HOME > ABOUT THE CANADA DISABILITY BENEFIT > DO I QUALIFY FOR THE CANADA DISABILITY BENEFIT?

Do I Qualify for the Canada Disability Benefit?

To qualify for the CDB, you must:

  • be between the ages of 18 and 64,

    • eligibility begins the month that you turn 18 and ends the month that you turn 65

  • be currently approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC),

  • have filed an income tax return for the previous tax year,

  • be a resident of Canada for the purposes of the Income Tax Act,

  • be a resident of Canada, which means you must be one of the following:

    • a Canadian citizen,

    • a permanent resident,

    • a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the 18 months preceding that month,

    • a protected person,

    • a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the past 18 months, or

    • someone who is registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act, and

  • not currently be serving a prison sentence of two years or more in a federal penitentiary.

You must also meet the low-income requirements set out by the government, which are different depending on your family status. For more information about income requirements, see Payments.

If you are married or in a common-law relationship, your spouse or common-law partner is also required to file an Income Tax Return and Benefit Return with the Canada Revenue Agency for the tax year that ended before the payment period starts. In some cases, you can ask Service Canada to waive the requirement.

For more information on the eligibility requirements see the Government of Canada website.

To prepare to apply for the CDB, you should:

Know your Social Insurance Number (SIN)

You will need to make sure that you know your Social Insurance Number (SIN). If you do not have a SIN, you must apply for one. If you do not know your SIN, you can contact Employment and Social Development Canada to retrieve it. You will also need to have a SIN to file your taxes.

Click here for more information on applying for a SIN or to find your existing number.

File your taxes 

To be eligible for the CDB, you need to have filed your income taxes for the year before the payment period starts. This means in order to receive payments for the July 2025 to June 2026 period, you must have filed your 2024 tax return.

To continue receiving the CDB, you will need to file your taxes every year. Your eligibility and benefit amount depend on your income from the previous tax year.

Apply for the Disability Tax Credit 

You must be approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) to receive the CDB. It can take time to receive DTC approval, and the application process can be challenging, so the earlier you start this process, the better. For help applying for the DTC, check out the following pages on the DTC:

Plan Institute also provides free one-to-one support with DTC applications, as well as other disability planning topics such as the CDB, through our Disability Planning Helpline. Please note that if you are a resident of BC. and want help completing your DTC application, we may refer you to our partner organization, Disability Alliance BC (DABC).

A legal representative can take the following actions on behalf of a beneficiary (the person approved to receive the benefit):

  • complete the benefit application,

  • request a reconsideration of a decision, and

  • appeal a decision.

Payments may only be directed to someone’s authorized legal representative in situations where such a person has already been appointed in accordance with federal, provincial, or territorial law.