Child Disability Benefit (CDB)

A wheelchair accessibility sign. The Child Disability Benefit is tied to the Disability Tax Credit, not to a list of conditions. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

A wheelchair accessibility sign at a harbour pier. — A wheelchair accessibility sign at a pier. The CDB is paid on top of the CCB for a DTC-eligible child. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

A sign about wheelchair accessibility and parking. — A sign about wheelchair accessibility. Do not confuse the CDB with the separate Canada Disability Benefit for working-age adults. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is an extra, tax-free amount paid on top of the CCB for a child who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). It is not a separate application you file from scratch — it rides on the CCB claim and the DTC approval.

CDB numbers, July 2026 to June 2027

Maximum: $3,480 a year ($290 a month) per DTC-eligible child.
Reduction: above AFNI $82,847, the CDB reduces by 3.2% of AFNI over $82,847 for one DTC-eligible child, or 5.7% for two or more.
For comparison only, the previous year's maximum was $3,411 a year.

The DTC gate

The child must have a CRA-approved Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate. The test is a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions. This site deliberately does not publish a checklist of conditions implying approval — the CRA decides on the form, case by case. Do not assume a diagnosis guarantees the DTC, and do not assume its absence rules it out.

Backdating

The CDB is calculated automatically for the current payment period plus the two previous ones. Beyond that, a written request to the tax centre is needed. If the DTC is approved late, check whether the automatic window covered your periods before assuming money was lost.

Two different "disability benefits" — do not mix them up. The Child Disability Benefit is a top-up to the CCB for children, run by the CRA. The Canada Disability Benefit is a separate program for working-age adults, run by Service Canada. They have different rules, different applications, and different payers. Whenever you see "disability benefit" without a qualifier, check which one is meant.

Sources

CRA publication T4114(E) Rev. 26, "Child disability benefit": canada.ca — T4114.

General information only. This page explains the Canada Child Benefit in plain English. It is not legal, financial, or tax advice, and it cannot decide whether you qualify. Only the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can decide a claim. Figures change every July — always confirm the current figure with the CRA before you act on it. Contact: hello [at] tapetoolhq.com.