Free tool · Canada

CPP Disability: do you qualify, and how much?

Check the contribution rule, get a rough monthly amount, and see how much back pay is at stake depending on when you apply.

Checked against official sources on September 27, 2026. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.

The calculator

1. The contribution test

In which of these years did you earn at least this much from work? Employment or self-employment income, before tax. Tick every year that applies.

2. The monthly amount

A typical year is fine. We use it to estimate the part of the benefit that depends on your contributions.

3. Back pay

Month your condition stopped you working If it came on gradually, use the month you could no longer keep up regular work.
Month you applied, or plan to apply

Who qualifies

CPP Disability is for people aged 18 to 65 who paid into the Canada Pension Plan and whose condition stops them from working at any job on a regular basis. The condition has to be long-term, with no expected improvement, or likely to cause death.

You must also have made enough contributions: in 4 of the last 6 years, or in 3 of the last 6 if you've contributed for 25 years or more. A year counts only if your earnings were at least 10% of that year's maximum pensionable earnings, rounded down to the nearest $100.

Earnings needed for a year to count
YearMaximum pensionable earningsMinimum to count
2026$74,600$7,400
2025$71,300$7,100
2024$68,500$6,800
2023$66,600$6,600
2022$64,900$6,400
2021$61,600$6,100
2020$58,700$5,800
2019$57,400$5,700
2018$55,900$5,500
2017$55,300$5,500
2016$54,900$5,400

There are exceptions. Years spent caring for young children, contributions split with a former spouse or partner, and work in another country can all help. If your condition began years ago, the late applicant provision looks at the years before it started.

How much it pays

The monthly amount is a flat part that everyone gets ($610.46 in 2026) plus 75% of the CPP retirement pension your contributions have earned. In 2026 the maximum is $1,741.20 a month, and the average for new beneficiaries is $1,234.68. Amounts rise each January with the cost of living. The benefit is taxable.

Service Canada treats earning more than $20,971.45 a year (2026) as a sign of substantially gainful work.

When payments start, and why to apply early

Payments start in the fourth month after the month you're considered disabled. But the law won't treat you as disabled earlier than 15 months before you apply. Together, that means CPP can pay at most 11 months before the month you apply.

If your condition started more than 15 months ago, every month you wait to apply is a month of benefits you can't get back.

Service Canada aims to decide within 120 days, within 30 days for a grave condition, and within 5 days for a terminal illness.

If you're turned down

  1. Reconsideration: ask Service Canada to look again within 90 days of the date you receive the decision letter. The law lets it allow more time.
  2. Appeal: if the reconsideration says no, you have 90 days after you get that decision to appeal to the Social Security Tribunal. The Tribunal can't accept an appeal more than one year late.

Work out your deadline.

Questions people ask

How much is CPP Disability in 2026?

Up to $1,741.20 a month. It is $610.46 for everyone plus an amount based on your contributions. The average for new beneficiaries is $1,234.68 a month.

How many years do I need to have worked?

You need contributions in 4 of the last 6 years, or 3 of the last 6 if you have contributed for 25 years or more. A year counts if you earned at least 10% of that year's maximum pensionable earnings, which is $7,400 in 2026.

How far back does CPP Disability pay?

Up to 11 months before the month you apply. Payments begin 4 months after the month you're considered disabled, and you can't be considered disabled earlier than 15 months before you apply.

How long does a decision take?

Service Canada's standard is 120 days. For a grave condition it's 30 days, and for a terminal illness it's 5 days.

Can I get CPP Disability and the Disability Tax Credit?

Yes. They are separate programs with different tests. The tax credit is about daily activities; CPP Disability is about whether you can work regularly.

Sources

Checked against these on September 27, 2026. Amounts change every January or July; we recheck them each year.

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