Return to work and disability benefits

Returning to work or an increase in your employment earnings could have an impact on your disability pension. Payments may end earlier if you:

• are no longer disabled;
• your total annual gross employment income is $20 171 or more.

Employment earnings

We will not automatically stop paying your pension. It will first determine whether the conditions for receiving a disability pension are still being met. In addition, a verification could be made with your employer.

To determine whether you are still eligible for a pension, we will take into account, among other factors, your employment earnings. The following are considered to be employment earnings:

• gross pay (before taxes)
• net income from a business (if you are self-employed)
• taxable benefits (example: housing, automobile, salary and group insurance premiums, etc.)
• net remuneration generated as an intermediate resource or family-type resource (after deducting expenses for assistance or replacement services)
• vacation pay and bonuses
• income derived from public office (for example: a city councillor)
• rental income for which you are required to do work

If we deem you to no longer be disabled following your return to work or further to an increase in your employment earnings, you will maintain the disability pension payments received in the 3 months following the one in which you returned to work.

Inability to continue working after returning to work

If you return to work and then have to stop working because of your health less than 24 months after payment of your disability pension has ended, you will have to file a new Application for Disability Benefits using the abridged form. We will process your application on a priority basis and check whether we can quickly reinstate your pension payments. If over 24 months have passed, you must file a new Application for Disability Benefits using the usual form.

For the disability pension, if we deem you to be disabled again for the same reason within 5 years following the cessation of your pension, there will be no waiting period before payment starts.

Inform us

If you start or return to work ( temporarily or on a part-time basis), you are required to inform us immediately by telephone or in writing.

If you believe that your gross employment income could exceed the authorized annual amount, please contact us. That way, you can avoid having to repay amounts to which you are not entitled.

When you inform us of a return to work, you must provide certain information such as the nature and conditions of your work, your employer's name, your salary, etc.