CPP Disability - Summary

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefit is available to people who have made enough contributions to the CPP, and whose disability prevents them from working at any job on a regular basis. The disability must be long lasting or likely to result in death. People who qualify for disability benefits from other programs may not qualify for the CPP disability benefit.

You must apply for a disability benefit in writing. There are also benefits available to the children of a person who receives a CPP disability benefit. Please contact us for these applications.

The CPP disability benefit is administered by Social Development Canada (SDC), a federal government department.

It may take as long as three months for you to find out if your application for a disability benefit has been accepted. This time frame is much shorter for terminally ill applicants.

If your application for a CPP disability benefit is not granted, there are three opportunities for you to have your application reviewed or reconsidered.

Once you qualify for and begin receiving a CPP disability benefit, you must contact SDC to keep us informed of certain specific events in your life. Some examples include: if you change your name or your address, or if you earn over $4,100 in 2005.

SDC will occasionally review the health and work status of people receiving a CPP disability benefit, to ensure that they continue to be eligible.

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