The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is a monthly federal payment for people aged 18 to 64 who have a disability and a low income. To get it, you must first be approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). From July 2026 to June 2027, it pays up to $204.20 a month, and it is not taxable.
How much you’ll get (July 2026 to June 2027)
Service Canada works out your amount each July from your adjusted family net income. For July 2026 to June 2027 payments, that is the income on your 2025 tax return, plus your spouse’s or common-law partner’s if you have one.
| July 2026 to June 2027 | July 2025 to June 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum benefit | $204.20 a month ($2,450.40 a year) | $200.00 a month |
| Income threshold, single | $23,000 | $23,000 |
| Income threshold, couple | $32,500 | $32,500 |
| Working income exemption, single | $10,210 | $10,000 |
| Working income exemption, couple (combined) | $14,294 | $14,000 |
Here is how the calculation works:
- Start with your adjusted family net income (line 23600 of your return, plus your partner’s). Income from a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is left out.
- Subtract your working income, up to the exemption: $10,210 if you’re single, or $14,294 combined for a couple.
- Subtract the threshold: $23,000 if you’re single, or $32,500 for a couple.
- If anything is left, your benefit goes down by 20 cents for every dollar of it. If you and your partner both get the CDB, each of your benefits goes down by 10 cents per dollar instead.
Examples
- A single person with $18,000 of income from CPP disability and provincial disability assistance is under $23,000, so they get the full $204.20 a month.
- A single person with $31,000 of income, including $12,000 from a part-time job, subtracts $10,210 of working income. That leaves $20,790, which is under $23,000, so they also get the full $204.20 a month.
- A single person with $28,000 of pension income and no job is $5,000 over the threshold. The benefit drops by 20% of $5,000, which is $1,000 a year. They get $1,450.40 for the year, or about $120.87 a month.
The one-time $150 supplement
To help with the cost of getting the DTC form filled in, the government is paying a one-time supplement of $150. You don’t need to apply.
- If you received a CDB payment between July 2025 and June 2026, your $150 was sent on September 17, 2026.
- If you were approved for the CDB from July 2026 onward, or your DTC was re-certified, it is expected in winter 2027.
- You can still get it if you were paid in the past, even if you no longer qualify for monthly payments.
Who qualifies
You can get the CDB if all of these are true:
- You are 18 to 64 years old.
- You have been approved for the Disability Tax Credit.
- You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes.
- You filed your 2025 tax return, and so did your spouse or common-law partner if you have one.
- You are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, registered under the Indian Act, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the past 18 months.
You can apply up to 6 months before you turn 18, but payments start only after your 18th birthday. If you are already 65 or older, you can still apply for back payments for months when you were eligible, up to 24 months.
If you don’t have the DTC yet
The DTC is run by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), not Service Canada. You apply with Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate. A medical practitioner fills in and certifies the medical part, and it can be sent to the CRA through its digital form or by mail. Once the DTC is approved, apply for the CDB.
How to apply
The CDB is not automatic. Even if you have the DTC and file your taxes, you need to apply. You can apply:
- Online through the Canada Disability Benefit page on Canada.ca. This is the fastest way.
- By phone at 1-833-486-3007 (TTY 1-833-467-2700).
- In person at a Service Canada Centre.
- By mail with the paper form, sent to the CDB Processing Centre in Boucherville, Quebec.
Have your Social Insurance Number and proof of your legal status in Canada ready. A legal representative, such as someone with power of attorney, can apply for you with proof of their authority and their own ID.
Service Canada aims to send a decision letter within 28 days, or 49 days when a representative applies. Your first payment comes on the third Thursday of the month after you’re approved. It includes back pay for up to 24 months, but not for any month before June 2025. If you disagree with the decision, you have 180 days to ask for a reconsideration. After that, you can appeal to the Social Security Tribunal.
How provinces and territories treat the CDB
The CDB is not taxable, so you don’t report it on your tax return. Whether it lowers your provincial disability or income assistance depends on where you live:
- Ontario: it does not affect ODSP or Ontario Works. You keep all of it. See our ODSP guide.
- British Columbia: it is fully exempt for people on income, disability and hardship assistance.
- Saskatchewan: it is exempt from SIS and SAID. See our SIS guide.
- Manitoba: it is not counted as income for EIA or Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities. See our EIA guide.
- Alberta: on the standard AISH or ADAP allowance, the CDB counts as income, so your provincial payment goes down by the same amount. People on modified AISH in a facility keep it. AISH clients must still apply for the CDB and report the result, or AISH is cut by $200 a month. See our AISH guide.
If you live somewhere else, ask your caseworker before you assume either way. Always report the CDB to your provincial program when you start getting it.
What changed in 2026
- In July 2026, the maximum went up from $200 to $204.20 a month, and the working income exemption rose to $10,210 for a single person and $14,294 for a couple.
- From July 2026, your payments are based on your 2025 tax return.
- The one-time $150 supplement was paid on September 17, 2026, with more to follow in winter 2027.
- The CDB is reviewed each July. The 2027 amounts have not been announced.
Payment late, missing or different?
Payments go out on the third Thursday of each month. The dates are in the calendar at the top of this page. Canada.ca asks you to wait 5 to 10 business days before contacting the program, because deposits and especially cheques can take time to arrive.
Then call the CDB line at 1-833-486-3007 (TTY 1-833-467-2700; from outside Canada 1-833-486-2919), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time. You can also ask for a call back through the eServiceCanada form.
Common reasons a payment is late or smaller than expected:
- You or your partner didn’t file your tax return by April 30. Without it, payments can stop in July.
- Your address or bank account changed and Service Canada wasn’t told.
- Your income went up, which lowered your amount from July.
- Your first payment included back pay, so later payments look smaller.
Watch for scams. The government never asks for a fee to get the CDB or the DTC, and never asks for gift cards, crypto or your passwords by text or email. If a message asks for any of these, don’t answer it.
Other help you might be missing
- CPP disability: if you worked and paid into CPP, you may get a monthly disability pension.
- Canada Workers Benefit: if you have the DTC and some earnings, you may also get the disability supplement.
- GST/HST credit (Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit): a tax-free quarterly payment for low incomes. You just file your taxes.
- Canada Child Benefit: if your child has the DTC, the Child Disability Benefit is added to your CCB.
- Ontario Trillium Benefit: Ontario residents can get help with rent, property tax and energy costs by filing their taxes.
Common questions
Do I need the Disability Tax Credit to get the Canada Disability Benefit?
Yes. You must be approved for the DTC first. If you aren’t, apply to the CRA with Form T2201, then apply for the CDB.
Is the Canada Disability Benefit taxable?
No. You don’t report it as income on your tax return.
Does the CDB start automatically when I get the DTC?
No. You have to apply online, by phone, in person or by mail. You can get up to 24 months of back pay, but nothing before June 2025.
Will the Canada Disability Benefit reduce my ODSP or AISH?
It does not reduce ODSP or Ontario Works. On standard AISH or ADAP in Alberta, it does reduce your provincial payment by the same amount.
What happens to the CDB when I turn 65?
The CDB is for people aged 18 to 64, so monthly payments end. Apply for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement before your birthday.
Who gets the $150 CDB supplement?
Anyone who got a CDB payment between July 2025 and June 2026 was paid $150 on September 17, 2026. People approved later, or whose DTC was re-certified, should get it in winter 2027.