Transition to Disability Benefit Program: FAQ - Families Eligible for Autism Funding

The Benefit is a new program with a new eligibility process. Families are being invited to submit the information they would like considered to determine their child’s eligibility for the new program, which is intended for children and youth with significant and ongoing disability-related support needs who require intensive and sustained assistance in daily life. That’s why families are being invited to submit information and documentation that describes their child or youth’s current needs and ongoing support requirements. Eligibility for the CYDB will be determined using the information and documentation submitted through this process. No child or youth will be excluded from a review of eligibility based on non-completion of the form; however, this review will occur after the end of the Autism Funding Program (March 31, 2027).

The Child and Youth Disability Benefit (CYDB) is a new program with a new eligibility process. To decide if a child or youth is eligible, the Ministry needs current information about their support needs.

Families are being invited to share information and documents that describe their child or youth’s current needs. By sharing this information, families are also giving the Ministry permission to review the documents they want considered for CYDB eligibility. The Ministry will only review information and documents shared through this process when determining eligibility for the CYDB. If it is relevant in highlighting your child or youth’s support requirements, supplementary information that has been completed by someone other than a clinical professional can be included. Supplementary information may not be sufficient to determine eligibility for the benefit without accompanying information completed by a clinical professional.

No. The Ministry is not reassessing or questioning any child’s diagnosis. The review is intended to help the Ministry understand a child’s current support needs for the purpose of determining eligibility for the Benefit. Eligibility is based on support needs rather than diagnosis alone

The form should be completed by the Autism Funding Agreement Signatory having primary care and control of the child, or by the legal guardian of the child

Families are encouraged to submit any existing clinical and supporting documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s needs, functional impacts and ongoing support requirements. Examples include:

• Detailed autism assessment or diagnostic reports
• Psychologist reports
• Pediatrician reports
• Psychoeducational assessments
• Mental health assessments
• Speech-language, occupational therapy or physiotherapy reports
• Behavioural support reports
• Other clinician-completed documentation that families would like considered

Please refer to the eligibility table webpage here for further clarification.

The Benefit is a new program with a new eligibility process. Families are being invited to submit the information they would like considered as part of the review.

By submitting information through this process, families provide consent for the Ministry to review and use that information to determine eligibility for the Benefit. New assessments are not required.

No. This is not a mandatory requirement. Families are encouraged to submit any existing documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s support needs. A full autism assessment may be helpful, if available, but families are not required to obtain or submit new assessments.

No. Families are not required to obtain any new assessments for this process. They should submit any existing clinical documentation, such as assessments and reports, that is already available that helps to describe their child or youth’s current needs and support requirements.

Yes. Families are encouraged to submit the most recent information they already have available. Older assessments may still be submitted.

If families would like to submit an assessment but do not have a copy, they can contact the clinician, organization or school that completed it. Families currently receiving Autism Funding may use existing Autism Funding to cover the cost of obtaining copies of assessments, up to $300.

Yes. Autism assessments can look different, depending on when they were completed and who completed them. If a child has an autism assessment, families may submit it, even if it does not include a level. The Ministry will consider the information provided about their child or youth's needs, strengths, functioning and support requirements as part of the eligibility review process

Yes. Families may submit any existing documentation, such as assessments, reports or other documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s needs and support requirements. If it is relevant in highlighting your child or youth’s support requirements, supplementary information that has been completed by someone other than a clinical professional can be included. Supplementary information may not be sufficient to determine eligibility for the benefit without accompanying information completed by a clinical professional. If submitting an IEP, you may therefore also wish to include other relevant information such as psychoeducational assessments, specialist reports, therapy reports, mental health assessments and other clinician-completed documentation

No. There is no required number of documents. Families should submit information that best describes their child or youth’s current support needs

Yes. Families are encouraged to submit any documentation they have available that helps to describe their child or youth’s strengths, needs, functional impacts and ongoing support requirements. If a child’s autism assessment is the only documentation available, families are invited to submit it. Families are not required to obtain additional assessments or reports

The information you submit will be used to help determine if your child is eligible for the BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit. The Ministry is collecting this information under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA), which authorizes the collection of personal information that relates directly to and is necessary for an operating program or activity of a public body.

You can find the information below in the new submission form:

The personal information collected on this form is for the purpose of assessing eligibility for the BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit. We are collecting your personal information under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act protects the personal information from unauthorized use and disclosure. If you have any questions about the collection, use, or disclosure of this information, please contact the Director of Service Transition at the Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) Policy Branch, at MCF.ChildrenYouthSupportNeeds@gov.bc.ca or by mail at PO Box 9719 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9S1.

By submitting the form and documents, you are giving the Ministry permission to use this information to determine eligibility for the Disability Benefit. Only authorized Ministry staff and qualified clinical professionals supporting the review process will have access to this information.

The Ministry must protect personal information and cannot share it with others unless allowed or required by law.

Submitting information through this process is voluntary. Eligibility for the Benefit will be determined using the information and documentation submitted through this process.

No child or youth will be excluded from a review of eligibility based on non-completion of the form; however, this review of eligibility will occur after the end of the Autism Funding Program (March 31, 2027).

Yes. Funding Agreement Signatories or legal guardians must submit a separate form for each child or youth.  Families should not combine information about different children or youth into one form

The Benefit is intended for children and youth with significant and ongoing disability-related support needs who require intensive and sustained assistance in daily life.

Eligibility is based on the overall nature, intensity and persistence of a child or youth’s support needs rather than diagnosis alone. For more detailed information about the eligibility criteria, please refer to Appendix A, in the letter provided to families.

• BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit - Determining Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for the BC Child and Youth Disability Benefit (CYDB) were developed with input from clinical experts and informed by research and evidence about childhood disability and support needs.

The Benefit is intended for children and youth who have intensive and ongoing support needs that are expected to continue throughout their lives. The eligibility criteria reflect these support needs and help to identify which children and youth are eligible for the Benefit.

Eligibility decisions consider the overall nature, intensity and persistence of a child or youth’s disability-related support needs and the level of ongoing assistance they require in daily life.

Information submitted by families may help to describe needs related to:

• Communication and understanding
• Daily living skills, such as eating, dressing, bathing or personal safety
• Learning and development
• Safety and supervision needs
• Behaviour and emotional regulation
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Medical or health-related needs
• Participation at home, in school and in the community
• Expected ongoing support needs into adulthood

Children and youth do not need to experience challenges in every area to qualify. Eligibility decisions consider a child or youth’s overall support needs and the impact those needs have on daily life.

The Ministry will review the information that families share to determine if a child or youth meets the direct admission criteria for the Benefit.

In situations where the information and documentation submitted do not demonstrate that a child or youth meets the direct admission criteria, clinical experts will review the documentation to help determine the child or youth’s level of support needs and their eligibility for the Benefit.

No, eligibility decisions will not be made by artificial intelligence (AI).  Eligibility determinations will be made by the authorized Ministry and qualified clinical professionals who review information and documentation submitted by families.

The Ministry is not using AI technology to process documentation. Technology tools may be used to support administrative processes, such as organizing or locating information within documents submitted by families.

The Ministry may use administrative technology tools to help manage and process large volumes of information. For example, technology such as optical character recognition (OCR) may be used to convert information contained in documents into searchable text or help organize information for review. These tools are intended to support administrative processes and improve efficiency. They do not determine eligibility, make decisions, or replace human review and professional judgment.

These tools do not make decisions about eligibility. All eligibility decisions will involve human review and decision-making by the Ministry and qualified clinical professionals.

No. The Benefit is intended for children and youth with the most significant and ongoing support needs. Eligibility decisions will be based on the information submitted and reviewed

Yes. Not every diagnosis, condition or circumstance can be included in the examples provided. A diagnosis does not need to appear in the examples to be considered as part of the eligibility review. Families are encouraged to submit any existing information and documentation that helps to describe their child or youth’s strengths, needs and ongoing support requirements.

A Confirmation of Previous Diagnosis may not provide detailed information about a child or youth’s support needs. If families have other existing documentation, such as assessments, reports or documentation that describes their child or youth’s strengths, needs, functional impacts or ongoing support requirements, you are encouraged to submit those as well.

Families are not required to obtain new assessments for this process.

Families currently receiving Autism Funding can use it to cover the cost of accessing a copy of their assessment, up to a maximum of $300.

The eligibility review process is expected to occur in stages throughout 2026 and early 2027. Families will not hear from the Ministry immediately while reviews are underway. Families are expected to begin receiving notifications regarding eligibility decisions in late 2026 and early 2027.

Eligible children and youth will begin receiving the Benefit on April 1, 2027.

Families can complete the online form and upload documentation through the Ministry’s secure submission portal.

Online Form Portal

A downloadable paper-based option is also available here.

The Autism Funding Agreement Signatory with primary care and control, or the legal guardian of the child or youth, should complete the form

We are asking families to gather the documentation that they wish to submit and to complete the form as soon as they are able. This will help to ensure that eligibility can be determined and communicated well in advance of the start of the Benefit on April 1, 2027. To minimize duplicate or overlapping submissions, the form can only be completed once for each child, and families should gather all of the documentation they wish to be considered before submitting the form. The online form will remain open until March 31, 2027. Those completing the form close to this date may experience a gap or delay in service due to processing and review times

Families should resubmit the whole form, including all of the attachments that were originally submitted, as well as the new information that they have identified. However, the Ministry cannot guarantee that late submissions of additional information will be considered, as the file may already have been reviewed—and the Ministry is unable to complete multiple reviews for the same child or youth. Families should therefore aim to submit the completed form only once, when they have gathered all of the relevant information. If they submit more than one form, only the most recent submission will be considered, and it will be reviewed to determine eligibility

The maximum file size for any document is 25 MB. Accepted file formats are .pdf, .doc, .docx, .jpg, .jpeg and .png

If families have questions or need help completing the form, support is available:

• FAQs for parents are available on the Children and Youth with Support Needs website
• Phone support is available through the CYSN Resource Line at: 1-833-882-0024
• In-person support is available through a local CYSN office
  • To locate an office, enter “CYSN” into the “Find a Local Office Near You” search bar at the following link: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/data-monitoring-quality-assurance/find-services-for-children-teens-families.

Should families prefer to use a paper-based form rather than the online form, they can download and print a copy here (PDF, 92KB). Instructions on how to submit the information are included with the form and Ministry staff are available to provide assistance, if needed

If families need help creating a Basic BCeID, they can get assistance from a Service BC office or they can also start the process here https://www.bceid.ca/register/basic/account_details.aspx