Disability Award Program

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When a CF Veteran has a disability, it can cause pain and suffering, change the way your body or mind functions, and make it hard for you to enjoy life. The disability award is meant to recognize and compensate for the non-economic impacts of a service-related disability.

• The disability award is a tax-free lump sum payment of up to $250,000, depending on the extent of your disability.
• The amount of the award is not linked in any way to other payments you may receive under the New Veterans Charter.

Who can benefit from the disability award?

You may qualify for the disability award if you are:

• a CF member or Veteran with a:
  • service-related injury or disease; or
  • non-service-related injury or disease that was aggravated by service.
• a survivor (some conditions apply, please contact VAC for more information).

Important Notes

• You do not need to qualify for a disability award to qualify for some of the other benefits under the New Veterans Charter.
• The disability award is not linked to the Rehab Program. This means, you can be in the Rehab Program but not qualify for a disability award.

Financial advice

Under the New Veterans Charter, disability awards, detention benefits and death benefits are lump sum amounts. You may wish to seek out the advice of a financial expert to help you manage your lump sum payment. If the payment is $12,500 or more, some, or all, of the fees related to this advice may be paid by our Department, up to a maximum of $500.