What is 🇨🇦 RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan) Calculator?
A 🇨🇦 RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan) Calculator projects maturity value of a recurring deposit. It applies the standard formula to the values you enter and returns the result instantly, without sending any data to a server. Project compound growth.
🇨🇦 RDSP (Registered Disability Savings Plan) Calculator
Project your RDSP including your contributions, the Canada Disability Savings Grant (CDSG, up to 300% match), the Canada Disability Savings Bond (CDSB, up to $1,000/yr), and compound growth to age 60.
The RDSP rewards low- and middle-income families heavily. The Canada Disability Savings Grant matches 100-300% of your contribution (up to $3,500/year, $70,000 lifetime). The Canada Disability Savings Bond pays up to $1,000/year (no contribution required) to low-income families. Lifetime contribution limit $200,000.
Projected RDSP value
$220,000
Source: ESDC Canada Disability Savings Program. CDSG max $3,500/year, $70,000 lifetime. CDSB max $1,000/year, $20,000 lifetime. Both stop at end of year beneficiary turns 49. Income thresholds for matching change annually - 2025 figures used. Beneficiary must hold the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
How to use this calculator
- Enter the family net income. For a beneficiary under 18, this is the family's income (parents). For 18+, it is the beneficiary's and spouse's income.
- Enter how much you plan to contribute each year. The first $500 attracts 300% match, the next $1,000 attracts 200% match (under the income threshold).
- Enter the years you plan to compound. The grant and bond stop at the end of the year the beneficiary turns 49.
- Read the projected value. The grants and bonds combined typically dwarf personal contributions for low-income families.
About this tool
The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a long-term savings plan designed specifically for Canadians with disabilities and their families. It pairs personal contributions with two government incentives: the Canada Disability Savings Grant (CDSG), which matches contributions, and the Canada Disability Savings Bond (CDSB), which is paid even if you contribute nothing. To open an RDSP, the beneficiary must qualify for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).
The lifetime contribution limit is $200,000 with no annual cap. CDSG offers up to 300% matching for the first $500 of contributions per year, falling to 200% for the next $1,000, with a maximum annual grant of $3,500 and a $70,000 lifetime cap (for low and middle income families). The CDSB pays up to $1,000 per year (no contribution required) for very low-income families, with a $20,000 lifetime cap. Both grants and bond stop at the end of the year the beneficiary turns 49, and there is a 10-year proportional repayment rule (AHA - Assistance Holdback Amount) if you withdraw within 10 years of receiving them.
The math
When to use this
Family with disabled child
Contribute $1,500/year early on for the maximum $3,500 grant. By age 18, the kid has well over $50,000 just from grants and bonds alone before compound growth.
Beneficiary with DTC and low income
Even if you cannot contribute anything, the CDSB can pay $1,000 per year - up to $20,000 lifetime - for free.
Lump-sum catch-up
You can claim up to 10 years of unused grant entitlement in a single year. A windfall + back-grant can pull massive matching at once.
Estate planning for disabled adult
A parent can be the holder for an adult child with an RDSP. Helps protect assets from being a barrier to provincial disability benefits.
What the tool does and does NOT handle
Does handle
- CDSG matching at the 300%/200%/100% tiers based on income
- CDSB amounts (full / partial / none) by income
- Compound growth projection over a chosen horizon
- Total contributions vs grants/bonds vs growth breakdown
Does NOT handle
- Carry-forward of unused grant entitlement (up to 10 years)
- AHA / 10-year repayment rule if you withdraw early
- Provincial disability benefit interactions (most provinces exempt RDSP from asset tests)
- Lifetime Disability Assistance Payment (LDAP) calculations once decumulating
Common mistakes
- Not opening one until late. Grants are paid based on contributions made before age 49. Opening late means missing years of free money. Open early even with small contributions.
- Withdrawing too soon. The 10-year AHA rule claws back recent grants and bonds if you withdraw within 10 years of receiving them. Plan withdrawals carefully.
- Confusing this with a TFSA. An RDSP has a 49-year-end cutoff for grants and very specific withdrawal rules. It is not a flexible savings account.
- Forgetting to apply for DTC first. Must have an approved Disability Tax Credit before you can open an RDSP. The DTC application can take 8-16 weeks - apply early.
- Ignoring carry-forward. If you missed contributing in past years, you can pull forward up to 10 years of unused grant entitlement in one big contribution.
Frequently asked questions
Who can open an RDSP?
Anyone who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and is a Canadian resident. Adults can open one themselves; for minors or those lacking contractual capacity, a parent or legal representative is the holder.
What is the maximum government contribution?
Lifetime maximum $70,000 from CDSG plus $20,000 from CDSB - $90,000 total in free money for a low-income family.
When do grants and bonds stop?
At the end of the year the beneficiary turns 49. After that, only personal contributions can be added until lifetime $200,000 cap or end of year of age 59.
Are RDSP withdrawals taxed?
Personal contributions come out tax-free. Grant, bond, and growth portions are taxable as income to the beneficiary.
Can I use the RDSP money for anything?
Yes. Once the beneficiary takes withdrawals (typically as a Lifetime Disability Assistance Payment after age 60), the funds can be used for any purpose.
What is the AHA / 10-year rule?
If you withdraw within 10 years of receiving any grant or bond, you must repay $3 of grant/bond for every $1 withdrawn (up to the total received in the past 10 years).
Do RDSP assets affect provincial disability benefits?
Most provinces fully exempt RDSP assets and income from disability benefit asset and income tests. Check your specific provincial program.
Can I claim past unused grant entitlement?
Yes. You can carry forward up to 10 years of unused entitlement and trigger it with a single large contribution year.