Disability Benefits: What Makes You Qualify For It In Canada?

A disability should not stop you from living your life. Hence, government organizations and employers offer disability benefits to their employees who suffer a disability. The purpose is to help people live independently and ensure their well-being.

There are several types of disabilities, discussed in the next section:

Types of disabilities

To be eligible for disability benefits, you may be suffering from chronic pain, psychiatric disability, short-term disability, and long-term disability.

Chronic pains and fibromyalgia are disabilities that render it difficult for a person to perform day-to-day tasks. Often when people suffer from such a disability file for a claim with the insurance company, they are not shown empathy. Since chronic pain is not visible to the eye, it becomes difficult for the organization covering the claim to determine if a case is legitimate or not. In such a case, if you believe that your disability to be genuine, then you should hire a disability claim lawyer to help you prove your case. These law services hire professional doctors and psychiatrists to assess your condition and help you fight your case.

Psychiatric disabilities include mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), bipolar disorders, etc. These illnesses can make it difficult for a person to perform day-to-day tasks. 

Short-term disability lasts for several months to a year. If you are injured in an accident, it may take some time for you to recover. During this time, you may not be able to work and provide a living for yourself or your family (in the case you have dependents). Hence, you will receive disability benefits. Another instance is when a person suffers from a long-term disability, which can last a lifetime. Disability benefits, in this case, may help an individual to pay bills and cover medical expenses.

Apart from this, a person has to qualify criteria to be eligible for disability benefits in Canada:

• You must be above the age of 18 and below 65.
• To qualify for CPP, you must contribute to CPP at some point.
• You must suffer a disability that prevents you from working a regular job.

Disability benefits from various sources

In case of a disability, you may receive benefits from various sources: an insurance company, your employer, and the Canadian Government. The following explains this in detail:

From the insurance company

Disability insurance protects you if you experience an illness. According to the Canadain Government, disability insurance can cover 60% to 85% of your income. It provides financial assistance in two cases. These include your inability to work temporarily or permanently. 

In the case of disability insurance, a person receives money monthly. You can receive money even if you have a job but are unable to pay your bills. In the case you cannot work, you still receive benefits. 

From your employer

Employers also offer disability insurance. Before you seek insurance from an insurance company, you should seek one from your employer. In case of short-term disability, an employer will cover the claim and provide your financial assistance. 

From the government

The Canadian Government has several programs to help people with disabilities live their lives without any financial worries. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits are for people who have contributed to CPP and are under the age of 65. In addition to Employment Insurance (EI), the government also offers benefits to veterans and dependent children of the CPP.

For more information regarding this, you can visit the Canadian Government’s official website.

Apart from this, you can also supplement your income through a private disability plan. These are in case you may become disabled in the future.

Conclusion

Disability benefits can help disable people function as normal individuals. Hence, these methods can help one become financially independent.