BC Disability Benefit PWD Payments & Dates 2023

Here are the 2023 BC Disability Payment PWD payment dates:

What is the BC Disability Benefit PWD?

The BC Disability Benefit PWD is an income assistance program offered to low-income people that qualify as Persons with Disabilities (PWD) to help them get the financial or health support they need.

Eligibility for PWD

To be eligible for PWD, you must meet certain requirements.

You must:

• Meet the financial requirements (explained below)
• Be at least 18 years old (although you can start the application process at 17 and a half)
• Struggle with a severe mental or physical impairment expected to last two or more years
• Have a limited ability to perform daily tasks
• Need help performing daily tasks from either another person, an assistance animal or an assistive device

There are some income and asset requirements you must meet to qualify for any disability benefits.

To start, if you’re part of a family where at least one adult qualified for PWD, you may only have up to $100,000 in certain general assets.

General assets include cash, any property you own that could be converted to cash, and personal assets in a trust.

If you’re a couple where both adults qualify for PWD, your general asset limit is up to $200,000.

The following assets won’t count towards the general asset limit:

• A home that you currently live in
• One car or another motorized vehicle
• Clothes and other essential household items
• A Registered Disability Saving Plan
• Assets kept in a qualifying trust

When it comes to trusts, the government assesses each one individually to see if it qualifies to be exempted.

If you are the beneficiary of a trust or are thinking about setting one up, you should get legal advice.

For more information on trusts, see here.

How To Apply For PWD

If you want to apply for PWD, there are 2 steps to the application process:

• Prove that you meet the financial requirements to be eligible for PWD
• Complete and submit the Persons with Disabilities Designation Application

You can fill out the online application or contact the ministry at 1-866-866-0800 to request a PWD application.

The application form has 3 sections: one that you fill out yourself, one that your doctor or nurse practitioner fills out concerning your medical state, and an assessor report section that is filled out by a prescribed professional such as a social worker, a registered nurse or a doctor.

You could be eligible for a simplified application process if you already get benefits from:

• The Ministry of Children and Family Development at Home Program
• Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit (CPPD)
• BC PharmaCare Plan P – Palliative Care Benefits
• Community Living BC (CLBC)

You could also be eligible for a simplified application process if you are between 17 and a half to 19 years old and have been confirmed to have an intellectual disability.

With a simplified application process, the government can approve your eligibility based on your ability to qualify for one of those programs, instead of needing to you to go through the full PWD application process.

How Much Can I Get From PWD?

As of May 2022, here are the PWD benefit amounts:

There may also be additional PWD benefits for living in a Community Living BC residence or for supplements if you qualify.

To learn more about how much you could receive, including if you have additional dependents, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions