Disability Benefits

What is a Disability Award?

The Disability Award provides Canadian Forces members or Veterans with a tax-free cash award for disability resulting from military service.   

The amount of the award will depend on:

• the degree to which your disability is related to your service (entitlement); and
• the extent of your disability (assessment).

Your military rank or years of service have no connection to the amount you may receive.

The Disability Award is designed to provide you with an immediate financial support if you have an injury or illness related to your service to our country. In addition, there are more supports and services that may be available to you.

This support includes:

• rehabilitation, mental health and case management services;
• monthly income to replace lost wages while participating in our rehab program;
• a permanent allowance for those with serious injuries;
• a retirement benefit for those unable to work;
• health care benefits; and
• help to find a new career.

In combination these services and supports can help you and your family focus on establishing a successful civilian life and career path.  Read more in Salute!

Important Notes:

If you are receiving a Disability Award of 5% or more, you have flexible payment options:

• a lump-sum payment,
• annual payments over the number of years of your choice, or
• a combination of these two payment options.

The Disability Award Payment Calculator can give you an idea of what your annual payments could be.

We encourage you to consult a financial advisor to help you best manage your award. We can pay for some or all of the costs related to getting financial advice, up to a maximum of $500.

Do I Qualify?

All Canadian Forces members may apply for disability benefits. You can apply while you are serving in the military or after you have released.

You may qualify for a Disability Award if you:

• have a service-related injury or illness; or a non-service-related injury or illness that was aggravated by service.
• are a survivor (please contact us for more information).

How Do I Apply?

You will find the forms you need to apply for a Disability Award on our forms page. When filling out your application, there are two important questions to keep in mind:

• What is my disability/medical diagnosis?
• Is my disability related to my service OR was it worsened by my service?

It also helps to make sure:

• you have a clearly established medical diagnosis in your service health records or from your doctor.
• your service records and your application clearly show how your medical condition is related to your service with the Canadian Forces.
• you provide enough medical information for us to understand the extent of your disability.

What Happens Next?

Once we receive your application, we obtain your service health records from the Canadian Forces. We review the information provided to help us determine:

• the link between your medical condition and your service; and,
• the extent or severity of your medical condition.

Throughout this process, it is important to understand that every decision we make:

• must be based on evidence. This is why it is so important that you provide us with as much information as possible; and,
• is guided by laws and policies that outline who is eligible and how claims are assessed.

Two important tools we use are the Eligibility Entitlement Guidelines and the Table of Disabilities which each help us ensure that all decisions are fair and consistent.

If it is established that your disability is related to your service, the next step is to determine the extent or severity of your disability so that we can assign an assessment level. This assessment percentage is based on the impact of your disability on your overall physical and/or mental function and quality of life. In order to do this, it is important that your medical information be detailed and up-to-date. If we need more medical information, you may need to see a Veterans Affairs Canada doctor or another health professional. This is done to make sure you receive the maximum benefits to which you are entitled.

After the initial decision is made, your assessment could increase if your disability worsens. There are also options for you to pursue if you do not agree with the decision made on your application.

Related topics

• People with disabilities
• Application for Disability Benefits