Estimate government money for a disability savings plan (RDSP)
An RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan) is a federal savings account for someone approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). This tool estimates matching grants and bonds for the current year. You can optionally estimate unused grant room from past years. Nothing you enter is saved.
Estimate for 2026 · based on your family income from your 2024 tax return (the government uses income from 2 years ago).
Estimate only — not financial advice
Estimate only. Not financial advice. Grant and bond amounts are set by the Government of Canada using tax-return income, DTC status, and records at your plan provider (RDSP issuer). This tool cannot access your Statement of Entitlement. Confirm contribution amounts with RDSP issuer or a qualified advisor before you contribute. If you contribute more than you need for grants, the extra may not receive a match. If you withdraw within 10 years of receiving grants or bonds, you may have to repay up to $3 of government money for every $1 you take out.
Your situation
RDSP withdrawals and the 10-year holdback
Educational overview only, not financial advice. These rules are summarized from official federal sources on canada.ca and CRA guide RC4460. Your RDSP issuer calculates the holdback and any repayment for your plan. Confirm amounts with your issuer before withdrawing.
Myth: you cannot take money out of an RDSP until age 60. That is not the general rule and it stops many families from opening a plan.
Reality: you can usually request withdrawals at any time if your issuer allows them. Whether grants and bonds must be repaid depends on a separate 10-year clock from the last assistance paid in, not on reaching age 60 by itself.
Grant and bond repayment is generally not required when:
The last grant or bond was paid into the plan more than 10 years ago (canada.ca: discuss timing with your issuer before withdrawing).
The beneficiary has turned 60 and lifetime disability assistance payments (LDAP) have started under the age-60 rules. After that point, canada.ca states grants and bonds in the plan are not subject to repayment on withdrawal, plan closure, or death.
A shortened life expectancy path may apply under Specified Disability Savings Plan (SDSP) rules. This requires medical attestation, has strict annual limits, and is not a fit for everyone. See canada.ca and your issuer.
Lifetime payments (LDAP) and age 60
Lifetime disability assistance payments (LDAP) are recurring withdrawals that must begin by December 31 of the year the beneficiary turns 60, and continue at least once a year until the plan ends or the beneficiary dies. You may be able to start LDAP earlier by talking to your issuer. This is a payment schedule rule, not a ban on all withdrawals before 60.
The 10-year holdback clock
If grants or bonds were paid into the plan within the last 10 years, a withdrawal may trigger repayment of some or all of that recent assistance. The clock runs from when assistance was deposited, not from the beneficiary's age. Age 60 and the 10-year clock answer different questions.
Terms in plain language
Disability assistance payment (DAP): a one-time withdrawal paid to the beneficiary. You must request each payment separately. Issuers set their own rules for lump-sum DAPs.
Lifetime disability assistance payment (LDAP): recurring payments that must begin by December 31 of the year the beneficiary turns 60 (unless started earlier with your issuer).
Assistance holdback amount (AHA): the total grants and bonds paid into the plan in the previous 10 years, minus any amount already repaid to the government. This is the pool that proportional repayment comes from, not a flat penalty fee.
What repayment actually means (not a total loss)
If you withdraw while recent grants or bonds were paid in within the last 10 years, the government can reclaim part of that assistance. This is proportional repayment of government money, not a fine on your own contributions.
Since January 1, 2014, canada.ca states: for each $1 withdrawn as a DAP, up to $3 of grant and/or bond may be repaid, capped at the holdback amount (total assistance in the last 10 years). Your contributions and older assistance are handled separately. Only your issuer can apply the rules to your plan.
Illustrative only (not your plan)
Example A: last grant more than 10 years ago
Suppose the last grant or bond was deposited in 2014 and you take a $2,000 DAP in 2026. That assistance is more than 10 years old, so canada.ca indicates you would not repay those older grants or bonds on that withdrawal. Your issuer still confirms what is in your plan and any other rules.
Illustrative only (not your plan)
Example B: withdrawal within 10 years of assistance
Suppose $6,000 in grants and bonds were paid into the plan during the last 10 years. That $6,000 is the holdback amount. If the beneficiary withdraws $1,000, repayment would be $3,000 ($3 for each $1 withdrawn). A $2,500 withdrawal would imply $7,500, but repayment is capped at $6,000.
These examples are for learning only. They do not calculate repayment for any real plan and do not include tax, provincial benefit, or issuer-specific rules.
Shortened life expectancy (SDSP)
If a beneficiary has a reduced life expectancy of five years or less, canada.ca describes additional flexibility under Specified Disability Savings Plan rules, including medical attestation and annual withdrawal limits (for example, up to $10,000 per year in some cases, including grants, bonds, contributions, and investment income). This path has strict conditions and is not appropriate for most plans. Contact your issuer and read canada.ca before relying on it.
Why understanding this helps
The RDSP is designed for long-term savings, but fear of a total lockout until age 60 is incorrect and can discourage opening a plan. Knowing the 10-year repayment clock helps you plan without assuming every withdrawal wipes out the account.
Only your RDSP issuer can tell you how much you can withdraw, when payments can start, and how much grant or bond would be repaid on your plan.