The Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) benefit is a monthly payment available to those who have contributed to the Canada Pension Plan while working, but due to a disability, became unable to work at any job on a regular basis.

The purpose of this benefit is to replace a portion of employment income. It is approved on the basis of how severe your disability or medical treatment is and how that affects your ability to work on a regular basis. Benefits may also be available to dependent children.

For more information on CPPD, click here.

To qualify for the CPPD benefit, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be under the age of 65
• You stopped working because of a medical condition
• Suffer a severe and prolonged disability
  • Severe:  a mental or physical disability that prevents you from doing gainful work
  • Prolonged: the duration of the disability is indefinite or likely to result in death
• Meet the contribution requirements:
  • 4 of the last 6 years, OR
  • 3 of the last 6 years if you have contributed for at least 25 years

Since there is no common definition of disability in Canada, it may be helpful if you submit supporting documents when you apply. If you do not meet the contribution requirements, you may be able consult with a professional to find a way to increase your contributions.

For more information concerning CPPD, click here.

CPPD benefits are not approved just based on your medical condition. Several factors are looked at together, including:

• The nature and how severe your medical condition is
• How your medical condition and treatment affect your ability to work
• The prognosis (future outlook for your medical condition)
• Personal information such as age, education and work history
• Your work performance, productivity and how much you are earning

For more information, click here.

Qualified CPPD recipients will receive a basic fixed monthly amount of $583.32 (2024), plus an additional amount based on your CPP contribution history. The maximum monthly benefit amount is $1,606.78 (2024).

If you are receiving CPPD benefits, your dependent children may also be eligible for a children's benefit which is a flat monthly rate of $294.12 (2024).

For more information about children's benefits, click here.

After an applicant has been approved for CPPD, their benefits will start 4 months after they are deemed disabled. The first payment is usually a retroactive lump sum and a monthly benefit payment cheque. The lump-sum is monthly benefit that you should have received after you were determined disabled under the CPP rules. Service Canada may give you up to a maximum of 12 months of retroactive payments from the date they received your application.

Note: If you're receiving Persons with Disability or other disability programs, you may need to report the lump sum and your monthly CPPD benefits to the provincial Ministry. Please connect with your provincial disability office to find out how to report your CPPD benefits.

For more information, click here.

CPPD benefits are taxable income. If you wish to have tax withheld from your CPPD benefit, you may request Service Canada to voluntarily deduct income tax from your cheque.

For more information, click here.

Canada has international Social Security Agreements with over 50 countries. For an individual who has worked in another country that has a social security agreement with Canada, pension contributions in that country may be used to meet contribution requirement in Canada.

You may still qualify for CPPD benefits if you meet one or more of the following conditions:

You can apply for Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits under the Late Application Provision if you can proof you were disabled when you last met the contributory requirements. If you recently became disabled and your last contributions were years ago, you still can apply if you can eliminate years from your contributory period through the Child Rearing Provision or Credit Split.

For more information on these provisions, click here.

Your CPPD benefits may stop if one of the following situations occurs:

• You are able to work on a regular basis
• You are no longer disabled
• You turn 65
• You pass away (it is important that someone notifies Service Canada about your death to avoid over payment)
• Your medical condition is reassessed and Service Canada has decided to stop disability benefits

Note: When a CPPD benefit is cancelled, any related children's benefits are also cancelled.

For more information, click here.

If you are receiving CPPD, when you turn 65, your disability benefit will automatically change to a retirement pension. It is likely that your retirement pension will be less than your disability benefit; however, you may also apply for benefits under the Old Age Security program if deemed eligible.

For more information, click here.

Both the PWD and Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) are disability benefits, but they are very different in terms of who is eligible for each one, and what additional benefits are included. One of the main differences is that in order to be eligible to receive CPPD, you must have made Canada Pension Plan contributions during your working life. Also, with CPPD, the disability relates to your ability to work. With PWD, the disability is not work related but is assessed in terms of your ability to complete daily living tasks such as grooming, cooking etc.

See our comparison chart below for more information.

If you are getting disability income from other sources, such as a private insurer or a provincial social assistance program, you may still be eligible to receive the CPPD benefits. However, these other sources may be affected if you are approved for CPPD benefits. Contact your insurance company or social assistance program for details relating to your particular case.

As of 2022, you can earn up to $6,800 a year (before taxes) without informing Service Canada and losing your benefits. If you earn more than $6,800 you must contact Canada Pension Plan for them to decide whether your benefits should be continued or not.

For more information, click here.

You can do any of the following without it affecting your CPPD benefit:

• Do volunteer work
• Go back to school to upgrade or complete a degree
• Take a re-training program

Note: You may want to inform Service Canada if you decide to do one of the above so that it doesn't affect your benefits in the future.

For applicants looking to return to work, Service Canada may be able to help with this through the CPP Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program while you are continuing to receive CPPD benefits. You can participate in the Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program if:

• You are receiving a CPPD
• You are able to participate in the program
• You are motivated
• You are likely to return to work through the assistance of this program
• Your medical condition is stable

For more information, click here.

If you cannot continue working because of the same or a related disability, you can ask to have your benefits automatically restarted without having to go through the normal application process again and if all of the following conditions apply to your situation:

• You returned to work less than 2 years ago
• You cannot continue working because the same or related disability has recurred
• You are under the age of 65
• You are not receiving the CPP retirement pension.

Once your CPPD benefits have been reinstated, the children's benefits will also be reinstated.

For more details, click here.

Credit Splitting occurs when an applicant claims part of his/her ex-partner's CPP contributions, for the period while they were living together. The ex-partner's contributions may help you meet the CPPD contribution requirements.

A statement of contributions shows your total Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions and earnings per year. It also provides an estimate of what your pension or benefit would be if you and/or your family were eligible to receive benefits.

For more information, click here.

A Post Retirement Disability Benefit is available to someone who is between 60-64 years of age and has been collecting CPP for more than 15 months, making them ineligible for a disability benefit. Applicants may receive the post-retirement disability benefits in addition to their Canada Pension Plan payments if they have made enough contributions.

To apply for the post retirement disability benefit, you must simply apply for Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD). If the applicant is not eligible for CPPD, they will automatically be considered for the post-retirement disability benefit.

The Post-Retirement Disability Benefit is the flat rate component of the disability pension which is $583.32 (2024).

For more information on Post Retirement Disability benefit, click here.

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor's pension is a monthly payment paid to the legal spouse or common-law partner of the deceased contributor.

To qualify for the survivor’s pension, you must:

• be legally married to a deceased CPP contributor
• be the common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor

A Surviving Child's benefit may also be available to the child of a deceased CPP contributor. The deceased must have made sufficient contributions to the CPP in order to be eligible.

For more information on CPP Survivor's Pension, click here.

For more information on CPP Surviving Child's benefit, click here.

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) death benefit is a one-time payment, payable to the estate or other eligible individuals on behalf of a deceased CPP contributor.

To apply for the CPPD benefits, you must complete the application form and medical report. Once the application is completed in full, mail it to the nearest Service Canada location.

For more information about how to apply for CPPD, click here.

If you have a terminal illness, complete the Terminal Illness Application when applying for the CPPD benefits. Your doctor or a nurse practitioner must also complete the Terminal Illness Medical Attestation form. A decision on your disability application will usually be made within 5 business days of receiving the completed application forms.

For more information on the CPPD Terminal Illness Application, click here.

Service Canada will assist with covering some associated costs of completing the Medical Report by paying up to a certain amount to your doctor. Your doctor must mail the application invoice to Service Canada but you will be responsible to cover the extra costs associated with completing the forms.

Service Canada will pay the doctor up to:

• $85 for the initial medical report
• $25 for the reassessment medical report

Fees are set in consultation with the Canadian Medical Association and are subject to change. For more information, click here.

After Service Canada receives your application, it takes approximately four months to receive a decision. Even if you have a disability designation under other government or private programs, it does not automatically mean that you will qualify for CPPD benefits.

The medical reviewer (adjudicator) will look at your application and the supporting documents you provide to decide if your disability meets the requirements of being both "severe and prolonged". When they are processing your application, they will call you to let you know about the process and ask for more information if needed.

If it has been more than 4 months since you applied for CPPD, you can contact Service Canada to follow up on the status.

If you have denied CPPD benefits, you can request a reconsideration of the decision.

What is a reconsideration?

A reconsideration is a review of the initial decision made on your CPPD application by Service Canada staff who were not initially involved with your application. The staff may request to see more medical information when reviewing the decision or ask you to see another doctor. Service Canada will pay for your travel and visit to the new doctor should this occur.

How do I request a reconsideration?

Your request for reconsideration must be made in writing within 90 days of receiving a decision on your CPPD application. To request the reconsideration, you may either complete the Request for Reconsideration form or write a letter to Service Canada with the following information included:

• Your personal information: name, address, telephone number and Social Insurance Number
• A detailed explanation of why you want a reconsideration
• Any new information that could affect the decision

You must sign and date your written request and submit it by mail to the return address on the decision letter.

For more information, click here.