Qualifying for the RDSP Canada

Eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit is not based on a specific diagnosis. Instead, the Canada Revenue Agency assesses eligibility based on how a medical condition impacts daily functioning, even with appropriate treatment, therapy, or assistive devices.

An individual may qualify for the DTC if they have a severe and prolonged impairment that significantly restricts their ability to perform one or more basic activities of daily living, or if the cumulative effect of multiple limitations creates a similar level of restriction.

These limitations may relate to areas such as:

• Mental functions necessary for everyday life
• Speaking or hearing
• Walking or mobility
• Eliminating (bowel or bladder functions)
• Feeding or dressing oneself
• Vision
• Life-sustaining therapy requirements

In some cases, individuals may qualify based on the combined impact of multiple restrictions, even if no single limitation on its own would meet the threshold.

Eligibility is ultimately determined by the CRA based on medical certification and supporting information. Each situation is reviewed on an individual basis.

If you’re unsure whether you or a family member may qualify, it can be helpful to review your circumstances and next steps with guidance before applying.

Eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is not determined by diagnosis alone. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) assesses each application based on how a medical condition significantly restricts daily functioning, even with appropriate treatment, therapy, or assistive devices.

That said, individuals may find it helpful to know that clients have previously qualified for the DTC with a wide range of diagnosed conditions, including—but not limited to—the following:

• Agoraphobia
• ADHD
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amputation
• Anxiety disorders
• Arthritis
• Asperger syndrome
• Ataxia
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Bladder disorders
• Borderline personality disorder
• Bowel disorders
• Brain tumours
• Cerebral palsy
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
• Chronic pain
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Colitis
• Coronary artery disease
• Cri du chat syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Deafness or significant hearing loss
• Degenerative disc disease
• Dementia
• Depression
• Developmental delay
• Insulin-dependent diabetes
• Down syndrome
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Epilepsy
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
• Fibromyalgia
• Fragile X syndrome
• Glaucoma
• Global developmental delay
• Hearing impairment
• Herniated disc
• Hip injury or chronic hip pain
• Huntington’s disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Juvenile arthritis
• Learning disabilities
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Mental illness
• Motor vehicle accident–related impairments
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Osteoarthritis
• Panic disorder
• Paraplegia
• Paralysis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Personality disorders
• Physical impairments
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Psychosis
• Quadriplegia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Schizophrenia

This list is not exhaustive, and being diagnosed with one of the conditions above does not guarantee eligibility. CRA approval depends on medical certification and how the condition affects daily living on a prolonged and severe basis. Each application is reviewed individually by the CRA.

The First:

For beneficiaries over the age of majority, the holder is generally the beneficiary. In certain circumstances, a guardian, legal representative or public department may be eligible to become the holder

Note: If an adult beneficiary cannot open an RDSP due to concerns about his/her ability to enter into a contract and he/she does not have a legal representative, certain family members can become the plan holder and open an RDSP on his or her behalf. A qualifying family member could be a beneficiary’s spouse, common-law partner or parent. If this applies to your family, contact a participating financial organization.

The Second:

The name on the holder(s) and the beneficiary SIN card must match. If not, this will delay the grants and bonds from going into your account.

The Third:

There is a lot of information published about RDSPs, not all of it relates to your specific situation. Some information sources report old or wrong information. Make sure that the information that you are referencing is from your province and relates to your specific situation.

If you would like to get your RDSP set up, we will need some information to prepare the paperwork and then about an hour of your time to go through it. After that, it is time for the government grants and bonds, whatever you qualify for, to start rolling in!

There are a couple of ways to do this:

1. Fill out the information required through our secured site – Click Here
2. Email us for further information – Contact Us
3. Call us to discuss further. – Call Us