Reassessing Eligibility for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefits

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Service Canada delivers Canada Pension Plan programs and services on behalf of the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development.
If you are receiving Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, Service Canada may at some point reassess whether you are still eligible to receive them. Here are answers to some common questions about reassessment and returning to work.

How long can I receive Canada Pension Plan disability benefits?

You can continue to receive benefits as long as you are under age 65 and as long as your condition continues to be "severe and prolonged" according to the Canada Pension Plan legislation. This means your disability must keep you from doing any kind of paid work on a regular basis and is likely to be long-term.

Why does Service Canada sometimes reassess a client’s file?

A person’s medical condition can change. The purpose of a reassessment is to determine whether a person’s health or circumstances have improved enough so that he or she can work regularly at any job.

How does Service Canada reassess a file?

We will ask for information about your medical condition and activities so that we can determine if you are able to do any type of paid work on a regular basis. With your written consent, we may also ask other sources (for example, physicians or employers) for such information. We may also ask you to undergo a medical examination.

Do I have to tell Service Canada when my medical condition improves or if I start working?

Yes. You must contact us to report any changes to your condition that affect your ability to work if:

  • your medical condition improves;
  • you return to any job full-time, part-time, temporarily, or on a seasonal basis, and you have earned a total of $4,700 or more in 2010 (gross income before taxes whether you were employed or self-employed); or
  • you successfully complete a school, college, university, upgrading, or retraining program.

If I tell Service Canada that my medical condition has improved, does that mean my benefits will be stopped?

Not necessarily. We will review documentation relating to your medical condition and any new information to ensure you are still eligible to receive benefits. Once the review is complete, we will inform you of our decision and offer employment support, if appropriate.

I want to try going back to work but am not sure my medical condition will let me. Will my benefits be stopped?

If you are medically capable of performing only minimal or occasional work, then your benefits will not be affected. If you want to try to go back to work, we can provide information about supports and services to help you.
One of our services to help you go back to work is called the Vocational Rehabilitation Program. If you would like more information, please contact us.


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What happens if I return to work and my benefits are stopped, and then my medical condition recurs?

If your medical condition recurs, you are eligible for automatic reinstatement of your disability benefits for up to two years from the date they were stopped. Automatic reinstatement gives you a financial safety net by allowing you to quickly restart your Canada Pension Plan disability benefits if you go back to regular work but cannot continue working because of your disability. Service Canada can quickly restart your disability benefits if you cannot continue working because of a recurrence of the same or a related disability. However, you must request it no later than one year after your medical condition recurs.

Do I have to reapply for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits if I don’t qualify for automatic reinstatement?

Yes, you have to reapply, but you may be able to use the fast-track reapplication process. This fast-track process is another way for you to get back on your disability benefits if you are not entitled to automatic reinstatement. You can use the fast-track reapplication process up to five years from the date your disability benefits are stopped. Unlike automatic reinstatement, it may be used for both recurring and new medical conditions.
To requalify, you must have paid enough contributions to the Canada Pension Plan since your benefits were stopped.

How would Service Canada know if I went back to work?

We can find out about your work activity in a number of ways:

  • from the Canada Revenue Agency, which provides us with your record of earnings;
  • when you leave a job and submit a Record of Employment to support an Employment Insurance claim; or
  • from information provided by a third party (various sources inform us about clients who are receiving disability benefits even though they are working or are able to work).

Service Canada investigates all such reports. Making false or misleading statements to continue to receive benefits is considered fraud.

When my benefits are stopped, will I owe Service Canada money?

If you contact us once you have earned $4,700 in 2010, you will not have to pay back any money if we are able to cancel your benefits on time.
If you do have to pay some money back, we can make arrangements for you to pay it back gradually.

Contact us

If you need more information about reassessment or Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, please contact us.

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servicecanada.gc.ca
Call
1-800-277-9914
TTY: 1-800-255-4786
Please have your Social Insurance Number ready when you call us.
Visit
a Service Canada Centre

Available online only: www.servicecanada.gc.ca
La version française est intitulée
Réévaluation de l’admissibilité aux prestations d’invalidité du Régime de pensions du Canada
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010
ISPB-192-05-10E

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