Anyone that has a disability most likely has a lot more individual expenses than those that do not. In addition to this their ability to generate an income may be limited. The Canadian Government has put some assistance in place for people with these circumstances.
One of the most important forms of financial assistance that may be available to some is the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits. Just as the Canada Pension Plan is important to build up throughout the years for the retirement years, it can also provide a source of income for those who develop a disability where they are no longer able to generate employment income.
This disability pension is not designed to assist those with a short term disability. It is in place for those where it is deemed that they will not be able to work for a long period of time, or where their disability is life threatening. It also does not include extra financial assistance for expenses like medications and special medical devices. So although the pension does give them some source of income, quite often there are still additional expenses which the individual with the disability has that puts an extra financial strain on them.
In order to qualify for the disability pension the criteria is that the disability is of a severe and prolonged nature. The individual applying for it is eligible for it must meet the CPP contributions requirements, and be under the age of sixty five.
You will need to rely on your health care professional to assist you in providing the information you need that meets the criteria of the disability that would allow you to qualify for this particular pension.
Many times those with a terminal illness will not apply for the Canada disability pension plan because they feel that they will not live long enough to benefit from it. For those in this situation that have a family it is still important to apply for it because their survivors may be eligible to receive the pension. This can offer some financial relief for those in the family that must carry on with the financial responsibilities. Sometimes the remaining spouse finds themselves in a low income bracket where if eligible this pension can offer some financial assistance.
For the disabled person that is applicable for the Canada disability pension plan, special care should be taken when filing the yearly tax returns, and a qualified accountant can certainly assist with this matter.
