4.0 Disability Benefits

4.0 Disability Benefits

Disability benefits are financial payments provided to individuals who have a service-related disability. There are two types of disability benefits: Disability Pensions and Disability Awards. April 1, 2019, Pension for Life (PFL) was introduced. As a result, Disability Benefits changed to include Disability Pension, Pain and Suffering Compensation and Additional Pain and Suffering.

Table 4.1 Disability Benefits Recipients

Disability Benefits Recipients Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Veterans 109,460 110,848 112,631 114,888 119,966
Survivors 49,776 46,386 43,428 39,419 36,360
Subtotal: Veterans and Survivors 159,236 157,234 156,059 154,307 156,326
RCMP 14,371 15,328 16,436 17,867 20,686
Total: Recipients 173,607 172,562 172,495 172,174 177,012

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Disability Pensions (DP)

The Disability Pension Program recognizes and compensates eligible Veterans as well as Canadian Armed Forces members who applied and were eligible for a disability pension prior to April 1, 2006, and their survivors, dependants and civilians for the effects of a service-related disability and/or death. Compensation is provided in the form of a monthly disability pension. Disability pensioners who are hospitalized or receiving outpatient care for a pensioned condition are eligible to receive an additional allowance for that period. This program also recognizes and compensates those in receipt of a disability pension for the distinct effects that disabilities may have on clothing, on an individual's ability to perform personal care, and exceptional health needs. This is provided through a monthly allowance. This program is now delivered through grants.

Table 4.2 Disability Pension Recipients

Disability Pension RecipientsFootnote 1 Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Veterans 60,087 56,168 52,177 49,365 46,408
Survivors 48,790 45,283 40,704 38,189 33,910
Total: Recipients 108,877 101,451 92,881 87,554 80,318
Attendance Allowance 6,315 6,466 6,060 5,914 5,922
Exceptional Incapacity Allowance 1,507 1,517 1,422 1,357 1,331
Clothing Allowance 1,374 1,415 1,416 1,487 1,431
Disability Pension RecipientsFootnote 1 ForecastFootnote 2
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Veterans 44,300 42,500 40,700 39,100 37,700
Survivors 31,200 28,700 26,400 24,300 22,400
Total: Recipients 75,500 71,200 67,100 63,400 60,100
Attendance Allowance 5,800 5,700 5,700 5,700 5,700
Exceptional Incapacity Allowance 1,500 1,600 1,600 1,600 1,600
Clothing Allowance 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,300 1,300

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 4.3 Disability Pension Expenditures

Disability Pension Expenditures (in $ millions) Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Veteran Pensions $689.9 $676.6 $647.6 $639.9 $606.8
Survivor Pensions $488.3 $454.5 $432.7 $405.9 $370.9
Subtotal: Pensions $1,178.2 $1,131.1 $1,080.4 $1,045.8 $977.7
Total Special Awards $83.7 $85.0 $84.1 $81.7 $86.3
Total: Pensions and Special Awards (Includes Adjustments and Corrective Payments)Footnote 3Footnote 4Footnote 5 $1,261.9 $1,216.5 $1,227.6 $1,125.5 $1,065.1
Disability Pension Expenditures (in $ millions) ForecastFootnote 6
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Veteran Pensions $606.1 $602.8 $600.4 $599.9 $601.5
Survivor Pensions $352.5 $332.9 $314.4 $296.8 $280.3
Subtotal: Pensions $958.5 $935.7 $914.8 $896.6 $881.8
Total Special Awards $88.0 $86.6 $88.3 $90.2 $92.4
Total: Pensions and Special AwardsFootnote 7 $1,046.6 $1,022.4 $1,003.1 $986.8 $974.1

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Disability Awards (DA)

Under the New Veterans Charter in effect since April 1, 2006, this program recognizes and compensates eligible Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans, and in some cases surviving spouses/common-law partners and surviving children, for death, detention and non-economic effects of service related disability including pain and suffering, functional loss and the effects of permanent impairment on the lives of Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans and their families. As of January 1, 2019, the maximum award is $374,169.60, depending on the extent of disability. Disability Awards may be paid as a lump-sum payment, annual payments over the number of years of the member/Veteran's choosing, or a combination of these two payment options. The Pain and Suffering Compensation replaced the Disability Award (DA) as the new non-taxable monthly benefit on April 1, 2019.

Table 4.4 Disability Award RecipientsFootnote 8Footnote 9

Disability Awards Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Veterans 67,575 73,844 - - -
Survivors 1,581 2,383 - - -
Subtotal 69,156 76,227 - - -
Death Benefits 538 602 - - -
Total: Awards 69,694 76,829 2,457 161 81
Disability Awards ForecastFootnote 10
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Disability Awards - - - - -
Death Benefits - - - - -
Total: Awards 60 60 40 40 30

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 4.5 Disability Award Expenditures

Disability Award Expenditures (in $ millions) Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18Footnote 11 2018–19Footnote 11 2019–20Footnote 11 2020–21Footnote 11 2021–22Footnote 11
Disability Awards $1,603.9 $1,306.7 $115.1 $2.8 $1.7
Death Benefits $17.5 $16.9 $0.6 $0.3 $0.0
Total: AwardsFootnote 12 $1,621.4 $1,323.7 $115.6 $3.0 $1.7
Disability Award Expenditures (in $ millions) ForecastFootnote 13
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Disability Awards $1.5 $1.5 $1.4 $1.0 $0.7
Death Benefits - - - - -
Total: Awards $1.5 $1.5 $1.4 $1.0 $0.7

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Disability Award and Disability Pension Duals

The table below provides a breakdown of Veterans and Survivors for those who receive both a Disability Pension and a Disability Award.

Table 4.6 Disability Award and Disability Pension DualsFootnote 14

Dual Recipients Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–12
Veterans 18,202 19,164 19,811 19,642 21,473
Survivors 1,133 1,280 1,447 1,758 2,027
Total: RecipientsFootnote 15 19,335 20,444 21,258 21,400 23,500

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Pain and Suffering Compensation

Pension For Life (PFL)

April 1, 2019, Pension for Life (PFL) was introduced. Pension for Life includes three new benefits: Pain and Suffering Compensation; Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation; and Income Replacement Benefit. The Pension for Life Benefits package is intended to meet the following objectives:

  • Providing recognition, income support and better overall stability to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans who are living with a disability due to a service-related injury and/or illness.
  • Providing a holistic package that reintroduces lifelong monthly pain and suffering payments; implement a new recognition benefit, and consolidate six of seven existing income-related financial benefits.
  • Addressing concerns raised by military and Veteran communities and families by empowering CAF members and Veterans living with a disability, caused by a service-related illness or injury, to choose the form of compensation that works best for them and their families.

Table 4.7 - Pain and Suffering Compensation and Death Benefits Recipients

Pain and Suffering Compensation and Death Benefits RecipientsFootnote 17 Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2019–20 2020–21 2021–12
Veterans 79,771 85,176 95,006
Survivors 2,009 2,819 3,649
Subtotal 81,780 87,995 98,655
Death Benefits Recipients 587 749 805
Total Recipients 82,367 88,744 99,460
Pain and Suffering Compensation and Death Benefits Recipients ForecastFootnote 16
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Veterans 102,500 109,800 112,700 115,400 117,900
Survivors 4,300 4,900 5,600 6,300 7,000
Subtotal 106,800 114,700 118,300 121,700 124,900
Death Benefits Recipients 900 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,300
Total Recipients 107,700 115,800 119,400 122,900 126,100

Table 4.8 - Pain and Suffering Compensation and Death Benefits Expenditures

Pain and Suffering Compensation and Death Benefits Expenditures (in $ millions) Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Pain and Suffering Compensation $904.5 $1,063.6 $1,519.8
Death BenefitsFootnote 18 $12.4 $21.9 $23.2
Total ExpendituresFootnote 19 $917.0 $1,085.5 $1,543.0
Pain and Suffering Compensation and Death Benefits Expenditures (in $ millions) ForecastFootnote 16
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Pain and Suffering Compensation $1,479.4 $1,552.2 $1,004.5 $1,006.6 $1,045.0
Death Benefits $26.8 $27.4 $13.9 $14.1 $14.3
Total ExpendituresFootnote 19 $1,506.2 $1,579.7 $1,018.4 $1,020.7 $1,059.3

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Disability Benefit Recipients

The table below indicates the disability class (percentage paid out) to Veterans and survivors in receipt of Disability Pension/Award as of March 31, 2022.

The links below provide the rate tables for which the percentages are paid at:

Table 4.9 Recipients by Disability Class as of March 31, 2022Footnote 20

Disability Class Veterans Survivors
Disability
Pension
(DP) Only
Disability
Pension and Award /
Pain and Suffering Award
Disability Award /
Pain and Suffering
Compensation
Award Only
Total
Disability
Disability
Benefits
Class 1
(98%-100%)
2,080 4,239 2,897 9,216 3,829
Class 2
(93%-97%)
334 698 679 1,711 184
Class 3
(88%-92%)
453 723 786 1,962 244
Class 4
(83%-87%)
542 744 865 2,151 273
Class 5
(78%-82%)
697 817 1,042 2,556 483
Class 6
(73%-77%)
774 869 1,197 2,840 401
Class 7
(68%-72%)
921 910 1,392 3,223 564
Class 8
(63%-67%)
1,064 885 1,665 3,614 612
Class 9
(58%-62%)
1,333 1,009 1,848 4,190 854
Class 10
(53%-57%)
1,502 966 2,364 4,832 853
Class 11
(48%-52%)
2,254 994 2,686 5,934 1,558
Class 12
(43%-47%)
1,905 1,105 2,763 5,773 914
Class 13
(38%-42%)
2,603 1,097 3,370 7,070 1,687
Class 14
(33%-37%)
2,342 1,161 3,627 7,130 1,875
Class 15
(28%-32%)
2,892 1,218 4,373 8,483 2,893
Class 16
(23%-27%)
3,146 1,184 4,673 9,003 3,511
Class 17
(18%-22%)
3,817 1,098 6,196 11,111 4,073
Class 18
(13%-17%)
3,782 959 7,362 12,103 3,223
Class 19
(8%-12%)
5,213 669 11,315 17,197 3,870
Class 20
(5%-7%)
4,690 154 8,694 13,538 4,231
Class 21
(1%-4%)
1,753 16 3,645 5,414 74
Nil Assessments 168 0 0 168 1,587
Not Available 0 0 0 0 0
Total 44,265 21,515 73,439 139,219 37,793

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 4.10 Most Common Medical ConditionsFootnote 21 (Fiscal Year 2021–22)

The table below is based on the number of Veterans who received a favourable decision for the medical condition related to their service.

Ranking All Veterans Canadian Armed Forces Veterans RCMP Veterans Afghanistan VeteransFootnote 22
1. Tinnitus Tinnitus Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
2. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Tinnitus Tinnitus
3. Hearing Loss Hearing Loss Hearing Loss Hearing Loss
4. Lumbar Disc Disease Depressive Disorders, including Dysthymia and Major Depression Lumbar Disc Disease Depressive Disorders, including Dysthymia and Major Depression
5. Osteoarthritis Knee Lumbar Disc Disease Osteoarthritis Knee Anxiety Disorders, including Panic Disorder
6. Depressive Disorders, including Dysthymia and Major Depression Osteoarthritis Knee Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain Adjustment Disorder
7. Osteoarthritis Hip Adjustment Disorder Osteoarthritis Hip Lumbar Disc Disease
8. Adjustment Disorder Osteoarthritis Hip Plantar Fasciitis Generalized Anxiety Disease
9. Cervical Disc Disease Cervical Disc Disease Cervical Disc Disease Cervical Disc Disease
10. Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain Bruxism Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 4.11 Most Common Conditions – First Applications Completed (Fiscal Year 2021–22)Footnote 28

The table below represents the number of decisions for fiscal year 2021-22 for each medical condition. Decisions are based on evidence presented and legislated eligibility requirements.

Medical Conditions Favourable Decisions Unfavourable Decisions Total
Decisions
# of
Favourable
Decisions
% of
Favourable
Decisions
# of
Unfavourable
Decisions
% of
Unfavourable
Decisions
Tinnitus 6,561 93% 468 7% 7,029
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 5,636 96% 230 4% 5,866
Hearing Loss 3,369 82% 741 18% 4,110
Lumbar Disc Disease 1,062 94% 108 6% 1,710
Osteoarthritis Knee 1,474 93% 116 7% 1,590
Depressive Disorders 1,451 98% 31 2% 1,482
Osteoarthritis Hip 1,037 88% 142 12% 1,179
Adjustment Disorder 999 97% 26 3% 1,025
Cervical Disc Disease 888 91% 85 9% 973
Arthrosis of Knee 862 95% 43 5% 905

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 4.12 Disability Benefits (First Application) Decisions and Favourable Rates

The table below provides the number of decisions rendered on first applications. Note that one application may have multiple conditions listed.

Applications
First Applications Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Favourable (Approved) Decisions 17,648 18,729 20,593 20,773 34,192
Unfavourable (Denied) Decisions 3,516 4,131 4,739 3,607 3,641
Total: Applications – Decisions RenderedFootnote 23 21,164 22,860 25,332 24,380 37,833
Favourable Rate (Dockets) % 83% 82% 81% 85% 90%
Medical Conditions
First Applications Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Favourable (Approved) Conditions 27,715 26,077 29,110 27,497 49,549
Unfavourable (Denied) Conditions 7,967 8,463 9,161 6,986 6,376
Total: Conditions – Decisions Rendered 35,682 34,540 38,271 34,483 55,925
Favourable Rate (Conditions) % 78% 75% 76% 80% 89%

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Table 4.13 - Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation: Recipients and Expenditures

Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation is a non-taxable monthly benefit to recognize and compensate Veterans for the non-economic loss associated with service-related permanent and severe impairments that cause a barrier in life after service.

Additional Pain and Suffering CompensationFootnote 24 Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Recipients (Veterans) - - 14,223 18,326 21,846
Expenditures (in $ millions) - - $119.1 $154.1 $180.3
Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation ForecastFootnote 25
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Recipients (Veterans) 26,300 30,700 33,000 35,200 37,500
Expenditures (in $ millions) $228.0 $274.5 $306.3 $340.4 $376.9

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch

Critical Injury Benefit (CIB)

The Critical Injury Benefit provides a tax-free lump sum award for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans who sustained a service-related injury (or developed an acute disease) that occurred as a result of a sudden and single incident after March 31, 2006. This benefit is in recognition of the immediate pain and suffering experienced after the traumatic incident.

Table 4.14 Critical Injury Benefit Recipients and Expenditures

Critical Injury Benefit Actuals as of March 31, 2022
2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
RecipientsFootnote 26 16 9 11 18 14
Expenditures (in $ millions) $1.2 $0.7 $0.8 $1.4 $1.1
Critical Injury Benefit ForecastFootnote 27
2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
Recipients 22 20 20 20 20
Expenditures (in $ millions) $1.8 $1.7 $1.7 $1.7 $1.8

Source: Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch