The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is an important step forward to improving Canada’s social safety net and furthers actions taken by the Government of Canada to help ensure the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities.
The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is an important step forward to improving Canada’s social safety net and furthers actions taken by the Government of Canada to help ensure the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities. As you may know, on March 3, 2025, the Government of Canada announced the completion of the CDB Regulations.
What is the Canada Disability Benefit?
The CDB is an income-tested benefit that will provide direct financial support of up to $ 200 per month to eligible people with disabilities 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 with disabilities. 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 an individual 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
an individual 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. Individuals 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?
Individuals 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 an individual 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 an individual may receive each month. For additional information, visit the official Canada Disability Benefit website. Tools and resources that stakeholders can use to help individuals better understand and access the program will be added as they become available.
To help raise awareness about the CDB, Service Canada, through their Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS), can collaborate with your organization to explore whether hosting an outreach event would benefit your staff, volunteers or clients. The services we provide include:
- Information sessions (virtual or in person)
- Customized presentations for your organization’s staff and volunteers to share information on the CDB, including eligibility criteria, along with information about other Service Canada programs, services and benefits.
- Tailored presentations for your clients to provide them with information on the CDB, including eligibility criteria, along with information about other Service Canada programs, services and benefits, and how to access them.
- Application intake clinics – available once the application process is open
- Clinics to answer questions and assist clients with applying for the CDB.
In addition, the Department has invested in community-based navigation services to improve awareness and take-up of federal, provincial, and territorial programs available to working-age Canadians with disabilities, including the disability tax credit and the CDB. These organizations are well positioned to provide disability benefits navigations in accessible and culturally appropriate ways. Their reach extends across Canada including to persons with marginalized identities, cross-disability populations, and those living in rural and remote areas. The list of navigator organizations will be fully updated shortly with contact information for all organizations.