Canada Disability Plan for b/c Survivors Stage 1V???

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Frankie_
Frankie_ Member Posts: 422
edited June 2014 in Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer

I'am new to this site. My onc is still trying to determine what stage I'm at (3 or 4). Further tests (CTs, MRI's) are currently being done. I was wondering if there are any b/c survivors (stage 1V) who have successfully obtained and was found to be eligible under the Canada Disability Penison Plan??? If so, was it a difficult process??? I would like to learn about other's experiences! Not only am I hoping to learn about this but hope that other members of this group can also learn!

I appreciate any responsesLaughing

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited November 2009

    Thank-you for posting this Frankie -- I'm very interested too.  I have read that we are automatically approved for disability with Stage IV on the Ontario disability plan (and free prescriptions) and it can be topped off with the Canadian Disability Plan.  When I see my onc on Dec 08 I will ask to speak about someone about this and pass on the info.  For a single person the Ontario disability is just under $1000/month -- hard to live on that!!!

    Anyone with this experience, please let us know! 

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  • Frankie_
    Frankie_ Member Posts: 422
    edited November 2009

    Thanks Konakat that would be great!

    Is the $1000.00-Ontario disabiltiy  (including the top up with the Canadian Disability Plan) too? In other words would it be more that$1000 with the two combined???

    Would love to hear from others too!

    Frankie

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  • Kyta
    Kyta Member Posts: 713
    edited November 2009

    Hi ladies...whatever amount you may qualify for under CPP disability would be deducted from your ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) monthly benefit. So, if you qualify for CPP and it's higher than 1,000 then you won't qualify for ODSP, if it's less, than you'll get a top up from ODSP along with a monthly drug and dental card. I've worked in social services for 22 years so if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

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  • Melanie36
    Melanie36 Member Posts: 110
    edited December 2009

    Using my dumb question of the day here...

    What IS CDPP? I live in Manitoba and am on disability with my employer. Is this something that I should be looking into? Will it top up my benefits in any way?

    What else can you tell me?

    Melanie

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited December 2009

    Here's their website --it's disability benefits calculated from your CPP contributions. While you're on employer disability benefits you cannot collect it.  But you can apply when those benefits run out.

    http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/disaben.shtml

    I hope to see someone Tuesday (or sometime this week) for more info -- I'll post what I find out.

    Elizabeth

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited December 2009

    I saw my onc today and will be seeing a social worker about all this stuff on Friday -- stay tuned!  I'll update on Friday afternoon/evening.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited December 2009

    Ooops.  I was the Home Care case worker Friday, not the Social Worker.  Hopefully I'll get the appt soon -- I'll post as soon as I have some info.

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  • mason204
    mason204 Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2009

    I've been on CPP disability for 3 years now.  When I was diagnosed Stage IV in 2006, my financial planner put the paperwork in for me.  I vaguely remember my oncologist completing some forms.  I was so "out of it" on chemo I couldn't even have applied on my own if I had wanted to.  I haven't inquired into other disability plans, especially Provincial plans.  I think I looked at the OSDP briefly, but it sounded as though you needed to be constantly bedridden or required personal care for basic needs.

    Looking back, I wouldn't have been able to hold down a steady job.  I've been on chemo SEVEN times in the past 6 years and each one (with the exception of the one I'm on now) has had me flat on my back for 4 months at a time.

    Boy, I'd love the drug and dental card.  I spent $2000 on dental care before starting a clinical trial 2 years ago.  It was money we didn't have and it basically took food out of the mouths of my children to pay it.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited January 2010

    I saw the social worker at the hospital yesterday re. disability.  She went through the CPP/disability forms with me and will take care of getting the medical part done for me.  I'll see her again next Thursday and she'll send off the application to the federal gov't on my behalf.

    The forms are pretty simple.  You don't have to provide any financial info -- the gov't just uses your SIN to check out your contributions.  The max you can get for 2010 is about $1100/month.  If you haven't contributed enough to make that max, you can apply for provincial disability to top up the amount.  As Mason said, there's a lot of medical stuff on the provincial application that makes it sound like you need to be incapacitated. And they require bank statements, etc.  I got the impression that Ontario disability is a lot like going on welfare -- cash in and live off your assets then you get it.  Blech.

    It does take about 4 months for the CPP disability application to be processed. If you need money you can apply for welfare (a.k.a. Ontario Works) to tide you over. Ugh, I'll keep on sponging off my Mom.

    The $1100 is a pitiful amount of money (doesn't cover my rent!) if you have no other means of support.  I gotta find at least a part-time job or something!  Oh yeah, you can work and make up to $4000/year without losing your CPP disability.  Hopefully I can work and not need the disability.  I don't want to spend my last months/years (?) living miserably in a hovel.

    So, that's the scoop as I understand it.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2010

    Elisabeth, thanks for the info. We are trying to figure out whether my wife will be able to use the disabled parking lots when she travels to the hospital or anywhere else. Sometimes it's hard for her to walk the extra 200-300 meters.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited January 2010

    I think your wife is an automatic approval with getting the pass since she's stage IV.  By all means apply for it, sounds like she could really benefit having it.  If I had mobility problems I'd sure get it. 

    BTW -- Some people have posted though that they have gotten dirty looks because they don't look disabled.  So be sure your wife is ready for this possibility and ignores them or has some witty comebacks for the *ssholes in this world.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2010

    I'll book an appointment with the soc. worker in the hospital for her. She'll be there on Thursday anyway.

    And thanks for the remark about the dirty looks. She'll be getting them for sure because she's young and the one cannot tell she's sick by just looking at her.

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  • Melanie36
    Melanie36 Member Posts: 110
    edited January 2010

    We need to come up with some good one liners for those people.

    How do you go about applying for a disabled parking pass. I've thought about this but have been too embarrassed to ask about getting one. I wouldn't need or want to use it daily...just on those days where I have to go to the store/appts and I do have difficulty with those extra few hundred meters.

    I was even considering a wheelchair...sometimes getting to the front doors is only 1/2 the battle. Then you have to walk to the other end of the store/mall/hospital to get to where you need to be!!

    Elizabeth,I  had asked about CCP or CCDP or whatever it is about a month ago. You thought that it couldn't be accessed if you were on employer disability. My LTD provider said I should apply for it and is helping me with the application. I'm still trying to figure all of this out. I'm sorry to hear you are struggling so much.

    Melanie

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited January 2010

    I just found out that I can get the feds to help get UI from the US for me.  I'm going to give that a try (more money) and I can work a bit too.  It probably won't last long if approved, but I thought I should give it a shot first.  Then on to disability.  I wish it didn't take frickin' months to be approved though!!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2010

    Melanie,

    I googled this for you: http://smd.mb.ca/parking_permit_program.aspx

    Good luck,

    Yan

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2010

    BTW, the soc worker said no chance to get it but the onc signed that nonetheless and we mailed the application. Will keep you posted.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited January 2010

    If Olga's oncologist signed for the permit how can they refuse?  That would be so stupid...  Yes, please keep us posted.

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  • Melanie36
    Melanie36 Member Posts: 110
    edited January 2010

    Thanks for the info, Yan.

    Interesting... it says the provincial program "ensures that when a person has difficulty walking more than 50 metres (roughly the distance from a mall's parking lot to its entrance), they can park in one of the specially designated parking spots in lots across the province. "

    Makes me feel kind of guilty for giving dirty looks to people who don't appear "disabled" enough.

    I hear it's a real bitch to try and get one though...

    Melanie

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