Throughout my time dealing with CPP disability claims, I have tried to provide the best information possible to help individuals succeed at the application stage. What follows are my top 10 tips for applying for CPP disability benefits, as well as a step-by-step guide on how to fill out CPP disability forms.
If you have questions about this article, please feel free to contact our support team at (888) 480-9050.
Keep on learning, and I wish you all the best with your journey.
— David Brannen, disability lawyer and founder of Resolute Legal
10 tips for applying for CPP disability
Below, I present my top 10 tips for applying for CPP disability. I trust that these suggestions will enhance your understanding of the CPP disability application process, ultimately making it more manageable. Best of luck!
1. Make sure you qualify
If you have begun your application already, you’re probably aware of the eligibility criteria.
To be eligible to receive CPP disability benefits, you must:
- Be between the ages of 18-65;
- Have made contributions to CPP for 4 out of the last six years,
or 3 out of the last six if you have over 25 years of total contributions; - Have a disability that is both “severe and prolonged.”
Here, severe means that you have a mental or physical disability that regularly stops you from doing any type of substantially gainful work. Prolonged means that your disability is long-term and is either of indefinite duration or is likely to result in death.
Before going through all the work to apply, I highly suggest you take the time to confirm that you qualify. Pay special attention to the contribution aspect. Even if your disability meets the “severe and prolonged” definition, you won’t be approved if you did not contribute enough to the plan. I recommend you look into this factor as soon as you begin to consider ceasing work. Of course, you can still review your eligibility if you are already off work.
The contribution criterion requires that you meet the minimum qualifying period for benefits. But there are some exceptions. For example, if you were off work and not contributing due to being a primary childcare provider in the household, that is an exception.
If you don’t meet the criteria or fall under an exception, you may need to continue working and contributing until you meet the minimum qualifying period. You might have to look for alternative disability benefits providers if you aren’t able to satisfy this criterion.
2. Don’t send in your application before you’re eligible
The CPP disability program requires you to be off work for four months before being eligible. During this time, we suggest you apply for any other disability assistance you have available to you. This might include EI sickness or any private insurance claims you may have, for example. While you wait, I suggest you begin to work on your CPP disability application. That way, you can have it ready to send in when you have been off work long enough to be considered eligible.
If you need more information on how CPP works and how to tell if you’re eligible, check out how much is CPP disability. This article overviews how much CPP pays and includes links to a CPP disability benefits calculator.
3. Tell the best story in your cover letter
Here at Resolute Legal, we believe that the best story wins. The story you tell in your cover letter can make or break your CPP disability claim. So, you should take the right amount of time and attention to write the best possible version.
Introduction
Address your cover letter to your local Service Canada office. It should reference both your name and social insurance number. In the first paragraph, you should state which forms you are attaching as part of your application. Then, list the forms and additional documents you have attached (with page references, if possible).
Work history
The rest of the letter should give more information about your education, work history, and the impact of your disability over time. This is essentially where you should be describing your timeline of events to the adjudicator. Include everything, from the initial appearance of your symptoms to where you are now. Be sure to explain what the symptoms are and how they have evolved. Detail your diagnosed condition(s) within this section and describe how they have prevented you from working. It’s important to include any reduced work or accommodations made before you leave work. If you made attempts at any other type of work, then you should include those, too. These attempts might be accommodations for your own role, other types of positions held elsewhere, or volunteer work.
Personal life
Make sure to include a section to explain how you feel the disability’s impairments have limited you in your personal life as well. This might include things like household chores, personal hygiene, socializing, driving, exercising, child care, or any other daily activities.
Avoid making negative claims about suggested treatments or complaints about physicians. Try not to be argumentative in general about your condition, diagnoses, or the disability claim program itself. The whole process is frustrating, but getting frustrated won’t help your case.
The key is to tell your own story by focusing on your actions. The letter doesn’t necessarily have to be long — it just has to show that you have done everything in your ability to get better and remain at work.
4. Double-check your application
This tip for applying for CPP disability is often overlooked. Fill in your application to the best of your ability. When you are done, ask someone to review it. This should be someone who knows you and your situation well. Ask them to make sure it’s clear and if you left anything out.
As part of this double-check, make sure you have used the most current version of the forms. Make sure to download them directly from Service Canada’s website. If you submit the wrong forms, you will have issues with delays and will likely be required to re-do your application with the correct forms.
5. Hire a Lawyer
Contrary to what you may hear, there are no “automatic” approvals for CPP disability benefits. While some may get approved with little effort and no representation, others in seemingly the same situation will get denied.
The key to being approved is submitting a thorough application that presents a compelling story. And, sometimes, working with someone on your application is the best way to get your story together.
There are two types of representatives: licensed and unlicensed. Licensed representatives include lawyers (all provinces) and paralegals (Ontario only). Unlicensed representatives is a broader category that includes all other people who represent people in CPP disability claims and applications — businesses, advocacy groups, and more.
Working with the right representative can increase your chance of success at the initial application. Not all representatives have the same level of skill or competence, so you need to choose wisely.
Here at Resolute Legal, we specialize in disability claims, including CPP disability. So, if you’d like to work with a firm that knows what it takes to win even the hardest CPP disability cases, give us a call at (888) 480-9050 or schedule a free consultation.
To learn more about our team, check out our page, CPP disability appeal lawyers.
6. Prepare additional supporting documentation
Most medical conditions vary vastly from person to person. To heighten your chances of success, you will need to gather all other medical evidence in addition to the medical report filled in by your doctor. This includes narratives and reports from specialists or treatment providers, medication prescription histories, test records, or any other medical documents your family doctor has that detail your limitations.
Detailing your attempted treatments and the different doctors you’ve seen is key to the approval of CPP disability benefits. It is not enough for you to just mention it in your cover letter — having the actual medical documentation to back anything you have claimed will strengthen your chance of success.
You may need to specifically request additional records during the appointment when you provide your doctor with the CPP disability medical report. Be aware you may have to pay for these extra documents. You may need to request records or narratives directly from your other providers — counsellor or therapist, occupational therapist, specialist, massage therapist, physiotherapist, etc. Some doctors offer to handle this and send them along with their reports. Verify what they are sending and gather the rest yourself so you know that everything will be submitted.
7. Have your doctor complete the medical report once you’ve done everything else
Provide your doctor with the CPP medical report forms for completion only once you have your application, cover letter sections and additional supporting documents ready to go.
Confirm that your doctor will send the completed medical report to Service Canada once they’re done. They usually do, as Service Canada reimburses doctors for the form to be completed, but it’s best to make sure that this is their plan. Make sure to mention in your cover letter that your medical report will follow your application, as your doctor will complete and send it to them. You do not have to wait for your doctor to complete the report before you send in your application.
It’s very important to note that your doctor cannot simply input your diagnosis and that it renders you unable to work or just write that it is severe and prolonged. These types of brief and generalized statements will likely result in denial; they are not sufficient evidence and don’t support the personal statements outlined in your cover letter.
8. Never mail by courier
This tip for applying for CPP disability may seem insignificant, but I assure you it’s not. You should never use a courier — Purolator, Fedex, DHL, etc. — to submit your application. Service Canada receives their mail through a normal Canada Post mailbox; therefore, no one is available for direct sign-off on receipt of a package sent with a courier.
We suggest sending your application using Canada Post Xpresspost service — this is how we personally send our packages to Service Canada. You’ll receive a tracking number and will have verified proof that your package was sent, and you’ll also know when it arrives at Service Canada’s mailbox.
9. Be patient
The most important piece of advice I can give is to have patience after you mail out your application. I know this can be incredibly difficult after the amount of work it takes to prepare your application — especially if you’ve already been off work for some time.
Service Canada has 170 days to make a decision after they receive all of your submissions and your doctor’s medical report form. You should receive a call when they have everything they need to begin assessing your claim. I suggest you mark this date in your calendar, as well as a reminder for 170 days after. If you do not hear from them by that time, then you can reach out to check on the status of your application. Calling multiple times before this period is over will not speed up the decision process — and it’s best to avoid doing this so you don’t get on the adjudicator’s bad side.
This process is overwhelming and can be quite extensive. Remember to go at your own pace and take breaks when necessary. If you start filling out your application while you are waiting to become eligible, as I suggested above, you will have enough time to get everything together. Just remember to take deep breaths and ask for help when needed.
10. Avoid common mistakes if you represent yourself
As discussed earlier, hiring a lawyer can improve your chances of getting approved for CPP disability. However, if you have decided to apply on your own, you will benefit from knowing these 7 common mistakes people make when they’re not represented by a competent lawyer or another representative.
Mistake #1: Don’t apply for CPP disability benefits while you’re still working full-time
Generally speaking, you can’t receive CPP disability benefits if you’re still working full-time. There are some rare exceptions to this, but 99.9% of applications will be denied if the applicant still works full-time.
You may be struggling at work and want to avoid a gap in income. Unfortunately, you can’t be approved if you are still capable of working — even if it is a major struggle for you.
There’s also a mandatory 4-month waiting period to qualify for CPP disability benefits. This means you must be continuously disabled for a minimum of four months before you even qualify to apply for CPP disability. During this four-month period, you may be eligible to receive Employment Insurance sickness benefits to help with your finances.
When reviewing an application for CPP disability, one of the first things the CPP administration considers is whether you are capable of doing substantially gainful work on a regular basis. If you’re working and earning more than $1,362 per week, they will always assume you’re capable of substantially gainful work.
The threshold for “substantially gainful” employment is when a person has the ability to earn over $1,362 per month (in 2019). This includes full-time or part-time work.
So, if you’re earning more than that and continue to be a full-time employee, then you shouldn’t apply for CPP disability right now. You are better off waiting and applying once you have to stop work completely or until you have to reduce your hours to the point where you’re earning less than ~$1,300 per month. If you are continuing to work in any capacity, you should consult with a disability lawyer before making your application.
Mistake #2: Not Applying While You’re Doing Part-Time or Subsidized Work
You can’t be approved for CPP disability if you are able to do substantially gainful work on a regular basis; however, not all work counts as substantially gainful. Also, you may be able to do substantially gainful work sporadically but not on a “regular” basis.
You should apply for CPP disability benefits if you’re only capable of working part-time and earning less than $1,362 per month.
Also, there are some types of work that CPP disability doesn’t view as “real work.” This can include:
- Employment in a sheltered workplace
- Work that requires constant supervision
- Work that is only possible because of a benevolent employer
For example
Once, we won a case for a woman who was employed full-time for 20 weeks per year. She earned more than $1,362 per month.
We proved that she worked for a friend who felt bad for her. She wasn’t required to do any actual work beyond showing up when she could and helping out here and there. We proved to the Tribunal Judge that she only had this job because of a benevolent employer. No “real world” business would have hired her.
Mistake #3: Applying for CPP Disability When You are Collecting Regular EI Benefits
When you apply for CPP disability benefits, you must certify that you are incapable of doing substantially gainful work on a regular basis.
When you apply for regular employment insurance benefits, you have to certify that you are “ready and able to work.”
These two statements are in complete contradiction with each other. If you’re applying for both, you’re lying on one of the two applications.
CPP disability will not accept the excuse that you didn’t have any choice but to apply for regular EI benefits because you needed the money to survive. It is fraud to certify that you are ready and able to work if you are, in fact, not able. If you apply for regular EI benefits, then you must not apply for CPP disability benefits.
Before applying for CPP disability benefits, you will need to make attempts to work — preferably while you are still receiving regular EI benefits. By attempts to work, I mean you actually have to get a job and show up for work. It’s not enough for you to have applied and not received a job offer; the CPP administration will say the only reason you aren’t working is because you weren’t offered a job. You have to show that you have tried doing actual work and were unsuccessful.
Mistake #4: Failing to Prepare a Thorough Application
At the very minimum, an application for CPP disability requires you to fill out application forms; however, in most cases, you will need to give more information to give yourself the best chance of approval. If you give minimal or incomplete information, your claim is more likely to get denied or delayed.
In many cases, it may be impossible for you to do the best job unless you work with an experienced disability lawyer. This might be tough to hear. But, most people lack the self-awareness to prepare the application in a way that will be convincing to the decision-maker.
Even worse, in my experience, is that the more confident a person is in their abilities to represent themselves, the worse they are likely to do because of overconfidence and the same lack of self-awareness. This is a well-known phenomenon in all types of legal advocacy — not just disability claims.
You may have heard the following expression:
“A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client”
People who believe they know what they’re doing are more likely to use complex or advanced advocacy strategies without really knowing what they’re doing. Lawyers who try to represent themselves in legal cases often fall victim to this. This is why judges will issue warnings to lawyers who try to represent themselves or close family members. I have had to take over for lawyers who attempted to do their own disability claims and lawsuits; these were some of the biggest messes I’ve ever had to clean up.
Mistake #5: Overstating Your Job Duties or Education
Some people are embarrassed by their lack of formal education or abilities to read and write. This can result in a tendency for some people to overstate their education, experience, and abilities.
When you complete the disability application forms, it’s critical that you’re honest about your level of education, experience, and abilities. If you overstate your abilities, the CPP administration may conclude that you’re capable of doing other types of work that you are, in fact, not capable or qualified to do.
If you try to correct things later on, it will result in a loss of credibility. This is because you have already certified that the information you gave was correct.
Mistake #6: Not Understanding the Minimum Qualifying Period and Late Application Rules
Not understanding your minimum qualifying period and whether your claim falls under the “late application provision” is a very common mistake that will usually result in a denial.
Not everyone who has to stop working is eligible for CPP disability benefits. To be eligible, you must have paid enough into the Canada Pension Plan and have your disability start in the window of time covered by your contributions.
You may have to deal with the late application provision if any of the following applies to you:
- You didn’t work 4 of the six years
- Over two years ago, you stopped working because of disability, but you’re just now applying for benefits.
- You were on and off of work and changed jobs frequently
- Some or all of your income was “under the table.”
The danger with not understanding your minimum qualifying period is that you may present a narrative that results in a denial of disability benefits. Once you present a certain narrative about your disability, it’s very hard to change it without losing credibility. We can fix the narrative, but often, the judge will need to take you at your word. If you’ve changed parts of your story, they may believe you are making things up and trust you less.
Doctors and others may not understand your minimum qualifying period and can say things about your disability, believing they are helping you. In fact, they might create evidence that you do not qualify for CPP disability by wrongly establishing that your disability became severe after the end of your minimum qualifying period.
If you want to read more about the minimum qualifying period, check out our article: CPP Disability Minimum Qualifying Period Explained.
It’s critical that you present the right narrative from the start. If there’s any possibility that you’re applying for disability benefits outside of your minimum qualifying period, then it’s essential that you speak with a disability law firm.
Mistake #7: Basing your Claim on Undiagnosed or Self-Diagnosed Medical Conditions
While you don’t technically need a diagnosis for approval of disability benefits, it helps. It’s certainly harder to get approved without a diagnosis from a doctor.
You’ll want to list all of the medical conditions that affect your disability. But be careful not to list things that your doctors don’t support. The decision-makers will only consider a diagnosis or condition when there is medically accepted evidence to support the condition. You can’t rely on printed information from the Internet.
It’s critical that you do not apply for CPP disability if you are in strong disagreement with your physician about your diagnosis and treatment plan. Consult a disability lawyer first, as this type of situation needs to be handled.
How to fill out CPP disability forms
Applying for CPP disability often doesn’t seem too daunting until you are actually faced with the forms. There is so much information you need to fill in and several questions that seem easy to answer in nature but often leave people questioning everything.
That is why we created the CPP Disability Application Workbook Course, which offers videos on how to complete a CPP Disability Application — click on the image below to sign up now. But if you’re looking for an overview of the information in that course as well as a step-by-step guide on how to complete CPP disability forms, keep reading.
1. Get the forms
Now that you know whether you qualify or not, you can start the application process by obtaining the required forms:
You will need two forms:
- The Application Form
- The Medical Report
You can download them here:
- Download: ‘CPP Disability Application Form‘ (PDF)
- Download: ‘CPP Disability Medical Report Form‘ (PDF)
If you have a terminal illness, you will need to complete the following forms:
- Download: ‘CPP Disability Terminal Illness Application Form‘ (PDF)
- Download: ‘CPP Disability Terminal Illness Medical Attestation Form‘ (PDF)
You can also complete the application online using your My Service Canada Account or visit your nearest Service Canada office to obtain printed copies of the application
2. Review the instructions
Once you have the forms, it’s important to carefully review the instructions. You will see the instructions for each form at the very top of the page.
3. Get your doctor to complete the Medical Report Form
Once you’ve reviewed the instructions, you should book an appointment with your doctor to fill out the CPP Disability Medical Report Form. This should be a separate appointment where the only purpose is to complete the form, AND your doctor should know this ahead of time.
During that appointment, it’s important to ensure your provider gives detailed information about your condition, treatment, and ability to work. Along with that, they should also include supporting medical evidence, including but not limited to the following:
- Medical reports
- Lab tests
- Medical history
- Treatment history
4. Fill out the application form
Now, the fun begins. You need to fill out the application. We recommend that you start with a paper application. Even if you plan to use the online form to submit your application, it is always best to start with a practice application and then prepare a final version to send in.
Both the paper and online CPP disability applications are divided into sections from A to I. Let’s briefly review each section:
A – Information about you
This is the easiest section. In A1, you fill in your personal information and address.
A2 asks if you have ever applied for or received benefits from the Quebec Pension Plan. This is important because the Quebec Pension Plan differs from the Canada Pension Plan. You can’t make applications under both the QPP and the CPP.
B – Contributions to the Canada Pension Plan
This section deals with information Service Canada needs to determine your eligibility. If you don’t meet the basic requirements for eligibility, then this section allows Service Canada to figure out if you qualify for any of the exceptions. The following exceptions can increase your eligibility credits:
- B1 Credit Splitting. This only applies if you are separated or divorced from a former spouse.
- B2 Pension credits from living/working in another country. This only applies if you paid into the national pension plan of another country (e.g. paid into the US Social Security Program while working in the US).
- B3 Child Rearing Pension Credits. This applies to anyone who was out of the workforce to raise a child under age seven and was the primary caregiver for the child.
Take your time to consider if any of these exceptions apply to you. Having additional pension credits from these exceptions can be the difference between being eligible to apply and lacking the credits to apply.
C – Information about your medical condition(s)
This is perhaps the most important section of the Application. It deals with your medical conditions, medical tests, past and future treatment, and a functional assessment of your abilities.
Take special care with C1, which asks when you feel you can no longer work because of your medical condition. Many people will simply put the last day they actually worked, but that is often not the right date to use if you have struggled and been ineffective at work for some time. You need to choose the correct date because it will affect your eligibility for benefits. In other words, choosing the wrong date can result in you being ineligible for benefits, even if you are disabled.
D – Information about your doctor or nurse practitioner
Take the time to make sure you fill out the correct name and contact information for your doctor or nurse practitioner. Often, Service Canada will want to contact your doctor for more information, and if you have errors in this section, it can cause delays.
E – Information about your work
Take care while filling out this section, as some answers will almost certainly disqualify you from being approved for benefits. For example, in E1, if you say you have not stopped working completely, this will be a big red flag for Service Canada. You would need to make sure that you provide context and an explanation for why you are still able to work in a part-time capacity. If you can work enough to earn $18,508 or more per year, they will deem you capable of gainful employment. Therefore, you are ineligible for CPP disability benefits.
Section E7 is also very important, but we see many people get it wrong. It asks if you have ever had to do a lighter job or a different type of work. Many people will just say “No” when they should be saying “Yes.” Think of this question more broadly: — “Have you ever had to change how you do your job because of your disability or limitations?”
If you are applying for CPP disability and your disability is from a chronic condition, then the answer to this question is always “Yes.” You have likely struggled at work for months or years and would have made some changes to your work routine — whether it was “official” or not. Were you getting help from co-workers? Did you stop doing certain job duties or avoid them? Take a lot of time with this section, as it is one of the most important sections of the application.
F – Benefits for your children
Again, the biggest mistake we see people make with this section is rushing and not filling in all of the information with careful detail. Make sure you have your children’s social security numbers included. This is necessary for the children to be approved for benefits. So, if your child doesn’t have a social insurance number, you need to get one before you can put the number on your application.
G – Payment information
Service Canada only pays by direct deposit, so you need to fill in this information. Make sure you have it correct, or it may result in delays in payment or payment processing errors. At this stage, it may also be helpful to figure out how to calculate CPP disability benefits.
H – Consent for Service Canada to obtain personal information
From a legal perspective, this is a very broadly worded consent for the release of personal information. Normally, I would never want a client to sign such a broadly worked consent because of the potential for abuse. If it were an insurance company asking, I would never recommend that a client sign such a broad release. However, we have never known Service Canada or its agents to abuse this type of consent for personal information. They have worded it broadly for convenience and expediency so they can go and get the information they need without having to check back with you on multiple different consent forms.
I believe it’s best to give Service Canada the authority to collect information on your behalf. In our experience, Service Canada’s medical adjudicators are objective and use this consent to seek information or documents that would support your claim rather than to abuse the consent to seek only information to build a case against you. That has never been our experience with the medical adjudicators — although I suppose a rogue adjudicator could exist.
I – Declaration and signature
If you are capable of signing your own application, then that is what you should do. This form allows for an authorized representative to sign on your behalf; however, we have experienced very inconsistent treatment of this by various medical adjudicators. Some insist that only the applicant can sign, even though this is clearly not what is indicated on the form.
Sign the form with a pen rather than an electronic signature. We have attempted to use electronic signatures with legally compliant certificates of authentication. Sometimes, Service Canada still rejects these. It’s better to avoid this problem and potential delays by signing it in ink.
5. Write a cover letter
Including a cover letter along with your application forms can be advantageous. The cover letter serves as a brief note detailing the documents enclosed with your application. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to address any unique situations. For instance, if you have a significant upcoming medical appointment, the cover letter is an ideal space to notify Service Canada.
6. Submit your application
You’re almost done! All that’s left is to mail your complete application to Service Canada. But here’s the catch: don’t try to courier it to the Service Canada office directly—they won’t accept it. Instead, opt for Canada Post Express Post; it’s like a courier, offering a tracking number for proof of delivery and a heads-up when it arrives. Remember, regular mail won’t cut it!
If you’re going the online route, you can skip the mailing bit. Submit the form online and upload PDFs of your medical reports and other docs. If there are issues or you lack scanning options, Express Post is still an option. Toss in a cover letter mentioning your name, social insurance number, or your CPP disability claim number if Service Canada assigned one.
After you’ve submitted it, Service Canada will confirm they got it. They’ll then pass it to a medical adjudicator for review. Be ready for a wait of maybe up to six months for a decision. Hang in there!
Need CPP disability application help?
I’ve reviewed the eight best tips for applying for CPP disability as well as the seven most common mistakes that people make when representing themselves in an application for CPP disability benefits. I’ve also discussed how to fill out the CPP application forms. You should read all the content in this article carefully if you plan to represent yourself.
However, if your situation involves a potential late application, part-time work, or any disagreement with your doctors, then you should speak with a disability law firm before sending in your application. If you’re interested in scheduling a free consultation with us, call us toll-free at (888) 480-9050.
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