HOME > ABOUT THE CANADA DISABILITY BENEFIT > PREPARING FOR THE CDB
Preparing for the Canada Disability Benefit
There are a few important steps you can take to make sure that you are ready to apply for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) it as soon as the application becomes available.
File your taxes
To be eligible for the CDB when it is released, you need to have filed your income taxes for the year before the payment period starts. This means in order to receive payments for the July 2025 to June 2026 period, you must have filed your 2024 tax return.
The only exception is if you are younger than 18 and a half years old at the end of the tax year, as it is assumed that you have no income. However, we recommend that young adults start filing taxes at 17. This is important because some programs, like the RDSP, look at your income from previous years. Our RDSP Tutorial and our resource, A Guide to the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) for Youth, have more information about this.
To continue receiving the CDB, you will need to file your taxes every year. Your eligibility and benefit amount depend on your income from the previous tax year.
Apply for the Disability Tax Credit
You must be approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) to receive the CDB. It can take time to receive DTC approval, and the application process can be challenging, so the earlier you start this process, the better. For help applying for the DTC, check out the following pages on the DTC:
Plan Institute also provides free one-to-one support with DTC applications, as well as other disability planning topics such as the CDB, through our Disability Planning Helpline. Please note that if you are a resident of BC. and want help completing your DTC application, we may refer you to our partner organization, Disability Alliance BC (DABC).