How much is the BC Children and Youth Disability Benefit?

The Disability Benefit has two levels: a base level of $6,500 a year and a higher level of $17,000 a year.

According to the Government of BC:

• All eligible families begin at the base level of $6,500 per year.

• Through a support-planning process, the ministry looks at a child's day-to-day needs, how much support they require and how complex their needs are, and decides whether they qualify for the higher level of $17,000 per year.

• The amount is based on a child's functional support needs. It is not based on family income or on diagnosis alone.

• The province says it will decide levels using consistent, province-wide criteria developed with child development professionals.

The money must be spent on disability-related supports that improve a child's functioning and daily life, guided by an approved support plan. Under the province's current operational policy, up to 20% of the yearly funding can go to equipment, supplies, travel and training, and those expenses need approval. The policy lists eligible and ineligible expenses, and the province says updates are coming.

The Disability Benefit is separate from the income-tested Disability Supplement, which pays up to $6,000 a year per child to eligible low- and middle-income families.

Not every child who receives Autism Funding today will necessarily qualify for the Disability Benefit; see who qualifies for how eligibility is decided.

These amounts are from the Government of BC's published pages and policy, checked in October 2026, and may change. Confirm your child's situation with the ministry.

KidStart is asking BC parents how these amounts compare with what their child needs. Our anonymous five-minute survey never asks for your child's details. Your answers decide which of five options KidStart builds first for 2027: small group sessions, parent coaching, shorter therapy blocks, payment plans or help with the Disability Tax Credit.