On July 17, 2020, the Government of Canada announced a one-time $600 payment for people with disabilities. The payment is meant to help with the extra costs people with disabilities are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions.
This is a live document and will be updated as and when new information is available.
Updated: October 23rd, 2020
Am I eligible?
To receive the one-time $600 payment, a person must either:
- Have a valid Disability Tax Credit (DTC) certificate provided by the Canada Revenue Agency
- Receive Canada Pension Plan disability benefit (CPP-D) or Quebec Pension Plan disability benefit (QPP-D) as of July 1, 2020
- Receive disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada as of July 1, 2020. This includes:
– Disability Pension;
– Disability Award;
– Pain and Suffering Compensation;
– Critical Injury Benefit;
– Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program;
– Income Replacement Benefit; and/or
– Canadian Forces Income Support.
I receive provincial / territorial income assistance. Would I qualify for this payment?
Getting provincial or territorial income assistance (like ODSP in Ontario, PWD in British Columbia, or AISH in Alberta) does not automatically make someone eligible for the one-time $600 payment. Some people who receive provincial / territorial income assistance may be eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). Having the DTC will allow you to get the $600 payment. The $600 payment will not affect your eligibility for provincial support.
Will the $600 one-time payment be also available for children?
Parents or guardians of children with disabilities will also receive the one-time payment as long as the child they care for has a valid Disability Tax Credit (DTC) certificate on file with CRA. If the child does not have a Disability Tax Credit certificate or if the certificate expired in 2019, you should send your completed T2201 application to the CRA.
For cases of shared custody, the payment will be split among care providers, like the Child Disability Benefit payment and the Canada Child Benefit.
In cases where there has been a change in custody, the primary caregiver of a child with a disability as of July 2020 will receive the $600 payment on behalf of the child.
Agencies and care providers of children in their care will receive the payment as per the Children’s Special Allowance Act.
What is the DTC and what are some other benefits to applying?
The DTC is a non-refundable tax credit intended to help defray extra medical costs borne by Canadians with severe or prolonged mental or physical impairments.
It reduces the amount of taxes someone eligible owes and can be claimed retroactively up to 10 years. It can be transferred to family members or caregivers.
The DTC is a qualifying factor for a variety of other financial relief products/services and tax reliefs, for example: Canada’s Worker Benefit, Child Disability Benefit, The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), and more!
Visit here for more information.
If I already have the Disability Tax Credit, do I need to apply for the $600 payment?
No. People who have the DTC will be sent the $600 payment automatically. There is no separate application for this payment. This also applies to people who receive CPP-D, QPP-D or disability supports through Veterans Affairs Canada.
I don’t have the Disability Tax Credit, but I think I might be eligible. How do I apply?
You can learn more about eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit here. The Government of Canada’s website also has step-by-step instructions about applying for the DTC.
If you decide to apply for the DTC, you have until December 31st, 2020 to get your application submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency. If you have already applied for the DTC you can find out the next steps for your application here.
For help sheets, tips, and more information about the DTC, visit Disability Alliance BC.
Note that it can take up to 8 weeks for the CRA to inform you of their decision as to whether you are eligible for the DTC.
What if I miss the deadline?
You can still apply for the DTC after December 31st, but you won’t be eligible for the $600 COVID-19 disability payment.
Please note that a previous deadline to apply for the DTC by the 25th of September was recently updated to December 31st.
If the CRA initially denies an applicant the DTC but the applicant successfully appeals their decision, would they then be eligible for the $600 benefit?
Since the requirement is that the application should be received by December 31st, and not that the decision must be rendered by December 31st, then an application that is determined to be eligible under appeal after the December 31st date would still be entitled to the $600 supplemental payment if the application was received prior to December 31st.
When will I receive the $600 payment?
If you were confirmed as eligible for the one-time payment by the end of September 2020, you will receive your payment on October 30, 2020.
If you did not receive payment in October and are confirmed eligible by end of November 2020, you may receive your payment in January 2021.
If you did not receive payment in October or January and are confirmed eligible by end of February 2021 you may receive your payment in spring 2021.
You may receive your payment at a later date for the following reasons:
- you applied for the Disability Tax Credit, but not have yet to receive confirmation from CRA about their eligibility
- you were not yet considered eligible as of July 1, 2020, for:
- Canada Pension Plan Disability
- Quebec Pension Plan disability pension or
- one of the disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs
- you did not have accurate direct deposit information or a mailing address on file. Be sure to update your details with the appropriate organization (e.g. CRA, Quebec Pension Plan, Veterans Affairs Canada). Details of their contact details are at the end of this guide.
How will I receive the payment?
If you have signed up for direct deposit it will automatically be deposited into your bank account. Your existing Canada Pension Plan Disability, Quebec Pension Plan Disability Pension, Veterans Affairs Canada, or Canada Revenue Agency direct deposit or mailing information will be used to issue the payment.
To update your details, contact the CRA at: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/covid19-emergency-benefits/one-time-payment-persons-disabilities.html#h2.03
If you do not subscribe to Direct Deposit, the payment will be issued in the form of a cheque.
I’m a senior with a disability, will I get this $600 payment?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, two types of payments have been available for seniors:
- A one-time $300 payment for seniors who receive Old Age Security (OAS).
- A one-time $500 payment for seniors who receive OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
Seniors who also meet the eligibility criteria for the one-time disability payment will get a second payment to bring their total to $600. That means:
- Seniors who got the $300 Old Age Security Payment will get an extra $300.
- Seniors who got the $500 Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payment will get an extra $100.
Do I have to claim the $600 payment on my income-tax?
This one-time payment is non-taxable and non-reportable. That means you don’t need to report it on your income tax or pay taxes on it.
Can I claim the payment for someone who has passed away?
For individuals who were eligible for the DTC in 2020, but passed away, the estate will receive the payment. For CPPD, QPPD, and VAC eligible clients who were alive as of July 1, 2020, but have since passed away, the estate will receive the payment.
What other benefits are available to me at this time?
The CRA has a benefits tool which can help you determine what other supports are available. https://covid-benefits.alpha.canada.ca/en/start
Where can I find more information?
You can learn more about the COVID-19 one-time payment for people with disabilities on the Government of Canada website.
Through the Access RDSP partnership program (Plan Institute, Disability Alliance BC, and BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society) we can provide free one-to-one support to guide you through the process of applying for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and other disability support services. To get in touch with us, please call our toll-free helpline at 1-844-311-7526 or email [email protected].
For help sheets, tips, and information about the DTC, click here.
Contact Details for different government organizations
Canada Pension Plan Disability
Telephone: 1-800-277-9914
TTY: 1-800-255-4786
Disability Tax Credit
Telephone: 1-800-959-8281
TTY: 1-800-665-0354
If you are a DTC recipient, you can also update your personal information using MyAccount.
Quebec Pension Plan Disability Pension
Telephone: 1-800-463-5185
Veterans Affairs Canada
Telephone: 1-866-522-2122
TTY: 1-800-567-5803
Online through My VAC Account secure messaging.
This FAQ document has been informed by the work of the Canadian Association for Community Living and used with their consent. For more resources on intellectual disability and COVID, please see: cacl.ca/coviddisability We are grateful for the support of Disability Alliance BC (disabilityalliancebc.org) in helping to prepare this guide.