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BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit

Last updated on October 20, 2026

Learn about the new Disability Benefit to help the children and youth who need it most.

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Disability Benefit Documents

Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) is changing to a simpler system with more support for families.

Overview

The new BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit provides direct funding for eligible children and youth (ages 0 until the last day of their 19th birthday month) who have lifelong disability resulting in significant and/or complex support needs.

This Benefit will replace some current funding programs – including Autism Funding, which was based only on diagnosis – with needs-based supports that offer:

  • Funding tailored to each child’s functional needs
  • New support for families who have never received help before
  • Increased support for children with the highest needs
  • More flexibility and choice

Families may also qualify for the new BC Disability Supplement and other financial supports.

Eligibility and funding

Eligibility and funding amounts for the Disability Benefit are based on a child's level of support needs, not their diagnosis or family income.

  • Base tier: $6,500 per year
  • Higher tier: $17,000 per year

A child or youth may qualify if they have:

  • A long-term disability that results in significant and complex developmental support needs, based on diagnosis and/or functional impact.

Two eligibility pathways

There are two ways to qualify – direct admission and needs-based review. This approach creates a consistent process for families, while still allowing flexibility to consider each child’s unique situation.

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Direct admit pathway

This pathway provides early certainty for families.

Children automatically qualify for the Disability Benefit if they have diagnoses strongly linked to high functional needs, such as:

  • Moderate to profound intellectual disability
  • Medically or neurodevelopmentally complex genetic or syndromic conditions with highest needs (including Down syndrome)
  • Autism combined with any level of intellectual disability
  • Autism assessment results showing the highest support needs
  • Degenerative conditions with predictable decline (Duchenne muscular dystrophy, SMA types 1 & 2)
  • Palliative conditions (life expectancy less than 6 months)
  • Gross motor function similar to cerebral palsy (GMFCS levels 3–5)
  • Severe self‑injurious behaviour and accepted into the Self Injurious Behaviour Clinic
  • Other clearly defined, high‑need medical or developmental conditions
 

Needs-based review pathway

This pathway ensures children with rare, complex, or atypical needs who do not meet a direct-admit threshold are not excluded.

Clinical expertise is applied to determine eligibility based on functional impact, not just diagnostic labels.

Eligibility may be confirmed through:

  • A professionally administered functional assessment
  • Health-care provider attestation confirming prolonged disability and significant adaptive limitations
  • Review of medical complexity, behavioural profile, and functional impact

 

How to apply

  • The Children and Youth Disability Benefit (Disability Benefit) is replacing existing funding programs with a single disability benefit.
  • Prior to March 31, 2027 families can apply for supports using current pathways. Diagnosis and eligibility processes remain the same.
  • Children and youth receiving CYSN services  before March 31, 2027 will transition to the Disability Benefit if they are eligible. Some children and youth in existing programs will move directly into the Disability Benefit based on information already on file, while others may be asked to provide additional information to support eligibility decisions and funding level determinations.
  • These transition processes only apply to children and youth in existing programs until March 31, 2027.
  • New applicants after April 1, 2027 will apply directly for the Disability Benefit.
  • The transition of eligible families to the Disability Benefit will occur gradually until March 31, 2027 when current School Aged Extended Therapy and Autism Funding end.
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Phase 1 (April 2026-March 2027)

  • Children and youth who are enrolled in and remain eligible for the At Home Program will transition to the Disability Benefit first.
  • More details about transition timelines for children and youth receiving other CYSN supports will be shared in the future.
  • Temporary eligibility rules may be used during this time 
 

Phase 2 (April 2027 onward)

After April 1, 2027: New families can apply directly for the Disability Benefit. More information will be shared closer to that date.

 

How to use the benefit

Please see the Children and Youth Disability Benefit Invoicing Pathway Operational Policy for Agreement Signatories (PDF, 470KB) for all details about eligible and ineligible expenses, and the administration of your child or youth’s funding. 

Forms and resources, including information on steps to take before you can access the Disability Benefit can be found on the B.C. Children and Youth Disability Benefit forms and resources webpage.

Invoicing Pathway

Under this pathway

  • Families choose and engage with service providers directly
  • Service providers invoice the Ministry
  • The Ministry applies the child or youth’s annual funding to pay for invoices directly.
  • The Ministry may also reimburse families for or directly pay third parties who provide eligible equipment, supplies, training or travel.

Looking Forward

Currently the Invoicing Pathway is the only available payment pathway.  The Ministry is currently planning and developing the direct payment pathway and the authorized agency coordinated pathway and will share more details in the future.

Operational Policy

Please see the Children and Youth Disability Benefit Invoicing Pathway Operational Policy for Agreement Signatories (PDF, 470KB) for all details about eligible and ineligible expenses, and the administration of your child or youth’s funding.

The administration of the Disability Benefit is guided by the following two principles:

  1. Supports must be disability‑related:  These are supports that are required because of a child or youth’s disability and that address disability‑related needs.
  2. Supports must support a child or youth’s functioning and daily life.

All Services must address at least one of the following:

  • Assist the child or youth in the maintenance or improvement of functional skill;
  • Support rehabilitation needs; and/or
  • Assess, treat, supervise, or intervene in relation to a child or youth’s disability-related needs. 

While many services could meet the criteria outlined above, some expenses related to a service are excluded from the Disability Benefit to:

  • Prevent duplication of services;
  • Avoid undermining or overlapping with other existing programs and services;
  • Ensure the Annual Funding is used for safe and evidence-based supports; and
  • Reduce the risk of fraudulent or inappropriate use of the Annual Funding.

Transition to the new Disability Benefit

The new Disability Benefit will be introduced in phases. The Ministry will contact each family with information to support their transition.

Families should continue using their current funding until their transition is complete. Access to medical benefits for equipment and supplies will not change.

Learn more: Guide for current service recipients (PDF, 1MB)

NOTE: Changes are coming! For current information about eligible expenses, approvals and payment pathways please see the Disability Benefit IP Operational Policy (PDF, 467KB)

Contact Us

B.C. Child and Youth Disability Benefit Team

If you have a question about the administration of your child or youth’s Disability Benefit such as service requests and authorizations, payments and reimbursements, processing timelines or general program inquiries, you may contact the B.C. Children and Youth Disability Benefit team

Provincial Access, Information & Resource Services, CYSN (PAIRS) 

PAIRS Support Specialists can provide information about the use of Annual Funding, building a support team, or planning for the future. 

Assistance is available in English, Chinese, Punjabi, and Tagalog, pending availability. Interpretation services can be arranged in more than 50 languages. 

8:30am - 4:30pm (M-F)
Excluding statutory holidays