Today, you can make that change. Check this CPP Disability Benefits Application guide and start gaining back what you lost. At Disability Credit Canada our mission is to connect those disabled citizens in need of assistance with the government programs intended to supply it, such as the CPP disability benefits program. We understand that accessing these critical funds can be a confusing, time consuming process for many who many not be adept at navigating a bureaucratic maze. That’s where our highly trained benefits specialists come in handy. With comprehensive knowledge of the CPP disability benefits application process and eligibility requirements we’re able to turn an often intimidating process into one that restores much needed financial balance and stability to the lives of the disabled.
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How to complete your CPP Disability Benefits Application?
The CPP disability benefits program is conditional in the sense that apart from established severe and prolonged mental or physical impairment (you can read our guide on disability tax credit eligibility), it also requires recipients to have been making payments into the CPP fund for a certain amount of years or to be able to prove they were unable to do so. The CPP Disability Benefits Application is a multi-step process which we’ll do our best to make very easy and do-able for you.
Step 1: Make Sure You’ve Made Requisite CPP Contributions
If you wish to apply for CPP disability benefits you’ll need to be sure you’ve made adequate payments into the CPP fund. “Adequate payments” in this case means that you’ve contributed to the CPP program for at least four of the previous six years, or three of the past six years if you can prove 25 years of contributions. If your responsibilities as primary caregiver for your children have kept you from working you may be exempt from the above requirements through the “child-rearing” provision.
Step 2: Obtain and Complete CPP Disability Application and Related Forms
CPP Disability Benefits Application papers can be obtained at the nearest CPP administrative office. You can also download and print them from the Internet or make a written request that they be sent to you through the mail. A complete application package will consist of the following:
- Completed CPP disability application form – This form will ask for your personal information including your Social Insurance Number. It’s important to be thorough when completing this form because errors or omissions can negatively impact your application as well as your dependant children’s ability to receive supplemental benefits.
- Completed Questionnaire for Disability Benefits – This form contains information about your disability, your diagnosis, impairments that are preventing you from working and your last day of work. The last day of work is important because it is used to determine when your benefits will commence, should you be approved.
- A comprehensive medical report on your condition – It is in this report that your doctor will lay out why they consider your disability to be “severe” and “prolonged”. For the record:
○ “Severe” is defined as a mental or physical disability that prevents you from engaging in regular work.
○ “Prolonged” means that this disability has lasted or is expected to last at least one full year or that it is terminal. - Signed consent form to obtain personal information – This form allows the program’s administrators to contact your doctor directly to obtain information. It’s not mandatory but it could make the application process easier.
- Completed child-rearing provision form (if applicable) – If you needed to step away from your job or career to raise your children you may still qualify for CPP disability benefits.
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Step 3: Write a Cover Letter
You may want to write a cover letter to accompany your CPP disability application. While a cover letter is not mandatory including one is sometimes helpful. Use the cover letter to inventory the contents of your application package as well as to provide details of your education and work history and how your disability has impacted your ability to work.
Step 4: Deliver Application Package
Once you have assembled all the application and supporting documents double check that all the information is correct and send the entire package via Canada Post. If you want to be certain CPP receives your application you can drop it off in person at the closest regional office.
If you need assistance during any part of the CPP disability benefits application process contact Disability Credit Canada and take advantage of our years of experience and unparalleled record of successfully shepherding applications through to final approval.