the $475 million is for expanded community services over three years. The Ministry's timeline:
- Spring 2026: continued expansion of existing early intervention therapies (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy and behaviour support)
- Summer 2027: continued expansion of behaviour and mental health supports
- Winter 2027: expanded navigation and family support
- Spring 2028: expanded programming for children and teens
Autism Funding ends March 31, 2027, a year before expanded programming for children and teens arrives. In rural and remote BC, community services may not exist locally even after the rollout. For many families there, direct funding has been the only way to reach therapy.
The Supplement's conditions
- The DTC is required. It is based on functional impairment, not diagnosis. Some Autistic children without an intellectual disability qualify, but not all.
- It is income-tested. The full $6,000 goes to families with adjusted family net income of $50,000 or less, and it reaches zero at about $200,000 for one child.
- The DTC may need renewing. The Canada Revenue Agency says "some approved DTC applications expire after a certain number of years and you will have to re-apply." A child who qualifies for the Supplement could lose it later if the DTC lapses.
Sources
- Province of BC news release, "Supporting children, youth with disabilities with new programs, more funding," February 10, 2026: $475 million in new money and $289 million in existing funding redirected.
- MCFD, Eligibility for Autism Programs policy: Autism Funding up to $22,000 a year under age 6 and up to $6,000 a year for ages 6 through 18.
- Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Children and Youth with Support Needs: Guide for Current Service Recipients, version 2, March 2026: current benefits continue until transition (p.3); what continues (p.7); direct admit list (pp.9 to 10); base level and support planning (p.12); Supplement rates (p.21); Personas 1 to 5 (pp.26 to 30); community services timeline (p.33).
- MCFD, Disability Benefit description and Invoicing Pathway Operational Policy (August 2026): eligible expenses.
- Province of BC, Commonly Asked Questions, September 22, 2026: Benefit starts April 1, 2027 for Autism Funding families; At Home Program transition; forms submitted after December 2026; $289 million in redirected and adjusted funding.
- Province of BC, BC Children and Youth Disability Supplement, last updated August 17, 2026: first payments July 2027.
- Province of BC, BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit: Determining Eligibility, last updated August 14, 2026.
- Province of BC, At Home Program Guide, October 2025: all children eligible for AHP Medical Benefits can request SAET (p.9); ages (p.24); maximums of $5,760 per therapy and $1,920 for chiropractic or massage per twelve-month period (pp.25 to 26).
- Province of BC, Budget 2026, pp.82 to 83: Supplement reduction rate.
- Canada Revenue Agency, Disability Tax Credit: review and decision.
Ava and Theo are our own examples. All other personas are the Ministry's, from the guide above. Amounts are yearly and before any change to rates.