Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Canada Pension Disability Changes

One of the requirements to qualify for Canada Pension disability benefits is to have made enough contributions into the plan while you were working. You need to have made enough contributions in at least 4 of the last 6 years.

Canada Pension Plan recently introduced a change to this rule that will benefit individuals who made contributions for more than 25 years. Applicants with 25 or more years of contributions into the plan now only need to have made contributions in 3 of the last 6 years. This change applies to all applications received on or after March 3rd, 2008.

All applicants must still meet the second criteria which is: that they suffer from a severe and prolonged disability.

This change will benefit those that have been seriously injured or suffer from a serious illness or disease later in life causing them to lose time off work.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This amendment is a help but *young* Injured Workers and many others will be disqualified.

Drawback: must have contributed for at least 25 years.

Those who have not will get close to 'zip' in their CPP pension at age 65 when Compensation ends.

The Federal government recently created a program for entrepreneurs to contribute to CPP to offset such prospects, but that won't help much if they become injured without at least 25 years paid in.

Workers Compensation does not make a deduction for CPP premiums on benefit cheques.

Therefore, is it worth it for disadvantaged Injured Workers to make voluntary CPP contributions later on in life even though disabled? MAYBE if you are younger, but if you are older:

Sounds like too little too late. HOW can we fix this??