Disability Pensions

Disability pensions are awarded under the Pension Act.

Canadians may be eligible for disability pension benefits if they have a permanent disability resulting from an injury or disease that was attributable to, incurred during, or aggravated by service during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War or a Special Duty Area (SDA).

Canadians may also be eligible for a disability pension if they have a permanent disability that arose out of, was aggravated by, or is directly connected with peacetime Regular or Reserve Force service in the Canadian Forces.

As a provider or professional, you may have been asked to:

• represent a client by preparing their claim or
• provide medical evidence in support of a client's claim.

Once complete, a VAC disability pension application (pen923e.pdf) is submitted to a VAC District Office.

Once a client's application is submitted, a VAC Pension Adjudicator will:

• Review the pension application and accompanying documentation;
• Rule on the client's eligibility for pension entitlement and the assessment of disability;
• Mail the client the decision.

Pension Entitlement is

• Based on the relationship between service and disability;
• Awarded in fifths: from one-fifth (1/5), if service played only a minimal part in the cause or worsening of the disability, to five fifths (5/5) if the disability was incurred during, or was caused in its entirety by military service;
• Entitlement may also be awarded for a disability which is a consequence of a pensioned service-related disability.
• Guided by Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines, policy statements used in determining the relationship of a client's medical condition or disability to military service.

Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines

Thirty five Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines will be implemented on May 1, 2002 addressing approximately 50 commonly claimed medical disabilities. The Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines are now available for viewing.

The Guidelines provide information on diagnostic standards, clinical features, causation and aggravation factors and other pension considerations for certain medical conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions: Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines

A number of additional Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines covering various medical disabilities are under development and will be posted to this site as they become available.

Assessment of Disability

• Relates to the level and the extent of the disability;
• Established by the information provided with the application; where information is insufficient, a medical examination is arranged with a VAC doctor;
• Ranges between 0% and 100%;
• Based on VAC's Table of Disabilities to ensure similar assessments are awarded for similar disabilities.
• VAC's Table of Disabilities is presently being revised.

Medical Questionnaires

The Medical Questionnaires have been developed to complement the revised Table of Disabilities. Health care providers complete only the medical questionnaire sections relevant to the claimed/pensioned condition(s).

Although the medical questionnaires have been developed to be utilized with the future TOD revision, the revised medical questionnaires can be utilized with the current table for assessment determination.

The provided medical information represents a composition of the Veteran's/member's current disability and is utilized, along with other pertinent submitted medical information, to determine the medical impairment and ultimatley the Pensionable Disability Assessment, which includes the quality of life.