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| Canada Pension Plan - Disability | | | | Canada Pension Plan – Disability (source : Community Legal Education Ontario and Service Canada)The law may change at any time. The information and answers to the questions below contain general information and are not a substitute for getting legal advice for your particular situation. For free legal advice, contact us at 613-632-1136 or 1-800-250-9220.The legal clinic can advise you if your request for a disability pension from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) has been denied. If you cannot work because you have a severe and prolonged physical or mental disability and you have made enough contributions to CPP, you could be entitled to a CPP disability pension. Your disability does not have to be caused by your job. You must be under 65 years old to get a disability pension.If you qualify, your dependant children can also get benefits if they are under 18 years years old, or if they are full-time students and under 25 years old. You must apply for a CPP disability pension. You can download an application kit from the “People with Disabilities” section of Service Canada’s website at www.servicecanada.gc.ca or you can call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9915, TTY : 1-800-255-4786 or visit Service Canada to obtain the application kit. Residents of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell can also contact the office of their federal MP, Mr. Pierre Lemieux, at 1-800-990-0490. Apply for CPP disability benefits as soon as you know you have a serious disability. You might be eligible even if you apply later, but the longer you wait, the worse your chances will be. You may end up with a smaller pension or none at all.Can I appeal if I am refused?Most decisions about CPP pensions and benefits can be appealed. If you want to appeal, you must do it within 90 days after receiving the decision. If you have been refused or you do not agree with the amount, call us to get free legal advice. How much would I get with a disability pension? The amount depends on how long you worked and how much you contributed before you had the disability. There are 2 parts to a disability pension: - a flat rate that is the same for everyone getting CPP disability benefits, in the amount of 433.37 $ per month for 2011;
- and an additional amount that depends on your past contributions.
The amount for dependant children is 218.50 $ per month, per child for 2011.Are there other benefits I can apply for ?In Ontario, there is another disability benefit program called the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). It is for people who have a disability and are in financial need. If this is your situation, you should apply to this program even if you are applying for CPP Disability benefits. Many people who do not qualify for CPP disability pensions can get ODSP benefits. Also, if your CPP Disability pension is less than what you could get from ODSP, you may be able to get some money from ODSP to “top up” your CPP pension.Visit the ODSP section of our website for more information about this program.Don’t hesitate to call us for free legal advice concerning the Canada Pension Plan disability pension.Other resources: | | |
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