This post covers the Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC) disability benefits payments dates for 2023.
The disability benefit program is one of several programs administered by Veterans Affairs Canada. We’ll start with the payment dates for 2023, then cover the program eligibility, application process, how much you can receive and so on.
VAC Disability Payment Dates 2023
The Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) disability benefit payment dates for 2023 are:
| Benefit Months | Disability Benefit Payment Dates |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 30, 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 27, 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 30, 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 27, 2023 |
| May 2023 | May 30, 2023 |
| June 2023 | June 29, 2023 |
| July 2023 | July 28, 2023 |
| August 2023 | August 30, 2023 |
| September 2023 | September 28, 2023 |
| October 2023 | October 30, 2023 |
| November 2023 | November 29, 2023 |
| December 2023 | December 21, 2023 |
Like many other government financial assistance programs, you can register for direct deposit to ensure your payments are received on time.
But there’s also an option to receive cheques instead. If you choose to receive your disability benefit as cheque in the mail, the date you receive it may not be the same as the payment dates above depending on the mail service in your area.
What is the Veterans Disability Benefits?
Veterans Disability Benefits is a tax-free financial assistance payment to veterans that got ill or injured in the course of their service. In other words, the disability or medical condition must be service-related.
Disability benefits is one of several programs to compensate veterans for service-related injuries and illnesses. Other such programs include Critical Injury Benefit, Attendance Allowance, Caregiver Recognition Benefit, Medical Costs and so on.
These programs are administered by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), the government of Canada body responsible for providing social and economic support to veterans and their families.
VAC Disability Benefits
There are 2 main benefits covered by the Veterans Disability Benefit program:
- Disability Pension is a tax-free monthly benefit for members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and other veterans that served in the Second World War or Korean War or those that applied for disability benefits before April 1, 2006.
- Pain and Suffering Compensation can be taken as a lump-sum benefit or life-time monthly benefit. It is available to CAF members and other veterans with service-related injuries and illnesses that served after April 1, 1947.
There used to be Disability Award that has now been replaced with Pain and Suffering Compensation benefit.
In addition to the 2 benefits above, eligible veterans may also qualify for one or more of the other VAC administered programs such as Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation, Clothing Allowance, Exceptional Incapacity Allowance, Critical Injury Benefit and so on.
These programs are covered below.
VAC Disability Benefit Rates
The disability benefit rates depend on how severe your condition is, to what degree it is related to your service and how much impact it has on your quality of life.
A disability benefit recipient that is eligible to receive the Pain and Suffering Compensation can receive up to a lump sum amount of $422,001.88 or $1,297.01 per month for life in benefits.
The benefit drops with lower extents of disability as shown in the table below:
| Extent of Disability | Lump Sum Amount | Monthly Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| 5% | $21,100.09 | $64.85 |
| 20% | $84,400.38 | $259.40 |
| 40% | $168,880.75 | $518.80 |
| 60% | $253,201.13 | $778.21 |
| 80% | $337,601.50 | $1,037.61 |
| 100% | $422,001.88 | $1,297.01 |
On the other hand, Disability Pension recipients only receive a life-time monthly rate. It pays a base monthly rate to the veteran plus additional amounts to their spouses and children.
| Class | Single | Spouse | First Child | Second Child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3215.80 | $803.95 | $418.05 | $305.51 |
| 5 | $2572.64 | $643.16 | $334.44 | $244.40 |
| 10 | $1768.69 | $442.17 | $229.93 | $168.03 |
| 15 | $964.74 | $241.19 | $125.42 | $91.65 |
| 20 | $160.79 | $40.20 | $20.90 | $15.28 |
Class reflects the severity of the condition: 1 is the most severe at 100%, while 20 is the least at just 5%.
You can find the complete table showing the disability pension rates here.
Eligibility for Disability Benefits
You may be eligible for VAC disability benefit if you have a diagnosed disability or medical condition and can show that it is related to your service.
In addition, you must be a member of one of the following groups:
- Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veteran or current members
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) current or former members
- 2nd World War or Korean War Veteran; or
- Certain civilians that served in the 2nd world war
If you belong to one of these groups and can proof that your medical condition or disability is service related, check below for how to apply for disability benefits.
How to Apply for VAC Disability Benefits
If you’re eligible for Veterans disability benefit and want to apply, there are 2 main options available to you:
- Apply Online through your My VAC Account. Simply sign in using your existing account or easily create a new one.
- Download the forms from VAC website and mail it in or drop it in person at any VAC office, Service Canada Office or CAF Transition Centre.
To create a new My VAC account, sign up using your existing GCKey or a sign-in partner – similar to how you would sign in to your CRA account. Next, link your VAC profile to the sign-in and verify your identity using one of the available options.
There are several resources available for you if you need help with completing the forms or getting any of the information you need for your application.
You may call VAC at 1-866-522-2122 or visit any of their offices, Service Canada Offices, Royal Canadian Legion, CAF Transition Centre or The War Amps of Canada.
VAC has a Reviews and Appeals process in place in case you disagree with the decisions reached on your application. Also, you may request for a reassessment anytime if your condition worsens and you require additional benefits.
Other Programs from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
The Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has several programs that are designed to support veterans with service-related injuries and replace their lost income where necessary.
Some of these programs include:
Additional Pain and Suffering Compensation: is a tax-free benefit paid to veterans with service-related disabilities that are severe and permanent in nature, and create barriers to re-establishment of post-service, civilian life.
Eligible veterans can receive between $563.92 and $1,691.76 depending on the extent or severity of their impairment.
Clothing Allowance: is an additional financial assistance program for veterans that already receive disability benefits. It is for those requiring specially made clothing or whose condition causes wear and tear on their clothing.
It pays between $26.73 and $241.13 in benefits.
Exceptional Incapacity Allowance: provides a tax-free monthly benefit to veterans with serious illness or injuries that have significant impact on their quality of life. The disability is such that the veteran experiences significant and continuing pain and discomfort, loss of enjoyment of life, shortened lifespan etc.
Eligible veterans for exceptional incapacity allowance can receive up to $1,702.35 depending on the nature of the disability.
Attendance Allowance: covers the cost of hiring a full-time or occasional care-giver to assist with daily living activities of disabled veterans. It pays between $340.58 and $2,127.90 depending on the grade or nature of the disability.
This allowance is paid to those receiving Disability Pension.
Caregiver Recognition Benefit: is related to Attendance Allowance but it is for those receiving Pain and Suffering Compensation. It is a tax-free benefit that covers the cost of getting help for day-to-day activities like walking, feeding, taking medication, dressing and so on.
The Caregiver recognition benefit currently pays $1,154.90 per month.
Income Replacement Benefit: Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) former members or their survivors are eligible for this benefit. The income replacement benefit ensures that the income of veterans with diminished earnings capacity are at least 90% of their gross pre-release military salary.
This benefit is taxable since it is meant to replace income.
VAC Disability Benefit Increase 2023
The Veterans Well-being Act and Pension Act prescribe that the benefit rates should be benchmarked against inflation. That is, each year by January 1st, the rates are increased to reflect the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the period ending October 31st of the previous year.
Therefore, there was an increase in VAC disability benefit in 2022 that became effective in January 1, 2023 to reflect the rise in inflation.
Is Veterans Disability Benefit Taxable?
The disability benefits for CAF and other veterans in Canada are not taxable. They are tax-free monthly or lump-sum payments that are meant to compensate for the pain and suffering experienced due to service-related disabilities.
In other words, they are not meant to replace the income of veterans, so they are not taxable. However, the Income Replacement Benefits paid to veterans, where applicable, are taxed.
VAC VIP Payment Dates 2023
The Veterans Independence Program (VIP) is a VAC benefit program that helps veterans pay for services to keep them independent in their homes.
The benefit is tax-free and covers services such as housekeeping, grounds maintenance, personal care, transportation, home adaptations, nutrition and so on.
You can find the maximum rates for each of the services provided in this chart.
VAC works with service providers in providing these services. Registered service providers are reimbursed directly by VAC for the cost of providing the services to Veterans.
If the service provider is not registered, qualified Veterans can pay for the service then submit the receipts or invoices to get reimbursed by VAC.
In these instances, Veterans can expect the VAC VIP payments to be paid with their monthly disability benefit payments on these dates.
| Benefit Months | Disability Benefit Payment Dates |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | January 30, 2023 |
| February 2023 | February 27, 2023 |
| March 2023 | March 30, 2023 |
| April 2023 | April 27, 2023 |
| May 2023 | May 30, 2023 |
| June 2023 | June 29, 2023 |
| July 2023 | July 28, 2023 |
| August 2023 | August 30, 2023 |
| September 2023 | September 28, 2023 |
| October 2023 | October 30, 2023 |
| November 2023 | November 29, 2023 |
| December 2023 | December 21, 2023 |
Other Provincial Government Disability Benefit Programs:
