The federal government's Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) has been gradually expanding eligibility for subsidized dental care to low- and middle-income Canadian residents who don't have private insurance. On June 27, people with disabilities were told they could apply.

But advocates say only a fraction of people with disabilities will be covered.

A recent parliamentary budget officer report said up to 1.4 million severely disabled Canadians could be eligible for the proposed Canada Disability Benefit — a statistic advocates say indicates how many people with disabilities ought to have access to the CDCP.

The problem, advocates say, is that Ottawa is using its disability tax credit to decide whether someone qualifies for programs like the CDCP or the Canada Disability Benefit.

"The disability tax credit is increasingly becoming a gateway to social programs and it was never designed to be that," said Michelle Hewitt, board chair for the advocacy organization Disability Without Poverty.