Free Eligibility Check

ACSD Eligibility Checker

Check your child against Ontario’s published ACSD requirements. Ontario pays $25 to $678 a month and publishes no payment calculator, so this tool does not estimate an amount.

Direct answer

ACSD pays $25 to $678 a month toward the extra costs of a child with a severe disability. You may be eligible if your child is under 18, lives at home and has a severe disability, and household income is $77,640 or less. Ontario does not publish how income, family size and costs set the amount.

Ontario ACSD program page · Verified November 2, 2026

Check whether your child likely meets Ontario’s published ACSD requirements, and what to do next.

What you will need: Child’s age, residence, daily-life limits, disability costs and household income band

1. Is your child under 18 years old?

ACSD covers children 17 and under.

Yes No Not sure
2. Does your child live in Ontario?
Yes No Not sure
3. Where does your child live, and are you their primary caregiver?

The primary caregiver is the person who receives, or is eligible to receive, the Canada Child Benefit for the child, or who is mainly responsible for their care.

At home with me Shared custody Hospital, institution or group home Not with me
4. Does a condition severely limit your child’s development or their ability to do daily tasks?

Ontario’s examples: mobility, communication, social interaction, self-feeding, dressing, hygiene, learning. The test is how the condition limits daily life, not the diagnosis name.

Yes No Not sure
5. Do you have ongoing extra costs because of your child’s disability?

For example travel to appointments, respite, special shoes or clothes, learning equipment or medical supplies. Costs paid by insurance or another program do not count.

Yes No Not sure
6. Is your total household income $77,640 or less?

Ontario defines household income as the "total income" line on the Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment for the parent or guardian and the spouse, if there is one.

Yes, at or below No, above Not sure
Check eligibility

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What Ontario publishes about ACSD

Monthly payment
$25 to $678
Household income ceiling
$77,640 or less

Ontario’s form says the ceiling applies “depending on family size and other factors” and does not publish how. We found no income-to-payment chart, so this tool never estimates a dollar amount. For the three factors that set it, see our ACSD amounts and eligibility guide. To compare ACSD with the Ontario Autism Program, see ACSD vs OAP. The Canada Disability Benefit is not counted as income for ACSD.

What the payment can help with

  • travel to doctors’ appointments, hospitals and other appointments related to the child’s disability
  • special shoes and clothes
  • parental relief such as respite

Coverage a child “may also receive”

Ontario lists the following, and does not say they come automatically with approval. Ask your regional office which apply.

  • an assessment for an assistive device and/or the consumer contribution for a device provided under the Assistive Devices Program
  • batteries and repairs for mobility devices
  • prescription drugs through OHIP+
  • dental care through the Healthy Smiles Ontario program
  • hearing aids and vision care, including eyeglasses

How to apply and what to bring

  1. Apply online on Ontario’s ACSD application. You can save and finish later, but you have 90 days before the draft is deleted.
  2. Or download the paper application (PDF) and send it to your regional ministry office.
  3. Submit one application per child. Duplicates delay processing.

Documents to attach (from the application form)

  • proof of your immigration status or citizenship in Canada
  • proof of your residency in Ontario
  • proof of the child’s immigration status or citizenship in Canada
  • a copy of the child’s Ontario health card
  • the child’s medical and supporting documentation (for example functional assessments, specialists’ or psychological reports, an IPRC report)
  • pages 1 and 2 of your most recent CRA Notice of Assessment (and your spouse’s, if you have one)
  • your most recent Canada Child Benefit notice, with all pages

Verified November 2, 2026. If you receive Ontario Works or ODSP, the form says you do not need to attach Notices of Assessment.

ACSD questions

Who qualifies for ACSD in Ontario?

Ontario says a parent or guardian may qualify if their child is under 18, lives at home with them and has a severe disability, and total household income is $77,640 or less. The application form also lists Ontario residency and ongoing disability-related costs. The amount and eligibility also depend on family size, how severe the disability is and the extraordinary costs. A severe disability is a condition that severely limits the child’s development or ability to do daily tasks. A diagnosis name alone is not the test.

How much does ACSD pay, and what is the income limit?

Eligible families can receive between $25 and $678 a month. The household income ceiling is $77,640. Ontario does not publish a chart that turns income, family size or costs into a payment, so no website can calculate your amount. The maximum is tied to inflation and adjusted each July. Checked against ontario.ca on November 2, 2026.

How do I apply for ACSD, and what documents do I need?

Apply online through Ontario’s ACSD application (you have 90 days to finish a saved draft), or download the paper form and send it to your regional ministry office. Submit one application per child. You will attach proof of identity and Ontario residency for you and your child, the child’s health card, medical and supporting documents about the disability, pages 1 and 2 of your latest Notice of Assessment, and your latest Canada Child Benefit notice.

How long does ACSD take, and when are payments made?

Ontario does not publish a processing time or a payment calendar on its ACSD page. After you apply, a special agreements officer reviews the application, may contact you, and sends a letter with the decision. Ask your regional office about your file. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask for an internal review within 30 days, then appeal to the Social Benefits Tribunal.

Does ACSD come with health benefits like dental or drug coverage?

Not automatically. Ontario says children with severe disabilities “may also receive coverage for” an assistive device assessment or consumer contribution, mobility device batteries and repairs, prescription drugs through OHIP+, dental care through Healthy Smiles Ontario, and hearing aids and vision care. Ontario does not say these are granted with every ACSD approval, so ask your regional office which apply to your child.

How this works

This tool compares your answers with the requirements on Ontario’s ACSD page (updated June 30, 2026) and the official application form. It reads those rules; it does not make a decision. The ministry decides eligibility and the amount.

Verified November 2, 2026 against ontario.ca and the application form (PDF).

Time
About 2 minutes
Output
Likely, unlikely or check
Privacy
Stays in your browser

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