Episode 9: Fun with Forms - The Application (CPP-D Part 2)

Fun with Forms: The Application Form CPP-D part 2 where we go page by page through the Canadian Pension Plan Disability application form!

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Links:

1. Canada.ca - this is where you apply online but it’s tricky to find the forms.
   1. Go to Pensions/CPP link, not Disability Benefit (that takes you to the Canadian Disability Benefit, the $200/month benefit for very low income Canadians, not to CPP-D). 
   2. Scroll down to Disability section
   3. Here you’ll end up going in a bit of a loop because if you hit “Apply” it’ll loop you back to the main page. So hit “SIgn in to MSCA” button in upper right
   4. Sign into (or register) your My Service Canada Account (MSCA). Need SIN/ability to sign in with bank etc. In BC and AB you can sign in with the provincial “card” (BC Services Card)
2. Or can do the paper application. Either:
   1.  ISP 1151 if disabled https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp-disability-benefit/apply.html or 
   2. ISP 2530A if terminally ill https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/apps/EForms/pdf/en/ISP-2530A.pdf 
   3. Doctor/PCP completes separate medical form
      1. ISP 2519 if disabled https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/apps/EForms/pdf/en/ISP-2519.pdf
      2. ISP 2530B if terminally ill https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/apps/EForms/pdf/en/ISP-2530B.pdf 
3. Even if doing an online application you must do a paper consent form, link is on the first page of the application website. https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/apps/EForms/pdf/en/ISP-2502.pdf 

Tips:

1. 3 conditions must be met to qualify for CPP-D:
   1. Must be under the age of 65
   2. Must have made the minimum contributions to CPP
   3. Must have a mental or physical health condition/s that prevents you from regularly working any job. Must be severe and prolonged.
2. Separate forms for terminal illness (see above in Links sections).
3. Patient section (what we’re talking about today) and Medical Form (to be filled in by doctor/primary care provider).
4. Service Canada will pay $85 to medical professional filling the medical form in, you’re responsible for the balance to the doctor of whatever they charge for the form. Don’t wait for the doctor to have completed their form to send in yours.
5. Quebec Pension Plan - separate but similar. Link on application page. This could impact you even if you no longer live there.
6. Save your work as you go! It may disappear on you if you don’t save frequently.
7. There are regional offices for sending your paper form/consent form to. Addresses listed in the application form.
8. Even if doing the online application you must do a paper consent form, link is on the first page of application website. https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/apps/EForms/pdf/en/ISP-2502.pdf 
9. Pace yourself, this took Meghan 5 weeks with breaks. Paper application is 28 pages. Can add extra pages. Fill in SIN at the top of every page.
10. There’s a checklist at the end of the application. Consider following it as you go through.
11. Consider having a friend read through your finished application to make sure it’s complete, clear and accurate.
12. Send copies of any documentation you’re sending in.
13. Keep copies or screenshots of your completed application for your own records.
14. Consider sending paper application in by registered mail for security and reassurance of receival.
15. Questionaire:
    • Basic personal info, time to call
    • Contributions to CPP
    • Marital status questions 
    • Foreign work questions
    • Children - very important as they seem to prioritize those with kids. Emphasize that you have kids every time you talk to Service Canada.
    • Primary Care giver questions, family allowance questions etc as mentioned in Ep 8
    • Asks about medical and physical status, specific tests, dates, locations, doctors. GP/PCP may be able to help with these details in your chart.
    • Asks about specific meds, doses, treatments, outcomes etc.
    • Asks about disability benefits you’re already receiving. You must allow your LTD company (or whoever else is paying you) to communicate with Service Canada or that may impact your application.
    • Allow for authorization for your LTD company to communicate with and send your medical info fto Service Canada.
    • Reimbursement of benefits to insurance company - very important to allow this or you could be left with a big tax bill if Service Canada gives you a big back payment. This money would then include a backpayment to your insurance company. If it doesn’t go straight to the insurance company then you will have to pay tax on the giant lump sum!
    • A 4 page quiz (Functional Assessment) about tasks and how well you can do them. Important point - answer these as though it’s your worst day. Rated on a scale. Use the essay sections! Look at the examples.
    • Doctor/PCP questions - dates, reasons, other specialists with first and last dates.
    • Asks about working history and employer - job titles, duties, dates
    • EI questions
    • Education and job training
    • Children - benefits, parenting time etc. You get a top up on CPPD for each child. Asks for details of each child
    • Rules around volunteering, working or attending school.
    • Banking information for them paying you if approved
    • Consent for Service Canada to contact everyone from doctors to employers to financial institutions etc. If you do not consent it will likely impact your application and payments.
    • Multiple places to sign so read carefully. Witness signature if you can’t sign it properly yourself.Legal representative can sign too. Can fill in as the parent or guardian (separate instructions on website)
    • Check list at end to make sure that all sections are completed, including your doctor’s
    • Do not wait on Doctor/PCP, send yours in when done.
16. To see the status of your application, in MSCA it’s located under Canadian Pension Plan (Remember that “Canadian Disability Benefit” is a separate thing, this is CPP Disability). 
    1. This is where you can upload documents, see what your application's status is etc.
    2. Medical form can be uploaded to MSCA, or mailed, once you get it from your Dr.
17. CPP/Service Canada will phone you in about 3-4 months to confirm that you did everything right and that it’s now going to the medical adjudicator.  
    1. Emphasize that you have children if you have them, they will likely speed up your application significantly.
    2. Keep notes on all interactions with Service Canada/CPPD.
18. The medical adjudicator - Be brutally open about your disability. Answer all questions thinking of your worst days. This person is making the final call on if you will be approved.

And for those of you wondering about Yemen...

Yemen’s social programs are limited and fragmented due to years of conflict, economic collapse, and divided governance. Most support today comes from a mix of legacy government programs, humanitarian aid, and international organizations rather than a fully functioning welfare state.

Here’s a clear breakdown:

1. Social Welfare Fund (SWF)

• What it is: Yemen’s main pre-war cash assistance program
• Who it served: Poor households, widows, elderly, people with disabilities
• Status: Largely nonfunctional since 2015 due to conflict and lack of funding
• Replacement: Many beneficiaries now receive aid through UN-backed programs instead

2. Emergency Cash Transfer Program (ECTP)

• Run by: UNICEF with World Bank funding
• Purpose: Temporary cash assistance to former SWF beneficiaries
• Reach: Millions of Yemenis
• Type: Unconditional cash transfers to help with food and basic needs
• Current status: Ongoing but funding-dependent and irregular

3. Food Assistance Programs

• Run by: World Food Programme (WFP) and NGOs
• Support includes:
• Monthly food rations or vouchers
• Nutrition support for children and pregnant/lactating women
• Coverage: One of the largest humanitarian food programs globally
• Challenges: Ration cuts due to funding shortfalls

4. Health Support Programs

• Public healthcare: Largely collapsed
• Support comes from:
• WHO
• Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
• NGOs
• Services include:
• Free or subsidized primary care
• Vaccination campaigns
• Malnutrition treatment

5. Education Support Programs

• Issues: Teacher salaries unpaid in many areas
• Support mechanisms:
• Incentives for teachers funded by UNICEF/World Bank
• School feeding programs
• Emergency education kits
• Goal: Keep schools operating despite state failure

6. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

• Programs include:
• Clean water trucking
• Rehabilitation of wells and sanitation systems
• Hygiene kit distribution
• Run by: UNICEF, ICRC, NGOs

7. Social Insurance & Pensions

• Pre-war system: Civil service pensions and social insurance
• Current reality: Payments are inconsistent or suspended, depending on region and employer

Key Reality to Know

• Yemen does not currently have a comprehensive, state-run social safety net
• Most “social programs” are humanitarian and externally funded
• Access varies greatly by region and controlling authority
• Programs are vulnerable to donor funding cuts