What disability benefits should I check for a child in my care?
Disability support is spread across tax credits, monthly benefits, savings incentives and PEI programs. The most important first step is understanding which programs depend on DTC approval.
Part of our Financial Help resource series. See the main Financial Help guide for PEI programs, household costs and related caregiver resources. Following a guided route? Return to the Money & practical-needs route.
Information reviewed September 2026. Benefit amounts, tax thresholds and program rules can change, so use the linked official source for current eligibility and amounts.
Start with the Disability Tax Credit because several other programs use it as a gateway.
The DTC is a non-refundable tax credit for people with a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions. A medical practitioner completes the medical portion of the application, and CRA decides eligibility.
Child Disability Benefit, current July 2026 to June 2027.
If you are eligible for CCB for the child and the child is approved for the DTC, CRA automatically calculates the Child Disability Benefit. The current maximum is $3,480 per year, or $290 per month, for each eligible child. The amount decreases at higher adjusted family net incomes.
A supporting grandparent may be able to receive a transferred disability amount.
If a DTC-approved dependant does not need the full disability amount to reduce their own tax, CRA rules can allow an unused amount to be transferred to a supporting family member in qualifying circumstances. CRA specifically includes children and grandchildren among the relationships that can qualify.
The dependant must have relied on the supporting person for some or all basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing, and other tax conditions apply.
CRA: Disability amount transferred from a dependant
Canada Caregiver Credit is a separate tax credit.
The Canada Caregiver Credit may apply when a child or grandchild depends on you for support because of a mental or physical infirmity. It is a non-refundable tax credit, and the amount depends on the dependant's age, income and the other credits being claimed.
An RDSP can be much more valuable than a normal savings account for an eligible child.
A child who is DTC-approved may be eligible for a Registered Disability Savings Plan. The federal government can add matching grants and, for lower-income beneficiaries, bonds.
Canada Disability Savings Grant
For 2026, a beneficiary with family income at or below $117,045 can receive enhanced matching. An RDSP can receive up to $3,500 in matching grant in a year and up to $70,000 over the beneficiary's lifetime.
Canada Disability Savings Bond
No personal contribution is required for the bond. For 2026, the full $1,000 annual bond applies at family income of $38,237 or less, with a partial bond between $38,237 and $58,523. The lifetime bond limit is $20,000.
A kinship caregiver may not automatically have authority to open the RDSP.
For a minor beneficiary, CRA says the plan can be opened by a legal parent, guardian, tutor, another person legally authorized to act for the beneficiary, or an authorized public body. A grandparent caring for a child informally may therefore need to clarify legal authority before trying to open the plan.
At 18, the benefit picture changes again.
The Child Disability Benefit ends when the person is no longer eligible for CCB as a child. For an eligible DTC-approved adult age 18 to 64, the federal Canada Disability Benefit may become relevant. For July 2026 to June 2027, its current maximum is $204.20 per month, subject to income and other eligibility rules.
Canada Disability Benefit amounts
PEI supports can sit alongside federal disability programs.
AccessAbility Supports can help eligible Islanders with disability-related needs, while school and health systems may provide other supports. Federal tax approval does not automatically establish eligibility for a PEI disability program, and the reverse is also true.
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