Eligible Disabilities for DTC
Do You Qualify?
It’s a matter of quality of life (QOL).
For example, here is a list of common conditions that often affect quality of life enough to qualify.
These conditions may qualify for the Canadian Disability Tax Credit and the Child Disability Benefit.
Canadian Benefits Association is a private company. We are not the Canada Revenue Agency, not a government agency, and not endorsed by the Government of Canada. You can apply for the Disability Tax Credit yourself, free of charge, directly through the CRA at canada.ca. Our fee for a successful claim is 33% of the refund issued to you. If no refund is issued, you owe us nothing.
Eligible Disabilities
Many Canadians are put off by the CRA’s complex application processes, and many do not realize that their chronic condition meets the threshold for the Canadian Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
Claiming your rightful Canadian disability benefits isn’t necessarily tied to the name of your condition, but how severely it affects your day-to-day life.
That means severe cases of otherwise commonplace conditions can qualify, while mild cases of less common ones may not. If you think you may be eligible, our Disability Tax Credit calculator estimates what a retroactive claim could be worth. In order to be eligible to qualify:
- Your condition causes severe physical and/or mental impairment.
- Your impairment has persisted or will persist for at least one year.
- A medical practitioner (including but not limited to your family doctor) must certify the severity of your impairment on your Disability Tax Credit application.
Disabilities That May Qualify for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC)
Listing a condition here does not mean it qualifies. The CRA assesses how the condition affects your daily living, not the diagnosis itself.
| Disability | How It May Qualify | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Addictions (Illegal or Prescription Medications) | Can qualify when dependency severely disrupts independent functioning for a prolonged period. | Check the criteria |
| ADHD – Combined Type (ADHD-C) | Eligibility depends on whether attention and impulse control markedly restrict daily mental tasks. | Check the criteria |
| ADHD – Hyperactive/Impulsive | May qualify if hyperactivity significantly limits safe and consistent functioning. | Check the criteria |
| ADHD – Inattentive (ADD) | Can qualify when concentration deficits substantially affect work, school, or daily routines. | Check the criteria |
| Agoraphobia | Often qualifies when leaving home or functioning independently becomes severely restricted. | Check the criteria |
| Alzheimer’s Disease | Typically qualifies due to progressive cognitive decline affecting memory and judgment. | Check the criteria |
| Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) | Qualifies due to severe and progressive loss of motor function. | Check the criteria |
| Angina | May qualify if cardiac symptoms limit walking, exertion, or daily activity. | Check the criteria |
| Anorexia Nervosa | Can qualify when prolonged physical and mental impairment affects basic functioning. | Check the criteria |
| Anxiety | Eligibility depends on whether symptoms markedly restrict mental functioning. | Check the criteria |
| Arthritis | May qualify if joint pain significantly limits walking, dressing, or mobility. | Check the criteria |
| Autism | Can qualify when communication or adaptive functioning is severely restricted. | Check the criteria |
| Bipolar Disorder | May qualify if mood instability markedly limits daily life over an extended period. | Check the criteria |
| Bowel Incontinence | Often qualifies when elimination requires constant management or is markedly restricted. | Check the criteria |
| Cerebral Palsy | Qualifies when motor impairment significantly limits mobility or coordination. | Check the criteria |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | May qualify if persistent fatigue prevents normal daily activity. | Check the criteria |
| Chronic Pain Disorder | Eligibility depends on whether pain substantially limits mobility or self-care. | Check the criteria |
| Crohn’s Disease | May qualify if elimination is severely restricted or ongoing therapy is required. | Check the criteria |
| Depression (Major) | Can qualify when mental functioning is markedly impaired for at least one year. | Check the criteria |
| Diabetes | May qualify when life-sustaining therapy requires substantial daily time. | Check the criteria |
| Down Syndrome | Often qualifies due to intellectual and adaptive limitations. | Check the criteria |
| Epilepsy | May qualify if seizures restrict independence or safety. | Check the criteria |
| Fibromyalgia | Eligibility depends on whether chronic pain limits mobility and daily tasks. | Check the criteria |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Can qualify if anxiety significantly disrupts daily functioning. | Check the criteria |
| Hearing Disorder | May qualify when hearing is markedly restricted, even with assistive devices. | Check the criteria |
| Huntington’s Disease | Qualifies due to progressive neurological decline. | Check the criteria |
| Intellectual Disability | Often qualifies when cognitive functioning is significantly limited. | Check the criteria |
| Multiple Sclerosis | May qualify due to neurological impairment affecting mobility or coordination. | Check the criteria |
| Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | Can qualify when compulsions substantially interfere with normal functioning. | Check the criteria |
| Parkinson’s Disease | Qualifies due to progressive motor impairment affecting daily life. | Check the criteria |
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | May qualify if trauma symptoms markedly restrict daily mental functioning. | Check the criteria |
| Quadriplegia | Qualifies due to severe loss of mobility. | Check the criteria |
| Schizophrenia | Often qualifies when psychosis significantly limits independence. | Check the criteria |
| Sleep Apnea | May qualify when life-sustaining therapy is required daily. | Check the criteria |
| Speech Disorder | Can qualify when verbal communication is markedly restricted. | Check the criteria |
| Stroke | May qualify if mobility, cognition, or speech are impaired long term. | Check the criteria |
| Tourette Syndrome | Eligibility depends on whether motor or vocal tics significantly limit functioning. | Check the criteria |
FAQs
What conditions qualify for the Disability Tax Credit?
There is no fixed list of qualifying conditions. The CRA assesses how a condition affects your daily living, not the diagnosis itself. Impairments affecting walking, dressing, feeding, speaking, hearing, elimination or mental functions may qualify when the restriction is both severe and prolonged.
Does my diagnosis alone qualify me?
No. A diagnosis on its own does not qualify you. Severe cases of otherwise commonplace conditions can qualify, while mild cases of less common ones may not. What matters is how severely the impairment affects your day to day life.
Do mental health conditions qualify for the Disability Tax Credit?
Mental health conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD and PTSD may qualify if they markedly restrict the mental functions necessary for everyday life. Eligibility is based on severity and duration, not on the diagnosis alone.
Is there an official CRA list of qualifying conditions?
The CRA does not publish a fixed list of qualifying conditions. The table on this page shows conditions that commonly affect daily functioning enough to be assessed. Listing a condition here does not mean it qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit.
How long must a condition last to be eligible?
The impairment must have persisted, or be expected to persist, for at least one year. It must also cause severe physical or mental impairment that markedly restricts a basic activity of daily living.
Who has to certify my condition?
A medical practitioner, including but not limited to your family doctor, must certify the severity of your impairment on your Disability Tax Credit application. The CRA makes the final decision on eligibility.