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Apply on-line for new disability benefitsThis service provides VAC clients with the opportunity to apply on-line for disability benefits for new condition(s). At this time, the service can ONLY be used by clients who have a VAC File Number or a VAC Health Identification Card Client Number. It is not available for use by survivors or individuals who administer the affairs of a client (i.e. power of attorney, trustee, guardian). Instead, these individuals should make application to the VAC District Office closest to them or to the Service Organization of their choice. What you need to know.....before you begin to apply on-line for disability benefits.
What is a disability benefit?A disability benefit is when you ask VAC to determine if a disability you suffer is related to your service so that you can qualify for benefits administered by VAC. You will have to complete the following steps to successfully submit your on-line application to VAC:
Am I eligible to apply on-line for disability benefits?To be eligible to apply on-line, you must already be a client of VAC who has previously applied for or is in receipt of disability benefits. Also you must:
At this time, this service is not available for use by survivors or individuals who administer the affairs of a client (i.e. power of attorney, trustee, guardian). Instead, these individuals should make application to the VAC District Office closest to them or to the Service Organization of their choice. Please contact VAC at 1-866-522-2122 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (your local time) IF:
General InformationThe Department of Veterans Affairs rules on disability pension entitlement under the provisions of the Pension Act or disability awards under The Canadian Forces Members Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act (anticipated to come into force and take effect as early as April 1, 2006). These Acts are the legislation under which disability entitlement is granted for disability or death related to military service. The Department also rules on disability pension claims under the Civilian War-related Benefits Act and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act. Each Act provides that a relationship between a medical condition and service must be established before disability entitlement can be granted. Once entitlement has been established, it is then necessary for the Department to assess the disability resulting from the condition. The amount of the pension or award must be based on the extent of disability suffered from the entitled conditions, as verified by medical examination, and paid in accordance with rates set out in the applicable Act. The extent of disability is expressed as a percentage which may range from 0% to 100%. A disability assessed from 1% to 4% results in a settlement of a single payment. A disability assessed at 5% or higher, however, results in the payment of a monthly pension if the entitlement is granted under the Pension Act or a lump sum award if the condition is granted under The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act . For conditions granted under the Pension Act, additional pension may be payable on behalf of qualified dependants, i.e. spouse and children, if they are living with or being maintained by the pensioner. For additional pension to be paid on .behalf of a common-law partner, the pensioner must have resided with that person for at least one year. No additional pension can be paid during that first one-year period. There is no provision for an additional disability award for dependants under The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act while the Member or Veteran is alive. Monies granted for disability are paid as a matter of right and are not affected by other income. Amounts are adjusted on January 1 of each year to compensate for inflation. They are paid in Canadian dollars and neither the sex of the client nor the rank held while in service has an effect on the amount of monies paid. Disability pensions or disability awards are not subject to income tax. Eligibility RequirementsService An applicant should be able to provide details of service, i.e. dates of service and service number(s). Please note that if an applicant does not have this information, the Department is responsible for obtaining any necessary service documents and/or confirmation of service for all applicants. World War I, World War II and Korean War Veterans Applications for injuries or illness arising out of service during one of these three conflicts will still be made under the Pension Act. Canadian Forces Members Important Notice The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act and accompanying Regulations are anticipated to come into force as early as April 1, 2006. This legislation affects Canadian Forces members and Veterans who served after April 1, 1947 (except for Korean War service during the period July 5, 1950 to October 31, 1953 inclusive). On the date this new legislation comes into force (anticipated to be as early as April 1, 2006), the Pension Act will be closed to new applications from post war-time service applicants, except in unique circumstances. Applications for disability submitted after the coming into force date of the new Legislation will be ruled under the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act. Canadian Forces Members and Veterans who served after April 1, 1947 (except for Korean War service during the period July 5, 1950 to October 31, 1953 inclusive) and who wish to apply under the Pension Act, must submit a signed application prior to the coming into force date of the Legislation (expected to be as early as April 1, 2006), in order to have their claims ruled under the Pension Act. For more information about the requirements of a signed application, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada. Please note the following two important points: (i) All signed disability applications received or postmarked prior to the anticipated coming into force date of the legislation, expected to be April 1, 2006 will be considered under the Pension Act. (ii) Any disability applications under the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act, for new conditions, will have to be signed and submitted on or after the coming into force date of the new Act, which is expected to be April 1, 2006. If you submitted an application for a disability pension to Veterans Affairs Canada in the past and the application was withdrawn, you must submit a newly signed application prior to the coming into force date of the new legislation in order to protect your rights for that claimed condition under the Pension Act. Please note, if you have received a formal decision from the Department on your application under the Pension Act, your rights under this Act are automatically protected for that condition. Any re-dress for that condition will, therefore, be handled under the Pension Act or the Veterans Review and Appeal Board Act. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Disability pensions under the Pension Act may also be paid to members or former members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), both Regular and Civilian, who are suffering from disability or disease directly related to RCMP service or attributable to service in Special Duty Service or the Second World War. Allied Forces Veterans of Allied Forces may be entitled to benefits if they meet the domicile requirement. For more information on these requirements, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada. Merchant Navy High-seas merchant mariners, including those who served on ocean-going Canadian registered ships engaged in home or foreign trade and Canadians who served on equivalent Allied ships are eligible for pension benefits under the Pension Act for service-related disabilities. Merchant mariners who served on Canadians registered ships in dangerous waters during the Korean War may also be eligible for pension benefits. Survivors Widows, widowers, common-law partners and orphans may apply for survivor benefits if the deceased member of the forces was or should have been in receipt of a disability pension under the Pension Act, or a disability award under the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act at the time of death. For more information on survivor benefits, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada. Civilians Members of the following groups who suffered injury as the result of action or counteraction against the enemy during the Second World War may also apply for pension benefits under the Civilian War-related Benefits Act.
Assistance Free assistance in preparing and submitting an application for disability benefits is available by contacting the Veterans Affairs Canada National Contact Centre Network toll-free at 1-866-522-2122 (English) or 1-866-522-2022 (French). Some Veterans' organizations such as the Royal Canadian Legion, the War Amputations of Canada and the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada provide a similar service. An applicant may also retain a private solicitor, but at his or her own expense. An applicant who resides outside Canada should contact the Foreign Countries Operations Office of Veterans Affairs Canada for assistance. Additional information is available on our website at http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca What is involved to begin an on-line application?Users must register for an epass from epass Canada to access VAC's on-line services. As part of this on-line process, you will automatically be redirected to epass Canada. After you have completed the epass registration process, you will be returned to this site to enroll with VAC and continue the on-line application process. Clients using an existing epass Canada username and password who have already enrolled with VAC, will automatically be redirected to epass Canada to login then returned to the VAC site to continue the on-line application process. There are specific computer requirements in order to obtain an epass. Please review these requirements. For more information see About epass Canada and epass Security. The first time you access VAC's on-line services, you will be asked to provide some identity-proving information. You will not need to identity prove again as long as you use the same epass.
For ease of use, each screen contains an instruction box at the top of each page to offer assistance. You may also increase or decrease text size. A progress bar shows your progress and on-line navigation tools provide easy movement through the on-line application. A “Log Out” button is provided at the end of the process to allow you to close the browser. Once you have entered the application form, you may cancel at any time by closing the browser. If you close your browser before you submit your application, none of the information you have entered to that point will be retained. What information should I have ready before I begin my on-line application?You will be asked to provide details about your disability(ies) and service when filling out this on-line application. Please have the following information available before you start to complete the application:
What should I do once I have completed my on-line application?For security purposes, we recommend that all users exit the "On-Line Application for Disability Benefits" by using the "Log Out" button or closing their browser. After you submit your on-line application, a confirmation number is generated as proof of filing. Please print a copy of your on-line forms for your records. Please note, this on-line application does not by itself complete the application process. Documents to support your claim (e.g. medical reports/service records) are also required. VAC will mail the additional information/documents to you in order to complete this application process. When you receive these documents, they should be completed and returned as soon as possible to the VAC District Office indicated in the correspondence. If you have any additional information, changes to make or questions about your on-line application, do not complete another application on-line. Instead, please contact VAC at 1-866-522-2122 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (your local time). Is my personal information secure?VAC takes the protection of your information seriously. We have implemented several industry-standard technologies including digital signatures, encryption of data and identity-proving. For security reasons, this on-line system automatically terminates your secure session through a timed log out. Should a log out occur, the epass login screen will appear and you will be required to log into the system again using your epass username and password. You will be automatically returned to the application where you left off. If your session is inactive for a prolonged period of time (more than 45 minutes), your information will be lost. Who do I contact if I need help?If you are having difficulty with the on-line application, please contact VAC at 1-866-522-2122 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (your local time). If you live outside Canada, please call the appropriate number below:
Before you call any of the numbers listed above, please note where you are in the application and any error messages on your screen. Privacy Notice Statement / Start ApplicationPrivacy Notice StatementIn order to apply for a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Disability Benefit, we require certain personal information from you. You may want to print this Statement for future reference as it contains important contact information and explains the purposes and use of your personal information. Only information needed for your application will be requested. Collection and use of personal information is in accordance with the federal Privacy Act. The collection and use of personal information for the purpose of administering Disability Benefits is authorized by the Pension Act section 80; the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act - Section 76; Civilian War-related Benefits Act, Parts I to X -Section 3; Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act - Sections 32; and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act - Section 5 and is required for your participation. If you choose not to submit your information through this Web site, you may contact us by phone, in writing, or by visiting your local District Office. VAC will use your personal information to determine your eligibility and entitlement for a Disability Benefit and possible additional pension in accordance with your status. If it is determined that you are entitled to a disability benefit, you will be required to undergo a medical assessment to determine the extent of your disability before the amount of your award is calculated. The personal information collected for the purpose of administering Disability Benefits will be retained for a period of six years after the date of death of the last eligible dependant, and will be processed by Veterans Services Branch of Veterans Affairs Canada. This Web site uses "session cookies" to track how our visitors use this site. These cookies reside on the Web browser and expire as soon as the visitor closes the Web browser. The cookies ensure you are sent the correct information during your on-line session; these cookies do not allow us to identify individuals. Right now, VAC has no alternate session management method for users who prefer not to accept browser cookies. If you don't accept cookies, you won't be able to use this on-line service. The Privacy Act states that you have the right to access your personal information and request changes to incorrect information. You may request access to your personal information by writing to the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator's Office of Veterans Affairs Canada. To notify us about incorrect information or withdraw participation after submitting your application, contact your local VAC District Office. For more information about your right to access, see the Info Source Web site at http://infosource.gc.ca If you require clarification about this Statement, contact our Privacy Coordinator at the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator's Office by e-mail to atip-aiprp@vac-acc.gc.ca or by calling 1-877-566-8609. For more information on privacy issues and the Privacy Act in general, consult the Privacy Commissioner at 1-800-282-1376. If, after reading this Statement, you prefer not to submit your application on-line, contact your local VAC District Office or the Service Organization of your choice to obtain an application in an alternate format. Once you have entered the application form, you may cancel at any time by closing your browser. If you close your browser before you submit your application, none of the information you have entered to that point will be retained. By clicking the "Start Application" button, you are confirming that you have accessed this Privacy Notice Statement, you are submitting your personal information, and you are consenting to its collection, use, and disclosure in accordance with the Privacy Notice Statement.
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