Denied CPP Benefits? What You Should Do?

The Canada Pension Plan was created by the government under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in 1965. It is a public pension plan based on earnings and contributions that transfers income from those in the workforce to those now in retirement. It also offers disability benefits to those who are unable to work due to a severe and prolonged disability.

The volume of CPP assets total approximately $300 billion enabling its manager, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, to become one of the world’s biggest administrators of a pension fund.

Unfortunately, Canadians are denied CPP disability benefits quite often. The process of submitting an appeal is more complicated than the application itself. An appeal has three stages:

• Request for Reconsideration
• An Appeal to a Review Tribunal
• An Appeal to the Pension Appeals Board

Complications stem from the fact that each area has its own deadlines and requirements.

The Top Five Strategies if Denied CPP Benefits

• Be persistent. Many applicants for CPP disability quit when they are refused benefits after the first denial of their application. If your application is denied you should work with a disability lawyer who can review the denial and help you devise the proper course of action for an appeal.
• Do not miss your deadlines to appeal. If your application is denied, you have three months from the date you were notified of the decision to submit an appeal for CPP benefits. At the very least, send a short letter informing Service Canada, administrator of Employment and Social Development programs, that you plan on submitting an appeal. In doing so, you will meet your deadline.
• Ensure you address any error or oversights that caused the initial denial. It is your responsibility to submit the necessary information that will support your appeal or application. For example, if you were denied CPP disability benefits because there is no supporting medical evidence and you are certain you recently had x-rays, ensure you correct this oversight and submit the appropriate information.
• Maintain copies of all the documents you provided to Service Canada. This includes correspondence from your doctor, the application, letters for an appeal, etc. Make sure you have a well-documented paper trail and notes from any phone conversations with Service Canada.
• Be familiar with CPP rules as they apply to disabilities. Often, when a representative from Service Canada calls, they ask questions that may provide information that will allow them to deny a claim. If you understand the rules and how the process works, you are less likely to impede your progress.
• Having a disability lawyer on your side can help keep the playing field even.

The Canada Pension Plan Act was created in an effort to preserve the quality of life for widows, widowers, retirees, and people who are coping with disabilities. Annually, many Canadians are denied benefits without a proper justification. If this has happened to you, act quickly. To find out how to proceed, contact our team of disability lawyers today. They will be able to assist you with the appeal process and guide you toward the path leading to resolution.