Canada Disability Benefit

Persons with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than working-age persons without disabilities because of economic and social exclusion, barriers to employment, and other factors. Recognizing this, the Government of Canada created the new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to support the financial security of working age, low-income persons with disabilities by providing them with direct financial support.

Through the Canada Disability Benefit Act that came into force on June 22, 2024, investments of $6.1 billion over six years provided under Budget 2024, and the Canada Disability Benefit Regulations that  came into force on May 15, 2025, the CDB is now enshrined into Canada’s social safety-net.

The benefit is administered by Service Canada, and will provide a maximum of $200 per month, for a total of $2,400 per year, to low-income persons with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64. It is estimated that this benefit will increase the financial well-being of over 600,000 low-income persons with disabilities. The benefit is intended to supplement, not replace, existing provincial and territorial income support measures and fill a gap in the federal social safety net between the Canada Child Benefit and Old Age Security for working-age persons with disabilities.

As of June 20, 2025, people will be to apply in a manner that works best for them, including an online self-serve option. If needed, people can receive assistance applying for the benefit by phone or in person at their nearest Service Canada Centre. The first payments of the CDB will be made in July 2025 for applications received and approved by June 30, 2025.

To receive the benefit, a person must:

• be a resident of Canada for the purposes of the Income Tax Act
• have been approved for the disability tax credit
• be between the ages of 18 and 64
• have filed an income tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency for the previous tax year (their spouse or common-law partner, if they have one, must have also file their taxes.)

• be one of the following:
  • a Canadian citizen
  • a permanent resident
  • a protected person
  • a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the past 18 months
  • someone who is registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act.

If a person is married or has a common-law partner, their spouse or common-law partner must also have filed an income tax and benefit return with the Canada Revenue Agency for the previous tax year. In some exceptional cases, this requirement may be waived.

With the support from the CDB, persons with disabilities will have more money to cover the costs of accessible housing, medical care and disability supports.