Step 4 - Canada Pension Plan–Disability benefit

FAQs

What if I do not have a doctor to help complete my application?

If you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner that you see regularly, finding one can be hard. Fortunately, you now have the option to also have a nurse practitioner help with your DTC application. Whether you get help from a doctor or a nurse practitioner, it is a good idea to see them a few times before you ask to have the form completed. It may help if they know you.

How to find a doctor who will work with you

Some general tips on places to look for a doctor are:

• Speak to your local pharmacy or hospital. Ask if they know of any doctors taking on new patients.
• Go to a walk-in clinic and try to see the same doctor each time you go there.

Go to How to find a doctor or nurse practitioner who will work with you - Disability Benefits Compass (benefitswayfinder.org) to look for a doctor in your province or territory.

I have more than one doctor. Who should fill out the medical report?

You should ask the doctor or nurse practitioner who knows the most about you and your disability to complete sections 3 to 9 of the medical report. We recommend that you speak to them before giving them the forms, to see if they support your application. It is a good idea to tell them how your condition affects your daily life and especially about the symptoms that stop you from working.

If you have a new doctor who does not know you very well, they may not be able to provide enough detail. It may be a good idea to schedule a couple of visits before you ask them to complete the medical report.

Information from your specialists

Service Canada often gives a lot of weight to reports and letters from specialists you have seen, such as surgeons and psychiatrists. Speak to your doctor or nurse practitioner about letters and reports in your file. These can be attached to your application.

Specialists may have more in-depth knowledge of the condition that is preventing you from working. On the other hand, specialists will usually only provide information on the one condition that they are treating. They may not know about all of your conditions, and they may not know how all your disabilities interact and impact your life. Also, because they may only have seen you once or twice, the specialist might not know you as well as your regular doctor.

Some tips for talking with your doctor

• Make an appointment to talk about your CPP-Disability application. We suggest that you download this sample letter for your Doctor. It highlights the points you need to discuss and what you need from your doctor. You can use the letter as a model for writing your own letter to bring to the appointment.
• Ask your doctor whether they feel that your disability creates a severe barrier to employment, not only now, but in the future.
• Ask your doctor how long your disability is going to last. Your doctor does not have to say that you will be disabled for the rest of your life, but they should indicate that your disability will not improve for the near future.

Important parts of the report to go over with your doctor

Section 6 – Patient’s employment situation on page 8: This is a critical section in the report. Double-check the answers to these two questions with your doctor or nurse practitioner:

• Question 1, “Did you recommend to your patient that they stop working?” This question should be answered ‘yes’. Remember, the date recommended for you to stop working must be before your minimum qualifying period ends.
• Question 2, “From a strictly medical standpoint, do you expect your patient to return to any type of work in the future?” The answer here should be ‘no’. If it is anything else, your application will be automatically denied.

Do I have to pay a fee to have my doctor or nurse practitioner fill out the medical report?

You might. Service Canada can help you by paying up to $85 directly to the doctor’s office. You have to pay any money owing over this amount.

Sample letter for your doctor

Use this sample letter to help you frame your discussion when you visit your doctor’s office to talk about your application.

What if my doctor is not supportive?

Service Canada or an advocate may be able to suggest help if your doctor is not supportive.

To contact Service Canada:

Please have your Social Insurance Number ready when you contact Service Canada.

Phone lines are open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time, Monday to Friday.

Canada and the United States Toll-free: 1-800-277-9914 (English), 1-800-277-9915 (French)

Canada and the United States TTY: 1-800-255-4786

Outside Canada and the United States: 1-613-957-1954 (Call collect)
Phone lines are open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Eastern time, Monday to Friday.

In-person or by mail: Find a Service Canada Office near you.

Online contact information

To contact an advocate in British Columbia:

Disability Alliance BC for British Columbia: Inquiries only at 604-872-1278 in the Lower Mainland | Toll Free: 1-800-663-1278. The Alliance also has CPP-D help sheets you can read.

To contact an advocate in other provinces and territories:

Plan Institute for outside BC

Plan Institute Disability Planning Helpline at 1-844-311-7526 or info@rdsp.com

To contact an advocate for indigenous people:

BCANDS for Indigenous CPP-Disabilities inquiries across Canada at Toll Free: 1-888-815-5511 (*Please leave message on the general mailbox)

B.C. Capital Region: bcands@bcands.bc.ca or 250-381-7303 (Please leave message on the general mailbox.)