The government is proposing :

December 31st is the last day to make a new application for the Registered Disability Savings Plan - RDSP - and still be eligible to receive the government Bonds and matching Grants for 2009.  You can sign up at any of the following five major banks:  Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, TD Canada Trust (TD Waterhouse) and the Bank of Nova Scotia. 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was joined today by well-known Canadian personality Rick Hansen on a tour of “Still Creek,” home of the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion.  Representatives of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) attended the event and presented the Prime Minister with a lifetime membership to the organization.

Amendments will enable the incapacity planning provisions of the act, relating to advance directives, enduring powers of attorney and representation agreements, to be brought into force independently of the adult guardianship provisions. This will ensure important changes that strengthen incapacity planning instruments can be brought into force without unnecessary delay.

VICTORIA – September 14, 2009 A new legislation reintroduced today by Attorney General Michael de Jong, QC, will modernize and streamline the making of wills and administering of estates. Bill 4, the Wills, Estates and Succession Act, reduces the number of separate acts that involve estate law from seven to one, making the law in this area easier to use. Among refinements, the legislation provides a simplified procedure for administering smaller estates.

A very comprehensive and well-researched article written by Jamie Golombek, Managing Director, Tax & Estate Planning for CIBC Private Wellth Management, was published on the Registered Disability Savings Plan in the Canadian Tax Journal.  It is available both in Enclish and French at the following locations:
                           Planning with Registered Disability Savings Plans 

TORONTO, Feb. 24 /CNW/ - CIBC (CM: TSX;NYSE) is now offering Registered Disability Savings Plans or 'RDSPs' to eligible clients.

Even if the beneficiary's DTC-eligibility has not been approved by the CRA yet, an RDSP account should be opened, if possible.

Revenue Canada Agency's (CRA) Registered Plans department will maintain the unregistered plan until April 30, 2010 to wait for the confirmation of the beneficiaries DTC-eligibility and only then will send the client a letter informing them of the closure if nothing has been received.

A person can still contribute to the plan, even though eligibility for the DTC may not have been established.

It is important that contributions and application for the matching grants and bonds are made in the year that they are requested for. (Exception is 2008 when the deadline has been extended to March 2, 2009)

The grant and bond portion of the RDSP will be retroactively applied when DTC eligibility has been confirmed.

In the worst case, if DTC-eligibility denied (there is an appeal process available) the account will be closed and the contributions returned to the beneficiary (or - as the plan never got registered - to the holder?).

Example, if a person applies on March 1, 2009 for the 2008 year and does not receive confirmation of their eligibility until 2010, they would still receive grants and bonds (where eligible) for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 years.

If the beneficiary turned 18 in 2008, then you as parents (preferably jointly) should open an RDSP account before March 2, 2009, regardless that the beneficiary qualifies to receive the bond and whether you are or not planning to make any contributions for 2008. The calender year after the year where beneficiary turns 18 (as of December 31) is the last year where parents can register as holders of the RDSP plan without acquiring legal authority for their adult (18 years or over) child. Once you are the holder of the plan - even in the event that your child reached the age of maturity - you can stay on as the holder of the plan.

After the beneficiary reached the age of the maturity, the parents - if they wish to become holders of the RDSP plan - they can be only if they have legal authority to manage the financial affairs of the beneficiary. In many cases - where the beneficiary does not have the mental capacity to sign a Power of Attorney - this means applying for Guardianship.  Is an expensive and lengthy legal process and should be used only as the last resort.

The Honourable Jackson Lafferty in a satement to the Legislative Assembly announced that the NWT Government will fully support the implementation of the Register Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).

Community Services Minister Chris d'Entremont announced earlier today:

TORONTO, February 9, 2009 — Starting February 16, 2009, RBC will offer Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSPs), allowing eligible Canadians to take advantage of 2008 Canada Disability Savings Grants (CDSGs) and Canada Disability Savings Bonds (CDSBs).   There will be no annual administration or withdrawal fees. To get more information and/or to book an appointment with an RBC Advisor please call 1-800-463-3863.

Norma Greenaway, Canwest News Service, Saturday, December 13, 2008

OTTAWA -- Imagine putting $1,500 into a savings account and having the government top that up with $4,500. And imagine that happening every year for several years. Sound too good to be true? Not for Kalman and Julie Fejes. They are parents of an adult daughter, Ildiko, with Down syndrome who is expected to qualify for the maximum in federal grants and bonds for 11 years under a new program being rolled out this month as the latest addition to Canada's social safety net.

The Government of New Brunswick announced today to exempt RDSP.  “RDSPs will allow families to invest in the long-term financial needs of their children with disabilities,” Minister Mary Schryer said. “This will make it easier for families to save for their children who have disabilities, while also ensuring that these savings do not affect their child’s eligibility for disability supports.”

Quebec is the eighth province to state their position (via changes to the Regulations) regarding RDSP and the first one not providing full exemption.  Assets are fully exempted. Incomes up to $300 and $340 per month for individuals and couples, respectively.
See the Regulations ...

Today, the 27 of November, the government of Alberta annouced that they will be fully exempting the RDSP as an asset and income for people receiving provincial financial assistance programs.  Alberta is the six province joining the group of five - BC, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Yukon - who all have come out and fully exempted the RDSP.

On November 21 the Government of Manitoba announced that they will be exempting the RDSP as an asset and income for those receiving Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) from the province. The following quote is from the Throne Speech:

Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) has made thrir most recent informational Bulletin, Canada’s New RDSP, available to you as a PDF download FREE.

According to our latest information, starting in December, four financial institutions will be ready to accept applications for RDSP.  Three of theses, a major bank and two currently RESP providers, will be offering it to the general public, the fourth one - an association - only to its own members. Keep checking back for more details.

Department of Human Resources and Social Development updated its website on issues related to the implementation of RDSP.  Visit the site and cliclk on "Registered Disability Savings Plan"

Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that a re-elected Conservative Government will introduce important financial changes to benefit families that care for family member(s) with disability.

This morning in a news  release  by  the Minister of Social Services for Saskatchewan Donna Harpauer is quoted as saying:

On Thursday, August 21st the Caledon Citizen features an article by MPP Sylvia Jones about her proposed legislation (Bill 94)  have the RDSP exempted as an asset in Ontario. She writes:

"Provinces and territories must amend legislation to ensure benefits are not clawed back."
ANDRE PICARD From Thursday's Globe and Mail, July 31, 2008

Friday night July 18, CTV on the 6 o'clock local (Ottawa) news aired a report on RDSP and Sylvia Jones MPP (Dufferin-Caledon) and Progressive Conservative Community and Social Services Critic private member's Bill 94 (Ontario)  to change the ODSP rules to exempt RDSP assets and income when calculating ODSP benefits.

Yukon is the first territory to do so, joining the provinces of British Columbia and Newfoundland Labrador in allowing to receive the full benefits of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) without claw-back on their provincial social assistance payments.

The following bits of information might be an indication of the Federal Government's readiness to process applications for the Registered Disability Savings Plan.

June 25, 2008 - The Regulations for the Registered Disability Savings Plan were published in the Canada Gazette. [Part II, page 16-24, Bookmark: SOR/DORS2008-186]

On June 12, Ms Sylvia Jones, Ontario MPP (Dufferin –Caledon) introduced a private member's bill in the Ontario legislature that, if passed (it passed 1st reading),  will prevent the provincial Liberals from “clawingback” investments made into a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).

December 31, 2007- The Manitoba the recipients of the Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) will be allowed to receive the full benefits of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) without having their EIA benefits reduced - based on the statement made in the “MANITOBA BUDGET 2007 - Budget Paper E" [see at bookmark:  "Manitobans with Disabilities"]

"The federal government has recently announced plans for a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). Manitoba is supportive of an initiative that encourages asset-building and financial independence for persons with disabilities, and will co-ordinate provincial programming so income assistance participants with disabilities will also receive this benefit. It is similar to measures Manitoba already has in place. For example, Manitoba already allows EIA recipients to set aside these kinds of trust funds to contribute to the quality of life for people with disabilities, without affecting their EIA rates. Manitoba also supports savings for similar programs for the future, such as Individual Development Accounts. The Disabilities Issues Office continues to work with government departments and community partners to implement the commitment made in Full Citizenship."

December 19, 2007, Ottawa - Bill C-28, which included the Registered Disability Savings Plan was given Royal Assent and enacted into law on December 14, 2007.  Read the press release 

On November 21st Minister Flaherty tabled legislation to create the Registered Disability Savings Plan as part of Bill C-28.The provisions of the Canada Disability Savings Act come into force on a day or days to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.  
Text of the first reading version can be viewed