The last time I worked a shift as a nurse was in November 2019. Since then, I’ve been unable to work because of my depression, and specifically because of psychomotor retardation. I didn’t want to apply for disability until it got to the point that I was quite sure I wasn’t going to be able to work again. I got to that point a couple of months ago, and I submitted part of my application last month.
Disability benefits in Canada
There are a few options. For short-term (15 weeks), there’s Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits from the federal government, which require you to have been working and paid into EI. The long-term federal option is Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits. They require a severe and prolonged disability, and you need to have worked and paid in a minimum amount to CPP.
Then there’s the provincial option. In British Columbia, that’s Persons With Disabilities assistance. I’m pretty familiar with that, since a lot of my clients were on it when I worked in community mental health. Besides the disability piece, there’s a maximum level of assets you can have to be able to get benefits. Currently, I have too much money for that, so CPP Disability is the route I’m going.
If I still had a regular position as a nurse, I would have had access to long-term disability benefits through work, but that ship has sailed.
My choices around timing
It’s been 4 1/2 years since I last had a regular job. Since then, I’ve just worked on a casual basis, picking up shifts here and there. As my health declined, the amount I was able to work declined. I last worked at the end of November, but I’ve still got my casual position and I’ve still got my nursing license. I hoped that I’d be able to go back to work, at least a little bit, and it didn’t make sense to apply for disability until I was sure I couldn’t go back to work. Luckily, I’m in a financial position such that there isn’t a sense of urgency on that front.
Part of my decision to apply when I did is that at the end of February 2021, I’ll need to renew my nursing license. It would cost me $400 less to renew it as non-practicing rather than practicing, and I thought it made sends to avoid that extra $400 if I could. My guess is that won’t happen because I’ve delayed getting the medical report done, but we’ll see.
My application process
Earlier this year, I started thinking it was pretty likely that I’d end up needing to go on disability. I started gradually filling out the mail-in version, which at the time was the only way to do it. I’d done the majority of it, and then when I looked online to see what the COVID situation is, it turns out they had set up an online application process, and you have to do it that way.
That should be easy, right? Not so much. The mail-in version asked for months and years when various things occurred, but not days. It also didn’t ask for addresses and phone numbers and those kinds of details for treatment providers. The online version had all of these details set as required fields, so there was no option to leave blanks. I knew months and years, but hunting down exact dates of things, like when I was hospitalized in 2007, was a pain in the ass. A lot of dates I was only able to narrow down because Google Calendar has saved everything I’ve put in it going back several years, and I put pretty much (but not quite) everything in it.
There were a bunch of questions asking for you to rate your functioning on a 5-point scale from poor to excellent. I ended up revising my answers a few times because I was initially averaging my functioning over several months rather than focusing specifically on what I’ve been able to do for the last couple of months, which is sweet fuck-all.
What next
I sent in my section of the application last month, but my application is still incomplete because I haven’t gotten the medical report done yet. My doctor won’t have a problem with doing it, but he doesn’t know all of the details of my history, so there are questions on the form he wouldn’t know the answer to. I’ve mentioned briefly that I’ll need him to do it, but talking on the phone isn’t something I feel very comfortable with to begin with, and more importantly, my speech is really impaired right now, so that longer conversation that’s needed just hasn’t happened yet.
So we’ll see. Depression isn’t an obvious diagnosis associated with significant disability. I’m not sure how they’ll interpret my pattern of work over the last few years, or my decision to wait so long to apply, or the fact that it’s taking so long to get my complete application in. But someone would only need to interact with me for 30 seconds to see that I’m too impaired to work, so I’m not concerned about whether I’m broken enough. I know I qualify, but I’m not sure if the CPP people will be so swift on the uptake. We shall see.
In the U.S. they make it easier on the dates because they just ask for release forms on your medical records and all the info is there. I filled out a form for every doctor I ever talked to in my life and every hospital I had been in and I was approved in 3 months. I never had to speak to anyone in person. Hopefully it goes smoothly for you.
I’m glad it went well for you!
I hope it gets sorted out for you.
Its difficult her in the UK, I have had to assessments, nothing had changed in between the assessments but although the first person said I was eligible for it the second didn’t.
Oh that’s crappy.
Good luck with this. I’ve struggled in similar situations over the years. In this country, sickness benefits are geared much more towards physical disability than mental illness. For one benefit, you get a form with fifteen pages of questions about specific physical disabilities, then the two pages on mental illness just say, “Tell us about your condition” with no clue as to what they want to know. It is a struggle to convince them that mental health issues are real. I had huge bureaucratic problems last time I applied for something.
Here they have a set of illnesses where the diagnosis itself gives stronger weight to the application. I think schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are on there, but with other mental illnesses it’s more case by case.
Sounds like you need to put much effort into all the forms and application requirements. I hope all goes well and they accept your application.
Hopefully it’s only the one time that needs that amount of energy and precision.
Thanks ❤️
Good luck I’ve heard here in the states it’s so hit and miss on who gets it.
Thanks!
I finally won my disability case the 2nd time I went to court. The whole system is so messed up here. It all depends on the judge you get and if you get a conservative judge, your chances plummet because they turn down way more people. How is that fair? Also, if you are over 50 you are way more likely to get approved regardless of how severe your condition is and if you are under that age you are more likely to be denied regardless of how much you suffer. Age shouldn’t matter that much. A body (or mind) can fall apart at any age!!!
Sorry for the rant lol. I hope it goes well for you! Hopefully Canada is better!
I remember when you were through that. It’s so bizarre that a judge’s personal belies can have an impact who gets disability assistance.
Yeah 🙁
Oh, that sounds like a whole lot of hassle, especially with the exact dates and possible phone calls, but I guess that’s normal for all sorts of disability-related forms. I hope it will go well and won’t take too much time.
My part is all done and sent in, so that’s out of the way now.
I wish the best of luck getting all the paper work done and submitted. My husband has been on a disability pension for many years now. His first application was denied and we had to do it a second time. Apparently that is the norm, or so I’ve been told. Keep persevering with it though.
Thanks!
You’re welcome. 🙂
I am on a provincial disability, I couldn’t apply for anything federal for I was considered self-employed. The program I am on is called S.A.I.D. I have been on this for some time now. It isn’t the best situation but I was allowed to stay in my home{trailer}. I can cover my lot rent. If I moved I would be cut down in what I could afford for an apartment. A paper shack here goes for about $800.00 a month. So I stay put.
I wish you all the best Ashley, once approved you know what you can count on every month, brings stability, less stress on the mind.
PWD in BC pays $375 as the shelter amount. You couldn’t find a doghouse to rent in Vancouver for $375.
I hear you, here the allowed amount is 350.00
Because I have been in my house of ten years I am allowed quite a bit more. It covers 90% of my lot rent & fees.
Oh that’s good.
They do not make it easy. Good luck.
Thanks!
I appreciate your genuine openness and honesty about applying for CPP and knowing what is best for you and your health. I hope that they approve you!! My fingers are crossed 🤞🤞
Thanks! 💕
I really hope you get approved without any more hassle
Thanks!
Best of luck getting approved, I’m sorry the process is such an ordeal!
Thanks!