Add Comment Question: I have an uncommon situation that’s left me unsure how to position my CPPD application, particularly in terms of meeting the MQP requirement. Background: I became legally blind in 2010. At the time I was living and working in Canada, contributing to CPPD with each paycheque as most people do. In 2012 I moved to Switzerland, were I worked for an international organization. Although Switzerland has a tax treaty with Canada, my salary was exempt from taxes as I was working for a UN agency, so I did not pay into the Swiss equivalent of CPPD, and do not have CPPD credits for the time I spent there. As my sight continued to deteriorate, I returned to Canada in 2023 as a workplace accommodation. So while I was living in Canada then, my salary was still tax exempt. I voluntarily contributed to CPP for the 2023 and 2024 tax years using the CPT20 form. In 2025, I went on sick leave with my work. I have not yet filed my 2025 taxes or contributed to CPP for that year. In July 2026 my sick leave will end, and I will formally separate from employment. The income I’ve received in 2025 and 2026 is also tax exempt, meaning I can only elect to pay into CPP at the earliest, when I file my taxes. So I believe I now have a few different options in applying for CPPD. *** Option 1: Date of symptom onset was in 2010. If Service Canada uses 2010 as my effective date of disability, MQP should not be a problem, as I contributed each year for over a decade before reaching legal blindness. I suspect it may be a challenge to justify how I kept working for 15+ years after that date, although I do have a long history of incremental accommodations and use of assistive technology documented. *** Option 2: The date of symptom onset was 2026. While I went on sick leave in 2025, that was the point I could not do the job I had. Working with my doctor, I feel I could make the case that the date of symptom onset is 2026, as II no longer have capacity to do work of any sort. The problem with this approach, is the delay in electing to pay into CPP. Because my contributions come only when my taxes are filed, I could not apply for CPPD until 2027 (as I have only contributed for 2023 and 2024 so far. I can contribute for 2025 once I file my taxes). My question: Which approach is most likely to be successful? If I were to make an initial application with option 1 and be rejected, could I file an appeal then asking Service Canada to consider option 2? What else do I need to consider? I am guessing that appeals usually focus on medical documentation, rather than asking for Service Canada to use a different effective date of disability. I would be very grateful for your guidance and experience on issues like this. Thank you! Answer: There are a few moving parts to this situation, so I'm going to email you directly about it. Your Comment * Your Email * Your Name * Your City Note, your name, city and email is not displayed on the website. It is used to notify you that we have approved your comment.