Section 56 — Canada Pension Plan: Amount of disability pension

A disability pension payable to a contributor is a basic monthly amount consisting of a flat rate benefit, calculated as provided in subsection (2); and 75% of the amount of the contributor’s retirement pension, which amount is calculated as the aggregate of the amount calculated as provided in subsection (3), the amount calculated as provided in subsection (3.1), and the amount calculated as provided in subsection (3.2). The amount of the flat rate benefit mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) is in the case of a flat rate benefit commencing to be payable for a month in the year 1986, ninety-one dollars and six cents; in the case of a flat rate benefit payable for a month in the year 1987, an amount calculated by multiplying two hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-eight cents by the ratio that the Pension Index for 1987 bears to the Pension Index for 1986;

and in the case of a flat rate benefit commencing to be payable for a month in the year 1988 or any subsequent year, an amount calculated by multiplying the amount of the flat rate benefit that would have been payable for a month in the year preceding that year by the ratio that the Pension Index for the year in which the benefit commences to be payable bears to the Pension Index for the year preceding that year. The amount of the portion of the contributor’s retirement pension that is to be used for the purpose of subparagraph (1)(b)(i) is equal to 25% of their average monthly pensionable earnings calculated as provided in subsections (4) and (5). The amount of the portion of the contributor’s retirement pension that is to be used for the purpose of subparagraph (1)(b)(ii) is equal to 8.33% of their first additional monthly pensionable earnings calculated as provided in subsection (4.01). The amount of the portion of the contributor’s retirement pension that is to be used for the purpose of subparagraph (1)(b)(iii) is equal to 33.33% of the contributor’s second additional monthly pensionable earnings calculated as provided in subsection (4.02). For the purposes of subsection (3), the average monthly pensionable earnings of a contributor who is deemed to have become disabled for the purposes of this Act after December 31, 1997 is, subject to subsections 48(2) and (4), the amount obtained by dividing the contributor’s total pensionable earnings by the total number of months in the contributor’s contributory period or 48, whichever is greater. For the purpose of subsection (3.1), a contributor’s first additional monthly pensionable earnings are an amount calculated by in the case where their first additional contributory period is less than or equal to 480 months, dividing their total first additional pensionable earnings by 480; or in the case where their first additional contributory period exceeds 480 months, dividing the aggregate of their 480 highest first additional pensionable earnings for a month by 480. For the purpose of subsection (3.2), a contributor’s second additional monthly pensionable earnings are an amount calculated by in the case where their second additional contributory period is less than or equal to 480 months, dividing their total second additional pensionable earnings by 480; or in the case where their second additional contributory period exceeds 480 months, dividing the aggregate of their 480 highest second additional pensionable earnings for a month by 480. For the purposes of subsection (3), the average monthly pensionable earnings of a contributor who is deemed to have become disabled for the purposes of this Act in 1997 is, subject to subsections 48(2) and (4), the amount obtained by dividing the contributor’s total pensionable earnings by the total number of months in the contributor’s contributory period or 24, whichever is greater. For the purposes of subsection (4), the contributory period of a contributor is the period commencing January 1, 1966 or when he reaches eighteen years of age, whichever is the later, and ending with the month in which he is determined to have become disabled for the purpose of paragraph 44(1)(b), but excluding any month that was excluded from the contributor’s contributory period under this Act or under a provincial pension plan by reason of disability, and in relation to any benefits payable under this Act for any month after December, 1977, any month for which the contributor was a family allowance recipient in a year for which the contributor’s base unadjusted pensionable earnings were equal to or less than the contributor’s basic exemption for the year. The amount of the portion of the contributor’s retirement pension that is to be used for the purpose of subparagraph (1)(b)(i), in the case of a contributor in respect of whom a division of unadjusted pensionable earnings takes place either before or after the commencement of the disability pension, if the division reduces the disability pension otherwise payable, is to be calculated by dividing the aggregate of the amount of the portion of the contributor’s retirement pension, which amount is calculated in accordance with subsections (3), (4), (4.1) and (5) before the division, multiplied by the aggregate of the number of months that have been excluded from the contributor’s contributory period under this Act or a provincial pension plan by reason of disability, and the number of months remaining until the month in which the contributor reaches sixty-five years of age, and the amount of the portion of the contributor’s retirement pension, which amount is calculated in accordance with subsections (3), (4), (4.1) and (5) following the division, multiplied by the number of months in the contributor’s contributory period calculated in accordance with subsection (5) by the aggregate of the number of months that have been excluded from the contributor’s contributory period under this Act or under a provincial pension plan by reason of disability, the number of months remaining until the month in which the contributor reaches sixty-five years of age, and the number of months in the contributor’s contributory period calculated in accordance with subsection (5).