New Brunswick disability benefits: programs, amounts and how to apply

You are not behind. These programs exist because costs are real. Here is what is available, in plain words.

New Brunswick's Disability Support Program pays for services and supports. It is not a monthly income payment.

A personal plan with supports such as help at home and in the community, respite care, personal living skills training, disability-specific transportation, technical devices and Meals on Wheels. It is for New Brunswickers aged 19 to 64 with a long-term disability who need help to support themselves or take part in the community.

• How to apply: Start on your own or with family, with staff at the Department of Social Development or a community agency, or with an independent facilitator from Inclusion NB. You can apply online or call.
• Phone: 1-833-733-7835 (Department of Social Development)
• Your contribution toward approved supports is set by a financial assessment that considers your income.
• Official page: New Brunswick: Disability support program

Coverage that comes with the program, or that you can ask about.

• Social Development clients drug plan: People with a valid health card from the Department of Social Development pay $4.00 for each prescription for adults and $2.00 for children under 18, up to $250 per family in a fiscal year. The page lists no premium. The department decides who is eligible. The page does not mention disability by name, so ask. Phone: 506-867-4515 or toll-free 1-800-332-3692. Official page: New Brunswick: Eligibility for the prescription drug program (no date shown).

Help with rent and housing costs. Ask whether it can be paid at the same time as your income program.

• Rent supplement: Call Social Development to ask about the rent supplement. Phone: 1-833-733-7835. Official page: New Brunswick: Rent supplement.

Door-to-door rides for people who cannot use regular buses. You usually apply once and the service confirms who qualifies.

• Fredericton Para Transit: Fredericton runs its own paratransit with a registration form and a handbook. Other cities have their own services. Phone: 506-460-2212. Official page: Fredericton: Para transit registration.

Permits are issued by the province or by a named organization.

• Disabled parking permit (Service New Brunswick): The permit and placard are free. They are for people with a significant mobility impairment, such as trouble walking more than 50 metres outdoors. A physician, occupational therapist, nurse practitioner or physiotherapist signs the form. Submit it at a Service New Brunswick centre. The page shows no date. Phone: Motor Vehicle Branch 506-453-2410. Official page: New Brunswick: Designated disabled parking (no date shown).

Legal aid can help if a benefit is refused or cut off. Ask about an appeal.

• New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission: The family advice lawyer line is below. Phone: 1-855-266-0266. Official page: Legal aid, Fredericton office (directory listing).

These come through your tax return. File every year, even with no income, so the CRA can work them out.

• New Brunswick credits on your return (2025 tax year): Disability amount for yourself: $10,010 (NB428, line 58440). Caregiver amount: up to $5,839. The New Brunswick harmonized sales tax credit is paid with the federal GST/HST credit and you do not apply. The low income tax reduction is $802 for a spouse or an eligible dependant. The seniors' home renovation credit covers up to $10,000 of accessibility work. Official page: CRA: New Brunswick tax information for 2025 (modified Jan. 20, 2026).

We link to the official page for each program. These are the things the pages do not settle, so it helps to ask:

• Which income program applies to you (the page covers supports, not income).
• How much you would contribute.

Federal programs are paid by the federal government and are the same in every province and territory. Your provincial office may count some of them as income, so ask how they fit together.

• Federal disability programs and amounts
• Disability Tax Credit
• RDSP
• Tax help hub

• Say who you are and your province: "I am calling to ask about disability support."
• Ask: "What programs could I apply for, and what do I need to bring?"
• Ask: "How does working or saving a little affect my payment?"
• Ask: "What happens to my health and drug coverage?"
• Write down the date, the name of the person and what they said. Ask for it in writing if you can.