Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) payment dates 2026 and disability pension rates

Veterans Affairs Canada payment dates for 2026

The Government of Canada benefits calendar lists one Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) payment: the Veteran Disability Pension paid under the Pension Act. Its 2026 schedule has twelve dates, each falling in the last few business days of the month except December, which is paid before Christmas.

How the VAC payment schedule lines up with CPP

In eleven of the twelve months, the veterans payment comes exactly one business day after CPP and OAS. January is the exception, at two business days later. When CPP falls on a Friday, as in March, June and September, the VAC payment moves to the following Monday. Retired members who get both can expect two deposits a day or so apart.

VAC disability payment dates for the rest of 2026

Three VAC disability payment dates are left in 2026: Thursday, October 29; Friday, November 27; and Wednesday, December 23. The December payment is earlier in the month than usual because of Christmas, the same way CPP moves to December 22.

For every other federal benefit on those days, see the October payment dates page and the full-year CRA payment dates calendar. Dates for 2027 are not yet announced; the benefits calendar usually adds the next year late in the current year.

VAC disability pension rates 2026: how much did payments increase?

Yes. All Pension Act disability pension rates rose 2.0% on January 1, 2026. The increase is required by section 75 of the Pension Act and is based on the Consumer Price Index, so the first payment at the new rate was the January 30 deposit. The increase for January 2027 has not been announced.

The pension is proportional to your assessed disability. A veteran assessed at 40% who is single receives $1,405.39 a month in 2026. At 100%, the added amount for a spouse is $878.37 a month and for a first child $456.75.

The history in the chart shows why the January increase varies so much: it followed 6.5% in 2023 and 4.4% in 2024, when inflation was high, then settled at 2.6% in 2025 and 2.0% in 2026. The same inflation measure drives the CPP increase, which was also 2.0% for 2026.

Direct deposit and My VAC Account

VAC payments are deposited into the bank account on file with Veterans Affairs Canada. VAC keeps its own banking record, so give any new account details to VAC directly, as well as to the CRA or Service Canada if they also pay you.

1. Sign in to My VAC Account and add or update your direct deposit information online. This is the quickest way.
2. If you do not use My VAC Account, complete the VAC Direct Deposit Request form.
3. Mail the form to Veterans Affairs Canada, PO Box 6000, Matane QC G4W 0E4, or drop it off at a VAC office.
4. Update your address the same way if you move, since cheques go to the mailing address on file.

Direct deposit with VAC covers disability benefits, the War Veterans Allowance, financial benefits, treatment benefits, Veterans Independence Program benefits and vocational rehabilitation payments.

If a VAC payment is missing

A deposit issued on the listed date can take a few days to reach your account, and a mailed cheque takes longer. The benefits calendar asks you to wait 5 to 10 business days before contacting the program.

1. Confirm the date in the table above; December's payment is earlier than you might expect.
2. Sign in to My VAC Account to confirm the banking and address details VAC has on file.
3. If you switched banks recently, make sure VAC had the new account before the payment date.
4. Count business days. For the Friday, November 27 payment, the tenth business day is Friday, December 11.
5. If it is still missing, contact Veterans Affairs Canada through the contact options listed on veterans.gc.ca.

Holiday months can shift your expectations. The long weekend payments page explains why deposits sometimes appear a day after the listed date, and the February payment dates page lists every federal payment in the year's shortest month.