Newcomers Guide

Canada Disability Benefit 2026: amount, eligibility, income limits and how to apply

By Alex Francisco Updated Oct 8, 2026 Figures checked Oct 8, 2026 9 min read

What is the Canada Disability Benefit and how much does it pay in 2026?

The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is a monthly, non-taxable federal payment of up to $204.20 for low-income adults aged 18 to 64 who are approved for the disability tax credit. Service Canada pays it on the third Thursday of each month; the next payment date is October 15, 2026. Single recipients get the full amount with adjusted family net income of $23,483 or less.

The Canada Disability Benefit pays up to $204.20 a month from July 2026 to June 2027, up from $200 a month in the first payment period.
Eligibility requires being 18 to 64, approved for the disability tax credit, a Canadian resident for tax purposes, and having filed the 2025 federal tax return (a spouse or common-law partner must file too).
A single person receives the maximum with adjusted family net income of $23,483 or less, after up to $10,210 of working income is left out; above that the benefit drops by 20% of the extra income.
Couples can leave out up to $14,294 of combined working income; when both partners receive the benefit, each payment is reduced by 10% of income over the couple threshold.
Payments go out on the third Thursday of each month, starting the month after approval, and the first one includes back payments of up to 24 months, never for months before June 2025.
Applications go to Service Canada online, by phone, in person or by mail, and a decision letter is expected within 28 calendar days.

— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on October 8, 2026. Sources

The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is a federal payment for working-age adults with disabilities and low incomes. Service Canada runs it, the amount depends on adjusted family net income from the previous year’s tax return, and nobody receives it without first being approved for the disability tax credit. The amounts for the current payment period come first, then the payment dates.

Canada Disability Benefit amounts and income rules, July 2026 to June 2027

How to read this table: payments in this period use the 2025 tax return. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has published the indexed maximum and working income exemptions for all three situations, but the indexed income threshold only for single recipients, and on October 8, 2026 only on the French version of its amount page. The English page still showed the July 2025 to June 2026 thresholds.

Situation	Maximum per month	Working income left out	Full benefit up to adjusted family net income of	Reduction above that
Single, separated, divorced or widowed	$204.20	$10,210	$23,483	20% of income over the threshold
Couple, spouse or partner not eligible for the benefit	$204.20	$14,294	Not published yet	20% of income over the threshold
Couple, both eligible for the benefit	$204.20 each	$14,294	Not published yet	10% from each partner's benefit

Canada Disability Benefit payment dates 2026

Next payment date

Thursday, October 15, 2026

This is the date the payment is issued. Deposits can take a few days to arrive and mailed cheques can take longer, so allow a few business days before contacting the government.

Month	2025	2026
January	—	Thu, January 15
February	—	Thu, February 19
March	—	Thu, March 19
April	—	Thu, April 16
May	—	Thu, May 21
June	—	Thu, June 18
July	Thu, July 17	Thu, July 16
August	Thu, August 21	Thu, August 20
September	Thu, September 18	Thu, September 17
October	Thu, October 16	Thu, October 15
November	Thu, November 20	Thu, November 19
December	Thu, December 18	Thu, December 17

This page is education, not financial or legal advice. The exact amount for a specific person is in the decision letter and the yearly June letter from Service Canada, and Service Canada can confirm payment details by phone.

How much is the Canada Disability Benefit in 2026?

The maximum Canada Disability Benefit is $204.20 a month for the payment period from July 2026 to June 2027. Over a full period that comes to $2,450.40. In the first period, July 2025 to June 2026, the maximum was $200 a month, or $2,400 for the year.

Three things about the amount are easy to miss:

It follows last year’s income. Payments from July 2026 to June 2027 are based on the 2025 federal tax return. A change in income during 2026 only shows up in payments from July 2027.
It is indexed. The benefit is adjusted for inflation every year, and ESDC states the payment will not decrease if the cost of living goes down. The regulations achieve that by using the highest yearly Consumer Price Index since 2024.
It is non-taxable. Payments are not reported on the tax return and no tax slip is issued.

For reference, and because back payments can reach into it, these were the figures for the first payment period:

Canada Disability Benefit amounts and income rules, July 2025 to June 2026

How to read this table: payments in this period used the 2024 tax return. When both partners were eligible, each could receive up to the monthly maximum.

Situation	Maximum per month	Working income left out	Full benefit up to adjusted family net income of	Reduction above that
Single, separated, divorced or widowed	$200	$10,000	$23,000	20% of income over the threshold
Couple, spouse or partner not eligible for the benefit	$200	$14,000	$32,500	20% of income over the threshold
Couple, both eligible for the benefit	$200	$14,000	$32,500	10% from each partner's benefit

Who is eligible for the Canada Disability Benefit?

Eligibility comes down to six conditions set by ESDC, and all of them have to be met at the same time.

Canada Disability Benefit eligibility requirements

How to read this table: permanent resident, protected person and temporary resident have the meanings given in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Requirement	What ESDC requires
Age	Between 18 and 64. An application can be sent up to 6 months before the 18th birthday, but it is not processed until the applicant turns 18.
Disability tax credit	Approved for the disability tax credit (DTC).
Tax residency	A Canadian resident for income tax filing purposes.
Tax filing	The applicant, and a spouse or common-law partner if there is one, must have filed the 2025 federal income tax return to receive payments.
Status in Canada	A Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a person registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada throughout the previous 18 months.
Incarceration	Not payable while serving a sentence of 2 years or more in a federal penitentiary, except for the first and last month; a new application is needed after release.

The second condition is the gate to everything else. The benefit is tied to the disability tax credit, which the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) approves after a medical practitioner certifies Form T2201. Without an approved certificate there is no CDB, and if the approval lapses the payments stop.

The tax-filing condition catches couples. Both partners must have filed the 2025 return, even when only one has a disability and the other has no income. The regulations let the Minister waive the partner’s filing requirement where it is unreasonable or impracticable, for example when the partner is not resident in Canada for tax purposes or has engaged in family violence; a person granted the waiver is assessed as single. To stay eligible in later years, the return has to be filed by April 30 every year; the Canadian tax deadline guide lists the dates.

People aged 65 or older are outside the age range, but an application can still produce back payments for eligible months up to the month the person turned 65.

How does income reduce the Canada Disability Benefit?

The benefit is income-tested: it starts to shrink once adjusted family net income passes a threshold, and reaches zero when income is well above it. ESDC defines adjusted family net income this way:

How adjusted family net income is worked out for the Canada Disability Benefit

How to read this table: for a couple, the lines from both tax returns are combined. Money taken out of an RDSP is subtracted, so it does not reduce the benefit.

Step	Tax return lines
Start with family net income	Line 23600 of the applicant's tax return, plus line 23600 of the spouse or common-law partner's return.
Subtract	Universal child care benefit (UCCB) and registered disability savings plan (RDSP) income received (lines 11700 and 12500).
Add back	UCCB and RDSP amounts repaid (lines 21300 and 23200).

Before the threshold is applied, some working income is left out. Working income means income from employment, self-employment and taxable scholarships. For July 2026 to June 2027 the exemption is up to $10,210 for a single person and up to $14,294 of combined working income for a couple, and the couple exemption applies even when the working partner is not the one with the disability.

For a single person in the current period, the steps are:

Take adjusted family net income from the 2025 return.
Subtract working income, up to $10,210.
Subtract the threshold of $23,483. If the result is zero or less, the full $204.20 a month is paid.
Otherwise multiply the result by 20%, and subtract that from the yearly maximum.
Divide by 12 for the monthly payment.

Two examples for a single person, July 2026 to June 2027:

A person with $16,000 of provincial assistance on line 23600 and no working income is under the threshold and receives the full $204.20 a month.
A person with $35,000 of employment income and no other income has $24,790 counted, which is $1,307 over the threshold. The yearly reduction is $261.40, so the monthly payment works out to about $182.42.

By the same arithmetic, a single person with no working income stops receiving anything at adjusted family net income of about $35,735, and a single person using the full working income exemption at about $45,945. These are calculations from the published figures, not numbers ESDC lists.

Couples. In the first payment period the couple threshold was $32,500. The reduction is 20% of income over the threshold when only one partner receives the benefit, and 10% from each partner’s benefit when both do. ESDC had not published the indexed couple threshold for July 2026 to June 2027 on October 8, 2026. The regulations multiply $32,500 by the same indexing factor used for every other figure, which would put it at about $33,182.50. That figure is an estimate until ESDC confirms it.

Very small amounts. When the total for a July to June period is $240 or less, which is $20 or less a month, Service Canada pays one lump sum for the remaining months instead of monthly payments.

ESDC’s own online estimator gives a personalised figure; on October 8, 2026 its amount page noted that the estimator and worked examples still used July 2025 to June 2026 data. The income tax calculator helps with the net income side of the same return.

How do you apply for the Canada Disability Benefit?

Applications go to Service Canada, and there are four ways to send one.

Ways to apply for the Canada Disability Benefit

How to read this table: some people received a letter from Service Canada with a 6-digit application code, which is entered with the application. A code is not required to apply.

Method	Details
Online	The route Service Canada recommends for a faster application.
By phone	Service Canada at 1-833-486-3007 (TTY 1-833-467-2700), 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time, Monday to Friday. A video relay service line is available for sign language users.
In person	At a Service Canada office.
By printed form	Dropped off at a Service Canada office or mailed to Service Canada Centre, CDB Processing Centre, P.O. Box 60, Boucherville, QC J4B 5E6.

What to have ready:

Social Insurance Number (SIN), from the SIN card, SIN confirmation letter or a tax document.
Mailing address and legal status in Canada.
The application code, for anyone who received the Service Canada letter.
Direct deposit details (branch, institution and account numbers). This is optional, but Service Canada describes direct deposit as the fastest and most reliable way to be paid; cheques are the alternative.
Net income from line 23600 of the notice of assessment, also optional. ESDC says providing it speeds up processing.

A legal representative, such as a court-appointed guardian or a person acting under a power of attorney, can apply on someone’s behalf with proof of legal authority and their own government-issued identification.

What happens after applying for the Canada Disability Benefit

How to read this table: there is no need to reapply each year. Service Canada reviews eligibility annually using the tax return.

Step	Timing
Eligibility decision letter	Expected within 28 calendar days of applying (49 calendar days when a legal representative applies)
First payment	The third Thursday of the month after approval, including any back payments
Back payments	Up to 24 months from the date Service Canada receives the application, never for months before June 2025
Reconsideration request	Within 180 days of the date on the decision letter
Yearly review letter	Every June, confirming eligibility and the payment amount for the period that starts in July

What if a payment is late, stopped or wrong?

Service Canada, not the CRA, handles questions about CDB payments. The phone line is 1-833-486-3007, open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time, Monday to Friday, with a TTY line at 1-833-467-2700.

ESDC lists these reasons for payments stopping or changing:

A letter from Service Canada about the recipient’s situation went unanswered.
A new address or bank account was not reported to both Service Canada and the CRA. Updating one does not update the other.
Marital status changed, or family income changed or is now too high.
An eligibility requirement is no longer met, such as the disability tax credit approval or the yearly tax return.
The recipient is serving a federal sentence of 2 years or more.
Payments were redirected by garnishment under a family support order.

Anyone who disagrees with the eligibility decision or the amount can ask for a reconsideration within 180 days of the date on the decision letter. If the reconsideration is denied, the next step is the Social Security Tribunal of Canada.

One caution on pausing: a request to pause or stop payments is irreversible for the paused period, with no back payments for it, and after more than 24 months paused a new application is needed.

How do provinces treat the Canada Disability Benefit?

Provinces decide for themselves whether the federal benefit counts as income for their own disability and social assistance programs. Three provinces state their position on official pages checked for this guide:

Provincial treatment of the Canada Disability Benefit: Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta

How to read this table: only provinces whose government pages state the treatment in plain terms are listed. For any other province or territory, the provincial program office is the source to check.

Province	Provincial programs	Treatment	What the province states
Ontario	Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and other social assistance	Exempt as income	Ontario states the Canada Disability Benefit will not affect eligibility for ODSP or the amount of the ODSP payment.
British Columbia	Income, disability and hardship assistance under the BC Employment and Assistance program	Not considered income; exempt	Listed as exempt in the province's income treatment policy, effective July 1, 2025.
Alberta	Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP)	Clients must apply and report the outcome; $200 deducted where no decision	AISH and ADAP clients must apply for federal programs and report the outcome. Where no decision on the CDB application had been made by February 28, 2026, Alberta reduced AISH or ADAP benefits by $200 in CDB income starting with April 2026 benefits.

Source: Ontario Disability Support Program — Ontario.ca (Canada Disability Benefit exempt as income); Ontario Disability Support Program — Ontario.ca (no effect on ODSP eligibility or payment); BC Employment and Assistance policy manual — Income Treatment and Exemptions — Province of British Columbia (Canada disability benefit, effective date); BC Employment and Assistance policy manual — Income Treatment and Exemptions — Province of British Columbia (treatment); Apply for federal disability supports — Alberta.ca (AISH and ADAP clients must apply for federal programs); Apply for federal disability supports — Alberta.ca (reporting the outcome); Apply for federal disability supports — Alberta.ca (CDB income reduced from AISH or ADAP benefits). In effect from July 1, 2025; checked October 8, 2026.

In practice that means an Ontario recipient keeps the federal payment on top of the amounts in the ODSP payment dates guide, while in Alberta, AISH and ADAP clients are required to apply for the federal benefit and report the result, and the province has already taken $200 of CDB income off the amounts in the AISH payment dates guide for clients with no decision by February 28, 2026.

What is the $150 supplemental payment?

The supplemental payment is a fixed $150 lump sum, separate from the monthly benefit, meant to help offset the cost of obtaining the disability tax credit certificate. The rule took legal effect on September 1, 2026.

Who gets it: one payment for each approved DTC certificate that qualifies a person for a monthly CDB payment. No application is needed.
When: people who received a CDB payment between July 2025 and June 2026 were paid on September 17, 2026. People whose first CDB payment came after June 2026 receive it at a later date that ESDC had not listed on October 8, 2026.
Past recipients: someone who received a CDB payment before September 2026 still qualifies even if payments have since stopped.

What changes next for the Canada Disability Benefit?

October 15, November 19 and December 17, 2026: the remaining payment dates listed for this year.
2027 payment dates: not yet on the federal benefits calendar; the pattern is the third Thursday of each month.
April 30, 2027: the 2026 tax return needs to be filed by this date to stay eligible.
June 2027: Service Canada sends the yearly letter confirming eligibility and the new amount.
July 2027: a new payment period begins, using 2026 income and newly indexed figures. This page is updated when ESDC publishes them, including the couple thresholds still outstanding for the current period.

Common mistakes with the Canada Disability Benefit

Assuming it arrives automatically. Unlike CRA credits, the CDB needs its own application to Service Canada, even for people who already have the disability tax credit.
Applying to the wrong agency. The DTC goes through the CRA; the CDB goes through Service Canada.
A partner who has not filed. One missing return in a couple blocks the payment unless Service Canada grants a waiver.
Confusing it with CPP disability. CPP disability benefits depend on past CPP contributions and are taxable; the CDB depends on family income and is non-taxable. A person can qualify for one, both or neither.
Counting on current income. The payment uses last year’s return, so a drop in income takes until the following July to raise the benefit.
Waiting to apply. Back payments are capped at 24 months from the date the application is received.
Updating only one agency. Address, banking and marital status changes go to both Service Canada and the CRA.

The same disability tax credit approval opens other federal programs. The RDSP adds federal grants and bonds to long-term savings, and RDSP income is left out of the income used for the CDB. Workers with low earnings can also qualify for the disability supplement of the Canada workers benefit. The CRA payment dates calendar lists the deposits that arrive from the CRA in the same months.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Canada Disability Benefit in 2026?

The maximum is $204.20 a month for the payment period from July 2026 to June 2027, based on the 2025 tax return. From July 2025 to June 2026 the maximum was $200 a month, or $2,400 for the full period. The amount is adjusted for inflation each year, and Employment and Social Development Canada states the payment will not decrease if the cost of living goes down.

Who is eligible for the Canada Disability Benefit?

A person must be between 18 and 64, be approved for the disability tax credit, be a Canadian resident for income tax filing purposes, and have filed the 2025 federal tax return; a spouse or common-law partner must have filed too. The applicant must also be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a person registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada throughout the previous 18 months.

When is the next Canada Disability Benefit payment?

The next Canada Disability Benefit payment date is Thursday, October 15, 2026. The remaining 2026 dates on the federal benefits calendar are November 19 and December 17. Payments are sent on the third Thursday of each month. The 2027 dates had not been listed on the calendar when this page was checked on October 8, 2026.

What is the income limit for the Canada Disability Benefit?

There is no single cut-off. A single person gets the full amount with adjusted family net income of $23,483 or less for July 2026 to June 2027, after up to $10,210 of working income is excluded. Every dollar above the threshold reduces the yearly benefit by 20 cents, so the payment shrinks gradually to zero. The indexed thresholds for couples for the same period had not been published on October 8, 2026.

Do you need the disability tax credit to get the Canada Disability Benefit?

Yes. Being approved for the disability tax credit (DTC) is one of the eligibility requirements, and it has to stay approved for payments to continue. The DTC is applied for through the Canada Revenue Agency with Form T2201, which a medical practitioner certifies. A separate $150 supplemental payment exists to help offset the cost of obtaining the DTC certificate.

How do you apply for the Canada Disability Benefit?

Applications go to Service Canada, not the Canada Revenue Agency. There are four routes: online, which Service Canada recommends as the faster option; by phone at 1-833-486-3007; in person at a Service Canada office; or by mailing a printed form to the CDB Processing Centre in Boucherville, Quebec. A decision letter is expected within 28 calendar days, or 49 when a legal representative applies.

Is the Canada Disability Benefit taxable?

No. Canada Disability Benefit payments are non-taxable. They do not need to be reported as income on the tax return, and no tax slip is issued for them. Filing a tax return every year is still required, because Service Canada uses the return to confirm eligibility and to work out the payment for the period that starts each July.

Can you get back payments of the Canada Disability Benefit?

Yes. Back payments can cover up to 24 months from the date Service Canada receives the application, but never months before June 2025, the first month of eligibility. They are included in the first payment. People aged 65 or older may still receive back payments for eligible months up to the month they turned 65.

Does the Canada Disability Benefit reduce ODSP or AISH?

It depends on the province. Ontario states the benefit is exempt as income and does not affect ODSP eligibility or the ODSP payment amount. British Columbia lists it as exempt and not considered income. Alberta requires AISH and ADAP clients to apply for it and report the outcome, and states that where no decision on the application had been made by February 28, 2026, $200 in CDB income was reduced from AISH or ADAP benefits starting in April 2026.

What is the $150 Canada Disability Benefit supplemental payment?

The supplemental payment is a fixed $150 lump sum meant to help offset the cost of obtaining the disability tax credit. It took legal effect on September 1, 2026 and needs no application. People who received a CDB payment between July 2025 and June 2026 were paid on September 17, 2026; those whose first payment came after June 2026 get it at a later date.

Can a temporary resident or newcomer get the Canada Disability Benefit?

Possibly. Permanent residents and protected persons meet the status requirement straight away, and a temporary resident qualifies on status after living in Canada throughout the previous 18 months. Every applicant still needs an approved disability tax credit, Canadian residency for tax purposes and a filed 2025 federal tax return, so a newcomer usually has to file a first Canadian return before payments can start.

What happens to the Canada Disability Benefit at age 65?

The benefit is for people aged 18 to 64, and under the regulations a person is still eligible for the month in which they turn 65. Someone who is already 65 or older and never applied may still get back payments for up to 24 months from the application date, up to the month they turned 65, and not for months before June 2025.

Rules, rates and sources

Last verified: October 8, 2026
Next scheduled check: January 7, 2027

Rule or table	In effect from	Verified
Canada Disability Benefit: amounts, income thresholds and eligibility	July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027	October 8, 2026
Canada Disability Benefit: how Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta treat it for provincial disability assistance	July 1, 2025	October 8, 2026

Official sources

Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) — Canada.ca (supplemental payment date, first payments, back payments) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit — How much you could receive — Canada.ca (maximum, July 2026 to June 2027) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Prestation canadienne pour les personnes en situation de handicap — Montant — Canada.ca (French page; single threshold with the July 2026 to June 2027 working income exemption) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit — Do you qualify — Canada.ca (age and DTC) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit — Payments — Canada.ca (payment day) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit — Apply — Canada.ca (ways to apply) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit — After you apply — Canada.ca (decision time) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Benefits payment dates — Canada.ca (Canada Disability Benefit 2026 and 2025) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit Regulations (SOR/2025-35), s. 6 — Justice Laws Website (reduction rates and indexing; current to 2026-09-21) — Department of Justice Canada
About the Canada Disability Benefit program — Canada.ca (supplemental amount in force) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada Disability Benefit — Contact us — Canada.ca (telephone) — Employment and Social Development Canada
Ontario Disability Support Program — Ontario.ca (Canada Disability Benefit exempt as income) — Government of Ontario
BC Employment and Assistance policy manual — Income Treatment and Exemptions — Province of British Columbia (Canada disability benefit, effective date) — Government of British Columbia
Apply for federal disability supports — Alberta.ca (AISH and ADAP clients must apply for federal programs) — Government of Alberta

How we check figures: our methodology and editorial policy.

General information for education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change — confirm anything you act on with the official source or a licensed professional (for immigration, a lawyer or a licensed consultant registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).

What is the Canada Disability Benefit and how much does it pay in 2026?

Canada Disability Benefit payment dates 2026

How much is the Canada Disability Benefit in 2026?

Who is eligible for the Canada Disability Benefit?

How does income reduce the Canada Disability Benefit?

How do you apply for the Canada Disability Benefit?

What if a payment is late, stopped or wrong?

How do provinces treat the Canada Disability Benefit?

What is the $150 supplemental payment?

What changes next for the Canada Disability Benefit?

Common mistakes with the Canada Disability Benefit

Related benefits and tools

Frequently asked questions

Rules, rates and sources