The Canada Disability Benefit will provide direct financial support of up to $200 per month to eligible people who have a disability with low income, who are between 18 and 64 years old. This new benefit represents a significant step forward in addressing the financial challenges faced by many Canadians who have a disability. The program is administered by Service Canada.
The first month of eligibility for the Canada Disability Benefit is June 2025. First payments will begin in July 2025 for applications received and approved by June 30, 2025.
If a person qualifies for payments, they will begin receiving payments the month after their application is received and approved. If the application is approved in July 2025 or later and an applicant was entitled for payments in earlier months, they will get back payments. There will be no payments for months prior to June 2025.
To be eligible to receive the CDB, a person must:
- be between 18 and 64 years old,
- be approved for the disability tax credit,
- have filed their income tax return for the previous tax year (if applicable, spouse or common-law partner must have also filed),
- be a Canadian resident for income tax filling purposes, and
- be one of the following
- a Canadian citizen
- a permanent resident
- a person registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act
- a protected person
- a temporary resident who has lived in Canada throughout the previous 18 months
When to apply?
Applications for the CDB will open on June 20, 2025. People cannot apply before this date.
How to apply?
Canadians will be able to submit their application on the web via the application portal, by phone and in person at a Service Canada Centre.
What is needed to apply?
People who have been approved for the disability tax credit and who meet most of the eligibility criteria will receive a letter starting in June. The letter will include a unique application code and instructions on how to apply.
Before a person applies, they should gather the following information:
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Direct deposit information. Service Canada asks everyone to sign up for direct deposit because it’s the fastest and most reliable way to get payments.
If a person does not receive a letter and thinks they may be eligible, they can still apply. The following additional information will be needed:
- Mailing address
- Net income (line 23600) from their 2024 notice of assessment. Providing this will speed up application processing and payment if eligible.
The newly launched benefit estimator tool can be used to find out how much a person may receive each month. For additional information, visit the official Canada Disability Benefit website. Tools and resources that stakeholders can use to assist individuals better understand and access the program will be added as they become available.