Eligible Income Calculations
- The Basic Income Level is set each year and is adjusted for inflation. The level for 2024 is $72,760
- Additional expenses (see below) are taken into consideration and the applicant's income is adjusted to reflect them
- If Applicant's actual income (from prior year's Notice of Assessment, line 15000) is over their Adjusted Basic Income, the applicant is expected to contribute 30% of the difference to their debt obligations
Adjustments to the Basic Income Level
- Dependents
- Dependents are elderly parents or children under the age of 18 who are supported by the PDRAP participants
- Payments for child care expenses can be deducted from the lower income in the household (participant's or partner's). The childcare expenses can not be to the parent or guardian of the child
- An allowance of $5,000 is made for each eligible dependent thus increasing the Basic Income Level
- Pre-Law loans
- PDRAP participants who have pre-law loans will have annual payments (monthly payments times 12) added to the Basic Income Level up to $4,000 per year
- Additional deductions i.e. Professional fees
- Bar admission expenses if not covered/reimbursed by employer
- Law Society fees if not covered by employer
- Spouse/Partner's income
- Participants who are married or have common-law partners will be required to submit their partner's income tax information, which will be included in calculating Basic Income Level
- If spouse's income is less, it will not be considered
- If partner/spouse has a higher income than the applicant, partner's eligible loans (i.e. the annual payments on government loans) will be deducted from their income and the two incomes will be averaged
