Medical conditions qualifying for disability benefits (2023)

You may be wondering about medical conditions that qualify for disability benefits. And if your diagnosis is on this list. Below we provide a list of conditions that qualify for disability, but as you will learn, any condition can bepossiblyare entitled to a disability pension. However, the focus is always onthe extent of the disabilitycaused by your state of health. And whether your degree of disability qualifies you for various disability benefit plans and programs.

This article lists general disability conditions and provides an overview of eligibility requirements for various disability benefits in Canada. This allows you to see if your medical condition qualifies for benefits.

What medical conditions qualify for disability benefits?

Any illness can qualify for a disability pension. In general, most benefit programs in Canada do not provide benefits based on a medical diagnosis. Instead, they provide benefits based on the degree of disability caused by the disease. In other words, the focus is always on the level of disability caused by your condition, not the diagnosis. To be eligible for benefits, you must demonstrate that the degree of disability due to your medical condition meets the eligibility criteria of the applicable disability benefit plan.

In the next section, we list the most common medical conditions that qualify for disability benefits. For each of these conditions, we discuss the unique challenges you may face.

List of illnesses eligible for disability benefits

The following is a list of medical conditions that may qualify for disability benefits:

• ADHD
• Suffering
• autism
• bipolar mood disorder
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• chronic fatigue
• chronic pain
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Crohn's disease
• Depression
• fibromyalgia
• heart disease
• headaches and migraines
• Reizdarm syndrome (SII)
• knee diseases
• Lange COVID
• Lupus
• Lyme-Borreliosa
• Multiple sclerosis
• Diseases of the neck and cervical spine
• Psoriasis-Arthritis
• sleep disorders
• vestibular disorders
• visual disturbances

Related reading:

• Top 5 Reasons Mental Health Disability Claims Are Denied (And What You Can Do About It)

What illnesses entitle you to temporary disability?

Your medical condition must prevent you from performing your normal job duties to qualify for short-term disability (STD). You must explain how your symptoms or health conditions affect your ability to perform your job responsibilities.

To do this, you need an official list of your professional duties. You can ask your doctor to review the list of responsibilities and confirm that you are unable to fulfill most of them due to your medical condition.

Most STD plans require you to be continuously disabled for approximately seven days before you qualify for benefits. This is known as the waiting/lockout period.

The following is an example of typical disability requirement wording for an STD plan. Note that this is just an example; the exact wording is different for each plan:

The worker is entitled to payment of aETSAdvantage if this employee proves that:

• the employee becametotally disabledwhile it's cloudy
• total disability lasts beyond the exclusion period
• The employee received appropriate treatment for the disabling condition.

A worker is considered totally incapacitated if, due to illness, he is permanently incapacitated to perform tasks essential to his professional activity in any environment.

Medical conditions that qualify for a long-term disability

Most medical conditions can qualify for long-term disability (LTD). However, some LTD plans exclude certain medical conditions.

Assuming you do not have an excluded medical condition, you may qualify for LTD benefits if your medical conditions prevent you from doing your regular job. It cannot be applied immediately. Most LTD plans require you to be continuously deactivated for several weeks before you can sign up.

The most common wait time is 17 weeks, but this can vary for each plan.

Most LTD plans have a two-tier disability requirement. During the first two years: You are entitled to benefits if your health condition prevents you from doing your usual work.

However, after two years, you are only eligible for LTD benefits if your medical conditions prevent you from working (not just your regular job).

Example of a LTD group plan long-term disability requirement

This is just an example. Requirements and wording vary from plan to plan.

An employee is eligible for a long-term disability benefit payment if the employee provides acceptable evidence of entitlement that:

• the employee became incapacitated during coverage
• total disability lasts beyond the exclusion period
• The employee received appropriate treatment for the disabling condition.

The worker is considered totally incapacitated:

• while the employee is permanently unable to perform essential employee functions due to illnessown profession, in any setting, during the exclusion period and for 24 months thereafter, and
• thereafter, while the worker is permanently disabled by illness in any environmentany professionfor which the employee is or may be suitably qualified through education, training or experience.
• The availability of work for the member does not affect the determination of total disability

What medical conditions qualify for CPP disability?

Any medical condition may qualify for CPP disability if it prevents you from doing so.job. You must also show that your disability is permanent. If you are terminally ill, the CPP disability will expedite your application.

The following is the official requirement for CPP disability benefits. Your medical condition must cause a degree of disability that meets the following requirements:

Section 42.º If the person is considered incompetent: (2) For the purposes of this Law

(a) A person is considered to be disabled only if he or she is found to be disabled in a prescribed mannerhave a severe and persistent mental or physical disabilityand for the purposes of this paragraph

(EU)A disability is only serious whenwhydie personfor whom the determination is madeEsyou are not able to regularly engage in essentially paid employment, Y

(ii)a disability only extends ifis established in the prescribed manner thatthe impairment is likely to be of prolonged and indefinite duration or to be fatal…

This means that you can only qualify for CPP disability if your medical condition causes a permanent disability that prevents you from doing any kind of work on a regular basis.

Eligible Medical Conditions for the Disability Tax Credit

Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is different from other disability pension plans. The plans above focus on how your health condition affects your ability to work. Your ability to work is not the priority. Instead, it focuses on interfering with your daily activities.

authorization

There are several conditions that are eligible for DTC. However, you automatically qualify for the DTC if your medical condition makes you blind or if you need life-supporting therapy. You also automatically qualify if you have type 1 diabetes.

You may be eligible for DTC if:

• blind
• significantly restrictedin at least one basic activity of daily living
• significantly restrictedin two or more basic activities of daily living
• require life support therapy

To be considered blind, your visual acuity must be 20/200 or less in both eyes. Or your field of view in both eyes is 20 degrees or less.

And to qualify for a life-support therapy requirement, you need life-support therapy. And you should need it at least 3 times a week for an average of 14 hours a week.

Basic Activities of Daily Living (COMING SOON)

To qualify for theDisability Tax Credit(DTC) must demonstrate that it has been significantly restrictedasbasic activity of daily living.

Basic activities of daily living (BADL) include:

• By the way
• listen
• E
• excretion (intestine or bladder)
• feeding
• Band Aid
• Mental functions necessary for daily life.

pronounced limitation

A major limitation means that you cannot run a BADL or it is taking too long to run. It must also be present 90% of the time.

Cumulative effect of significant restrictions

Alternatively, you may still qualify for the DTC if you demonstrate that your medical condition meets the requirements for the cumulative effect of significant disability. This means that she must be significantly restricted in two or more of the BADLs. A significant limitation is one that does not meet the significant limitation requirement and is present at least 90% of the time.

life support therapy

You may also qualify for DTC if you meet requirements for life-support therapy. Life-sustaining therapy is defined as therapy that:

• it is important to maintain a vital function;
• must be administered at least three times a week for a total duration of not less than 14 hours a week on average and
• it cannot reasonably be expected to significantly benefit those who are not so disadvantaged.

Therapies that can address this need include insulin therapy, kidney dialysis, food intake and medicinal formulas, and much more.

In general, the DTC is the most complicated disability benefit. Remember that the focus is not on your ability to work. Instead, it focuses on the extent to which your condition(s) significantly interferes with basic activities of daily living. Or the extent to which your medical condition(s) resulted in a cumulative effect of significantly limiting two or more basic activities of daily living.

Illnesses eligible for employee compensation

Each province's workers' compensation program has its own eligibility criteria, but generally all include the following:

• Your employer is covered by Workers' Compensation; AND
• You have had an accident or illness at work.

Therefore, any illness may be eligible for Workers' Compensation benefits, as long as it is work-related and your employer is covered by the program.

However, it is important to note that some workers may not be entitled to workers compensation. For example, independent and self-employed contractors are common exceptions to this requirement. In most provinces, these people must purchase their own personal coverage. However, in some provinces, such as Alberta, companies are required to insure non-employees such as contractors.

Also, some provinces do not require all employers to register for workers' compensation. For example, in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, employers only need to register for coverage if they manage a team of three or more full-time or part-time employees. However, most provinces require employers to register for workers' compensation insurance after hiring their first employee. For example, Ontario employers must register within ten days of hiring their first full-time or part-time employee.

In general, remember that any illness may be eligible for workers' compensation, as long as it was caused by a work-related injury or illness and your employer is covered under the program. Ask your employer if you are not sure if you are getting workers' compensation benefits.

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