I've been talking to Steve back and forth for quite a while now, specifically on this. In this same email, he says there are two issues.
One is the initial application for the DTC, hearing back from the CRA; and the second part is actually receiving the refund. In the small number of cases that he says are still being approved for people—these are repeat cases, people who have received them year after year after year. He's saying that now they're quoting him 25 weeks just to get the refund the CRA has already approved, 25 weeks of withholding an amount of cash, a tax-free loan to the government, that the person is eligible for.
Is that the same thing you're hearing from your members? Are they making a distinction between the two, and are the timelines lengthening both on the application form—you said yes—but then also on the refund component of the DTC?