Supporting documentation for a claim for CPP disability benefits often refers to medical documentation that supports or evidences your medical condition. Many people find it difficult to determine which documentation they need to support their claim for benefits. If you or a loved one are applying for CPP disability benefits, it’s important to speak with a disability lawyer as soon as possible to help you understand what you need and assist you in properly applying for benefits.
In order to have a discussion about the medical documentation needed to support a CPP disability claim, you must first have an understanding of what constitutes a disability under the CPP.
Many people are denied CPP Disability Benefits on the alleged basis that they do not meet the CPP definition of “disability”. The CPP defines “disability” as a condition that not only prevents you from being able to work at any job on a regular basis, but also one that is both severe and prolonged.
Severe is defined as “a mental or physical disability that regularly stops you from doing any type of substantially gainful work”.
Prolonged is defined as a disability that is “long-term and of indefinite duration or is likely to result in death.”
What is important to note is that both the “severe” and “prolonged” criteria must be met simultaneously at the time of your application for CPP disability benefits. Accordingly, when submitting your application for benefits, it is important that you include not only documentation that supports your disability, but also documentation that supports your condition as meeting the disability criteria set out by the CPP.
You will start your document gathering process with your family doctor who will assist in completing the Physician portion of the Medical Report which is to be submitted with your application for benefits. However, your supporting medical documentation should not stop there. All doctors are required to keep records of your visits with them. You should order and review the medical records from your family physician, and any other treating physicians or specialists that you are seeing, which may support your claim. In addition to these records, and in some instances, it may also be a good idea to obtain a medical report that speaks specifically to whether your condition meets the CPP definition of disability. If you have a lawyer representing you with respect to a denial of CPP disability benefits, your lawyer will assist in collecting and submitting all of the relevant documents to support your claim.
If you have any questions about the document collecting process, or unsure of what documents you need, call us for a free consultation.
