After you apply

On this page

• Waiting for a decision
• If you disagree with the decision
• If you need help communicating with Service Canada
• If your situation changes
• Overpayments
• What to do after the loss of a loved one

Waiting for a decision

Service Canada will review your application. We expect to send you a letter with an eligibility decision within 28 calendar days of applying for the benefit. However, if a legal representative is applying on your behalf, an eligibility decision should be expected within 49 calendar days of the application.

To check the status of your application, contact Service Canada.

If you disagree with the decision

If you disagree with the eligibility decision, payment amount or think an error was made, you can ask for a reconsideration.

To do this, submit a request within 180 days of the date on your decision letter (found in the top right-hand corner). If you are a legal representative, you can request a reconsideration on someone's behalf.

If you are submitting your request after the 180 days, you will need to explain what prevented you from submitting it sooner.

Your request will be reviewed by Service Canada who were not involved in making the original decision on your application.

Request a reconsideration of the decision

You can make your request for reconsideration using a printable form

1. Complete a reconsideration request form
2. Drop it off at a Service Canada office or mail it to us at:
   Service Canada Centre
   CDB Processing Centre
   P.O. Box 60
   Boucherville, QC J4B 5E6

Reconsiderations should be reviewed within 56 calendar days. Service Canada will review your application, and any new information provided in your request, and send you a decision by mail.

If your request for reconsideration is denied

If you disagree with the new decision, you can contact the Social Security Tribunal of Canada (SST). The SST will notify Service Canada of your appeal.

If you need help communicating with Service Canada

You can choose to authorize a person to help you communicate with Service Canada about your benefit. This is different than a legal representative.

Your authorized person will be able to:

• ask about the status of your benefit
• get your monthly payment information (amount and date)
• ask to have letters reissued by mail
• change your address

Your authorized person will not be able to:

• apply for the benefit for you
• change your banking information (direct deposit) or payment method
• ask for a formal reconsideration
• stop your benefit

If you would like to authorize someone, you need to complete the Consent to Communicate Information to an Authorized Person form. Drop it off at a Service Canada office or mail it to us at:
Service Canada Centre
CDB Processing Center
P.O. Box 60
Boucherville, QC, J4B 5E6

If your situation changes

Let us know as soon as possible if:

• your address or telephone number changes, contact Service Canada
• your direct deposit information changes
  • please refer to the payment methods of Service Canada's payments page
  • if you are changing bank accounts, don't close your old account until you receive a payment in your new account (this can take up to a month)
  • if we cannot deposit a payment into your account, we will mail you a cheque

Tell the Canada Revenue Agency:

• if your marital or relationship status has changed,
• if your residency status has changed. Residency for the Canada Disability Benefit is determined based on the residency status declared on the T1 tax return filed for that year. To find more information on how residency status for tax purposes is determined, visit the pages about deemed residents of Canada and Canadian resident for income tax filing purposes on the Canada Revenue Agency website

Overpayments

If you have not advised us of a change in situation in a timely manner, it may lead to an overpayment. An overpayment is when someone is given more of the benefit than they were eligible to receive.

If an overpayment is caused by error, no penalties will be applied.

However, penalties may be applied if you knowingly give false or misleading information or receive the benefit knowing that you are not eligible to receive it.

What to do after the loss of a loved one

If you're reading this following the loss of a loved one, please accept our condolences.

When someone passes away, please contact Service Canada and also notify the Canada Revenue Agency of the date of death, as soon as possible, to avoid an overpayment. You will need to cancel the benefit on behalf of the deceased person.

If a beneficiary dies, their heirs or estate will be eligible to receive a benefit payment for the month in which the beneficiary died (unless the beneficiary has already received the payment for that month).

If you receive benefit payments and your spouse or common-law partner has died, contact us to provide their date of death. Your benefit amount will be recalculated based on your new family income.