DownloadThe Canada Pension Plan (CPP) has a financial assistance program called Disability Benefit. The benefit is a monthly payment to people with a disability who are unable to work. People receive it until they can return to work on a regular basis. It is available for people who have paid CPP while they were employed. To find out if you have made CPP payments, visit www.ServiceCanada.gc.ca/cpp.
To receive CPP Disability Benefit, you must have a disability. In many cases, spinal cord injury is considered a disability. To qualify, your disability must be both severe and prolonged. A prolonged disability is when it is likely to be long term or indefinite. A severe disability prevents you from working at any job on a regular basis.
- Have a disability
- Be under 65 years of age
- Stopped working because of a medical condition
- Paid into CPP during one of these two time frames:
- During at least 4 of the last 6 years.
- During at least 3 of the last 6 years (if you paid into CPP for 25 years).
Your social worker or community support worker can help you with an application. Download an application from www.ServiceCanada.gc.ca/cpp.
Approval may take up to six months. Service Canada will send you a letter within 4 months to let you know your forms have been received. If you are not approved during the first round, you can ask for a review of your application. Visit their website to learn more about this process.