Disability tax credit for long term illness

Hello all! Newbie here with a newbie question. I just learnt of this tax credit and have been ill for about a decade. Have been on Ontario works and then subsequently ODSP for just as long. I suffer from an array of symptoms and most are debilitating. Health deterioration lead to a diagnosis of Lyme disease and medical treatment after the diagnosis induced a brain injury that left me pretty much housebound/bedbound. My liver/body disposition could not handle any allopathic treatments or conventional treatments. Keep in mind that Lyme was not recognized in this province and there was no available treatment. This lead me on a journey to search for an alternative way to heal as pharmaceuticals caused my body to shut down.

I had to relearn how to speak/read/write again as my brain processes slowly healed over the span of 7 years and still continues to heal today but my daily life routines are hindered. Problems ranging from using the bathroom, inability to perform hygiene routines in a timely manner, to debilitating pain in my spine/joints causing pain when sitting or lying down. This is only the tip of the iceberg for symptoms. Sorry for the long winded post but I wanted to draw a picture of what I experience day in and day out for last decade or more.

Now I am wondering what my chances of qualifying for the Disability tax credit are. I have been treated by a naturopath for the majority of my illness and he knows my situation on a more personal level. The initial GP who diagnosed my Lyme and then caused the subsequent health crisis only knew me at the initial stages. How can I ask him to fill my forms if he barely knows what I have suffered?

I spoke to someone at CRA on the phone and they told me to just send it in and take my chances since it is a case by case situation. This is encouraging but my issue is that if I get my Naturopath to send in forms, it will take weeks to hear about their decision and if it is not approved that means I have wasted this time, and would have had better chances going back to my original GP?? It is a lot to handle especially for someone who doesn’t have the energy to do the run around. Can anyone advise me on the best course of action? Much appreciated.

It might depend on who reviews your file.
Is your naturopath an ND?
Is your brain injury supported by documentation (MRI).
Whoever fills out the forms should read the articles David has written.
I’d probably go with the ND.

@jammer Thank you for the prompt reply! Boy I’m going to need luck on my side if that’s the case.
Yes my naturopath is an ND. Does it make a difference? I don’t have any documentation for the brain injury by MRI, as restricted confined spaces weren’t ideal for my situation. But I do have some extensive test results that conclude there was deterioration in that realm. Whether these results are deemed usable and recognized by medical community is the question.

I was told I needed to fill out a large portion of the forms as they are “yes” “no” questions pertaining to the symptoms of the “patient”. I assume articles written by David would be of interest to me and my ND. Would you be able to point me in the direction of the appropriate articles?

I don’t know.
I assumed there could be “naturopaths” who are not licensed.

I think it really depends who reads the application.
It is worth applying.
I think how your daily life is affected is more important than a MD diagnosis.
It was years ago when I applied but I did attach a page to the yes/no questions that was detailed about my symptoms. It might all be online now.

@jammer You are right. Some NDs are not licensed and I’m glad you brought this up. Do you personally know someone who has had to go through this process with an alternative healer or even someone on this forum? I would love to get a first hand account of what the experience was like.

I don’t know anyone, sorry.
I did a search on the forum for “naturopath” and there were only 2 hits:

Good luck.

That’s more helpful information than I could find anywhere else. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction.

1 Like

Just to piggyback on my old post to keep details of my situation together. I just heard back from the original GP who diagnosed my condition and said he cannot fill the disability tax forms due to the time lapse of appointments. I haven’t seen him since 2017. He didnt like the fact that I started seeing a naturopath on the side. He was the one who was able to help me get on ODSP when I was a patient. Now my naturopath is saying he can’t sign the forms because there are several symptom checkboxes that he can’t verify. This perplexes me as these were main points that were a majority of our discussions on my condition and what he tried treating me for unsuccessfully in past 8 years. Now they simply don’t exist?? Did he not take notes?! I have no other doctors other than my primary GP whom I only see for colds/flus or regular yearly check-ups. I’m at a loss of what to do from here.

You should contact Resolute for a free consult.

Just an fyi…a naturopathic Dr does not qualify as a medical Dr to certify the form.
This guide provide you with any questions you may have.
I have 16 years experience with CRA verifying these forms.

2 Likes

Sounds like a medical doctor to me.
The CRA denies that?

https://www.cand.ca/common-questions-education-and-regulation/#:~:text=Upon%20successful%20completion%20of%20any,board%20examinations%20to%20obtain%20licensure.&text=To%20become%20a%20qualified%20ND,CNME-accredited%20naturopathic%20medical%20program.

To become a qualified ND one must graduate from a CNME-accredited naturopathic medical program.

1 Like

@jammer That’s exactly my question too. Not everyone can find the right treatment by regular medical doctors for their conditions. Sometimes it does take a network of different doctors to treat mysterious illnesses. This is very frustrating.

@Vicki Thank you for your insight. So do these naturopathic doctor cases get automatically denied?

Yes because the form clearly states as well as the guide that I’ve provided the link to above who is certified to be able to complete the form.
They will deny under the reason “not a qualified practitioner” when CRA sends a denial letter.

1 Like

see the link I provided above for CRA Form T2201 Disability Tax Credit Certificate and the assossciated Guide with all the answers.

So I thought I’d update my old post rather than create a new one. I spent some time with some back and forth with the naturopath and he eventually refused to sign forms either way. So I asked my regular family doctor to sign and he graciously agreed. What I didn’t anticipate was that he would sort of give a half effort with regards to filling them out. It was literally just two sentences. He claimed he just doesn’t have the time. I understand, he is a busy man but I figured he would at least be concise enough to give insight into my condition. If I was CRA judging the papers, I would even dismiss it. Now I have to appeal the decision. Can anyone give personal anecdote as to how the process really goes. What happens when appeal also gets rejected? Any further experiences would really help. Thanks all!

I didn’t have to appeal mine.
Can you submit more evidence?
I would document how your life is affected and get the doctor to stamp it.
I included notes on a separate paper about my issues related to the categories they want.
Mine was a cumulative thing.

2 Likes

@jammer Really appreciate your help. I don’t seem to have much evidence that is very substantial. The unfortunate effect of going to a naturopath is that their review for this doesn’t matter. My general practitioner who signed these forms for me, seems to be very dismissive of my circumstances. It took me a while to write out some points as to the symptoms I endure and the years they manifested, but he even seemed to gloss over that. I’ll try to ask if he can approve that write-up for me. Other than my Lyme disease diagnosis and some forms showing underlying autoimmune conditions, I also have the original letter my diagnosing doctor sent for me to get approved for ODSP that depicted my failing health. That doctor then fired me as a patient because I wasn’t compliant with treatment. The high dose medications dam near killed me. However, I still have a copy of his letter that illustrates that my condition goes back to 2007 and condition has only worsened since then. Would that be enough? I really feel like the odds are stacked against me, since I only really have my word to rely on and a few pieces of paper. I mean, I have been housebound all these years. I practically don’t exist. This is frustrating.

Sorry to hear of your challenges.

I would contact Resolute.

1 Like

Appeal everything!!!

That’s the only time you get a voice to your condition that doesn’t need medical certification. By in writing, and providing any medical test results you have to support your condition.

1 Like

@Vicki Your exclamation marks have me feeling hopeful :laughing:

Was it a bad move to contact my doctor to ask him to sign a write-up of my symptoms? Do I even need his signature? It’s basically a word file that is a compilation of all my bullet point diary entries that state my daily symptoms. That’s all I have and maybe a couple of tests to confirm my Lyme disease, coinfections, a MRI from a decade ago that confirms the onset of osteoarthritis, basic tests that show ongoing autoimmune problems, and the original letter from another doctor acknowledging my disabilities from 2009 for ODSP. Not sure if I should include tests from my Naturopath as they might get dismissed anyway. Is there anything else I should include? Sorry for the questions. I feel really insecure about this whole process. Thanks for replying.