Should I apply for CPP and why?

CPP Disability
1

I had never heard of CPP-D before visiting this site. I have been on LTD for a little over 2 yrs and my insurance company has never mentioned anything regarding it. So should I be applying for it now? If so, why?

2

If you have a severe and prolonged disability and you can never work again, you may qualify for cpp-d.

The benefit of getting it is that your cpp pension at 65 may be higher.

Read CPP Disability Application Guide for 2021 - Resolute Legal Disability Lawyers

3

Thanks for the reply and the link. Are you familiar with how the minimum contributions work? Do you have to be employed every day for 4 yrs or does it count by taxation year? I worked 5 taxation yrs, but only 42 months (short 6 months).

4

I think you need to have made the minimum contributions to CPP ($4k I think) in 4 out of 6 of the last years (2012-2017).
There is an exception if you raised children during that time.
You should phone Service Canada to check with them.

5

Thanks for the info, I will definitely call on Monday.

6

You had to make at least 5700 for the year to qualify. If you go to Service Canada website and sign into my accounts-
you can use your online banking to self identify-then if there is a B beside your cpp contributions on any year-that year does not count.

It also gives you an estimate of what your cpp-d might be

7

Your income needs to exceed what is called the “Basic Exemption Amount”. There is a formula for how this is calculated annually, but it goes up annually and her are the amounts you would need to meet for the past few years:

2016 - 5,490
2015 - 5,390
2014 - 5,250
2013 - 5,100
2012 - 5,010
2011 - 4,830

David Brannen

Disability Lawyer with Resolute Legal

The response posted above is based on the limited factual information made available and is not intended as a full and complete response to the question. The only reliabile manner to obtain complete and adequate legal advice is to consult with a lawyer, fully explain your situation, and allow the lawyer enough time to research the applicable law and facts required to give an adequate opinion. The basic information provided above is intended as a public service only, a full one-on-one discussion with a lawyer should be done before taking any any action. The information posted on this forum is available to the viewing public and is not intended to create a lawyer client relationship with any person. If you want one-on-one advice, please click here to request a free consultation or call toll free 1-877-282-5188 to speak with a member with our disability claim support team.

1 Like
8

I get this question all the time so I wrote this article awhile ago to give the answer you are looking for: 6 Reasons to Apply for CPP Disability Even Though Your Insurance Company Gets All the Money

9

Thanks for the information :slight_smile: I’ve ordered my application kit from Service Canada so will be applying for it soon.

10

You can download the PDFs from the Service Canada website and fill them in electronically.
I found that easier than writing legibly.

11

Thanks for the heads up, but personally, filling them by hand works best for me.