I have been receiving CPPD since June 2019. It’s tax time and I just realized that I have to opt in to have taxes taken off my monthly check so that means I am going to owe the government a bunch of back taxes. I am so poor and this is freaking me out. I have been on LTD, disability for 6 years and barely get by in one of the most expensive cities in our country (Vancouver). I live in debt. I am scared to do my taxes as I will have to pay something like over $1000 to the government and I am $8500 in debt so i don’t even have it. My CPPD is $1026/month which includes $250 towards my child who is 4. When he turns 18, I will lose this money so my CPPD will drop significantly to $776 or so. I am only 40 so I still have many years before retirement but I am so scared about my future because I can’t really work or save and get out of poverty. When I turn 65, my CPPD will drop even more from $776 to…? I am scared I won’t be able to survive. I find it impossible to save any money. Anything I am able to save throughout the year ends up going to owed taxes as i can only manage to save about $1000 each year. I have no savings, no retirement savings, no rainy day or ER fund, no RSP etc. Nothing. I currently get a further $1600/month from my insurance company through my old job that I am still on LTD for. Will this cease when I turn 65? I don’t personally contribute to CPP but I get a T4 from my old job showing a small amount of “income”, this year for $215 as CPP pensionable earnings. I don’t know what this is-will my company provide me CPP benefits when I “retire” like I am still an employee there even though I am on LTD for so long? Does being on LTD through my old job help me with a pension or no? I want to join the Canada Disability savings credit but according to their website, you basically have to be a vegetable in order to get it. If you can shower by yourself, you’re not considered disabled under the Canada disability tax credit even though I passed the vigor tests of getting on CPPD. You should automatically qualify for this i feel! Am I screwed and destined to be a senior living below the poverty line because I have a disability? I feel like this is my future and my best retirement savings plan is downing a bottle of sleeping pills when I turn 65 
Try to think of your immediate situation and not when you are 65.
Apply for the DTC anyways, it is the cumulative effect on your life, not just one thing.
Have considered moving somewhere cheaper?
I guess i can try and apply for the DTC, that makes sense. Jammer, its not cheap to live anywhere anymore. I have already moved out of my hometown due to housing costs which was close to my family who I rely on quite significantly for support. I now have to move even further away because we have outgrown our current residence and we can’t afford to upgrade within the community we have called home for the last 8 years, pushing us even further away from my main support system. I will have to travel 2 hours if I want to visit my family or get any help from them with my son. This just increases my anxiety and stress levels. It’s hard not to think of the future when time goes by faster and faster as I age. I worry about my son and being able to provide for him as he grows when I can barely provide for myself. I just read an article that said relying on OAS and CPP only would be a huge mistake and how important it is for Canadians to save for retirement. I am feeling a lot of pressure and scared I will be in poverty my whole life. Right now I’m young enough that i can drive myself and do things for myself but what happens when Im older and still struggling with my disability? It will be so much harder. It scares me a lot
I found that it’s much easier to be approved for DTC than CPPD. There are a lot of benefits of having DTC. You will get a lot of taxes back; you can open an RDSP and receive grands and bonds.
It’s a very common problem not only for people with disabilities. A lot of healthy working people don’t save for the retirement.
Did you try to look into social housing? I know a lot of people who live in social housing and pay around $300 for 1br-2br apartment depending on the area.
I know a lot of healthy people who just live on CPP and OAS. So it’s not the end of the world. They adjust somehow.
As for people with disabilities you are doing very well receiving LTD and CPPD. Read the posts on this forum. A lot of people cannot even get approved for CPPD, LTD, ODSP and so on. And they are in financial distress right now and there are even people who live on the street.
I forgot about opening an RRSP when you get the DTC
That sounds like a really good plan.
Try to focus on that.
Read everything you can about applying for the DTC. .
Hello Elaine,
It took me a very long time and a lot of stress to get on LTD. The insurance companies are the worst to deal with and make life so difficult for you. I feel I have developed PTSD from dealing with my insurance company over the years as i have been on LTD for 6 years from my job. They threaten to cut me off all the time and have twice, stating they need more information when my disability is pretty evident. I have a friend who is also on LTD from work and she doesn’t get harrassed like I do, if at all, and she actually is not even disabled and frankly is taking advantage of the system! Yet they harrass me regularly. They always say it takes 2 weeks for your file to get attention and approved when in fact, I was living with ZERO income for 6 months at one point waiting for them to make a decision. I went into deep depression and thought about suicide. They take advantage of your situation because you depend on them for financial help. Its cruel. I’m lucky I have a good support system form my family because if I didn’t, I would have ended up on the street waiting 6 months for a paycheck. My mom had to lend me $6000 over that time frame to survive so I know what its like to be in waiting for LTD and CPPD and I feel grateful to be accepted however that doesn’t mean life is easier by any means
You’ve missed out on a lot of great savings. If you were approved from 2010-2020 you could’ve get up to $45000 from grands and bonds + up to $1,500/year of taxes back.
There is a low income supplement that is given to people when they reach 65, if thier income falls below a certain amount. If you put yourself on the
list for subsidized rent now, it would give you more options as to where you live. It may take a while, but if you are approved you can put yourself on different appartment lists. Even market rent in a co-op is much more affordable. For your child look for subsidized programs for all kinds of activities like clubs, community centers. Large churches usually have children and youth groups. Tim Hortons soccer teams. One day at a time.I raised my son on my own, although I worked full time, it was a challenge, especially having a chronic illness. He’s 22 now , turned out well if I must say so. He was involved with sports, music went to summer camps ect. Its doable…one day at a time
Not in any way you can see.
She had a good doctor.
I guess I have to lose my pride … and go to Ontario Disability I have been fighting that all along …its such a stigma to society really after working all those years …you feel like you are going no where fast… I get 925 per/month and that is all… I am lucky to have a home… but its really stretching a dollar… I went to the food bank once … I feel very humiliated having to live on nothing …I have to remind myself that I did the best while I could … and am still trying …