The approval letter arrived on a library day. My son wanted to renew the same enormous book about sea creatures. I wanted to understand whether the years on the letter meant another application, a change to our monthly benefits, or both.
I had filed the disability tax credit application. I had not yet connected that decision with the Canada child benefit we already received.
Check the two eligibility links
The child disability benefit is a tax-free monthly benefit for eligible families caring for a child under 18. It depends on eligibility for the Canada child benefit and the child's approved disability tax credit status. If you already receive the CCB for a DTC-eligible child, the CRA adds the child disability benefit automatically; a separate application for that supplement is not required. CRA eligibility and automatic payments.
That does not make every program automatic. The DTC itself is a non-refundable tax credit. An RDSP has its own account-opening steps. The adult Canada Disability Benefit is another program again, despite sharing the initials CDB in English.
Put the payment year beside the income year
For July 2026 through June 2027, the maximum child disability benefit is $3,480 a year, or $290 a month, per eligible child. Payments use 2025 adjusted family net income. The maximum is reduced above $82,847; the reduction rate is 3.2% for one eligible child and 5.7% for two or more. The CRA's benefit page and calculator link give the applicable calculation.
I wrote “2025 income / July 2026 to June 2027 payments” at the top of my notes. That stopped me comparing the notice with this month's earnings. The maximum also stopped looking like a guaranteed deposit.
Separate automatic review from an earlier-year request
On a first child disability benefit calculation, the CRA automatically reviews the current benefit year and the two preceding benefit years. These run from July through June, not January through December. Earlier years require a written request to the tax centre. Eligibility and the approved disability period still govern the result. Past benefit years.
For a first calculation in October 2026, those three benefit years are July 2024 to June 2025, July 2025 to June 2026, and July 2026 to June 2027. An approval covering an earlier period is a reason to check what else needs review, not proof that every earlier month will be paid.
I kept the approval, benefit notices and a short list of the periods still unanswered together. When following up, I could name a missing period instead of asking vaguely about “the back payment.”
Keep the annual return current
Both partners must continue filing annual returns, including years with no income, and keep family details current. Continued CCB and DTC eligibility matter too. A new approval does not replace those ongoing requirements. Keeping child disability benefits.
My son's book was renewed. My remaining job was smaller than I had first imagined: read the approved period, compare the benefit notice and identify any earlier years that still needed a request.
Checked October 20, 2026. Amounts above apply to the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year.
