Searching for Federal Government Social Assistance Programs

COVID-19 Update: VAC area offices are gradually returning to the office to resume in-person services by appointment only. For more information, visit the Request an in-person appointment page.

Provides support for the economic, social, mental and physical well-being of veterans, and their dependents

Services include the following:

• Disability Pensions/Awards
• War Veterans Allowance
• Counselling
• Rehabilitation Services
• Emergency Assistance
• Assistance with health care expenses such as glasses, medical travel costs, assistive technology

Veterans' Independence Program

• Provides financial assistance for home support services and institutional care

Provides financial benefits to retired seniors

Canada Pension Plan (CPP)

• Provides a monthly taxable benefit to retired contributors

Old Age Security (OAS)

• Provides a monthly benefit available to most Canadians 65 years of age who meet the Canadian legal status and residence requirements

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

• Provides a monthly non-taxable benefit to low-income OAS recipients living in Canada

Provides a monthly benefit to eligible Canadians who are unable to work at any job due to a disability

Financial benefits paid to a deceased contributor's estate, surviving spouse or common-law partner and dependent children

Death Benefit

• Provides a one-time payment to or on behalf of the estate of a deceased Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributor

Survivor's Pension

• Provides a monthly pension paid to the surviving spouse or common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor

Children's Benefit

• Provides a monthly benefit for the dependent children of a deceased CPP contributor

• Compensates eligible workers for unpaid wages, vacation, severance and termination pay they are owed when their employer declares bankruptcy or becomes subject to a receivership under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
• Provides a maximum compensation payment of the equivalent of four weeks of insurable Employment Insurance (EI) earnings, minus amounts prescribed by regulations
• Delivered by Service Canada on behalf of the Labour Program

Posts notices online about recent bankruptcies and receiverships entered into by Canadian entities

Financial Relief Navigator (FRN)

• online tool that provides information and help to access emergency benefits, related to COVID-19, including Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), as well as other benefits and financial relief from governments, financial institutions, utilities, telecoms and internet providers
• Click HERE for more information

Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
Plan provides programs in the following three areas:

• Support for Individuals
• Support for Businesses
• Support for Sectors

Support for Individuals
CRB ended Oct 23, 2021, in its place is the Canadian Worker Lockdown Benefit:

• Canadian Worker Lockdown Benefit:
  • will provide $300 per week to workers who are subject to a lockdown, including those who are ineligible for traditional Employment Insurance
• Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)
  • available to those who need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 will continue until Nov 20, 2021 and is proposed by government to extend until May 7, 2022
  • to apply see CRSB Application
  • for other questions about CRSB see, CRSB Questions
• Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)
  • available to those who must stop work to care for a child under 12 or a family member who needs supervised care, will continue until Nov 20, 2021 and is proposed by government to extend until May 7, 2022
  • to apply see CRCB Application
  • for other question about CRCB see, CRCB Questions

Canada Student Loans

• see Canada Student Loans - COVID-19 for details
• see Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) for Ontario Students

Support for Seniors

• Government of Canada has introduced legislation to support low-income seniors who received pandemic benefits. For information about a One-Time Grant for Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) Recipients click here.

Provincial Programs
Social Assistance

• Visit Ontario Works and ODSP for up-to-date information and to apply online

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Ontario (WSIB)

• If you believe you contracted COVID-19 while at work, you may file a claim to determine if you are eligible for WSIB coverage, call 1-800-387-0750 or visit WSIB Benefits for more information

Service Ontario

• Service Ontario is reinstating renewal requirements for driver's licences, licence plate stickers, other driver and vehicle products, Ontario Photo Cards and Ontario health cards that were temporarily extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, see Renewal Requirements

OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)

• Ontario has waived the three-month waiting period for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage, see Applying for an Ontario Health Card for more details

Utilities Relief
Ontario Energy Board

• See Help for Low-Income Consumers

Telecommunications Relief

• Telus COVID-19 Updates
• Rogers COVID-19 Updates
• If your telecommunications company is not listed here, check their website or contact them directly to learn of any assistance they may be offering

Service club dedicated to looking after the needs of veterans, their dependents and those serving in the Canadian Forces

• meeting rooms and halls for events
• online store
• charitable foundation hosting various fundraising events and campaigns such as the Poppy

Sponsor of community programs such as:

• sports, youth and seniors programs

Financial assistance to:

• local organizations such as medical centers, medical research and communities affected by natural disasters
• individuals such as educational bursaries, prizes and assistance to hospitalized or homeless veterans

Service Overview

• Temporary financial assistance and support in finding new employment
• claimants must conduct a reasonable job search to remain eligible
• Basic benefit rate is 55% of average insured earnings
• maximum weekly benefit $638
• duration of benefits based on insured weeks of work and regional unemployment rate

Working While on Claim

• claimants keep 50 cents of EI benefits for every dollar earned in wages, up to a maximum of 90% of weekly earnings
• claimants may choose instead to earn up to 40% of regular benefits or $75 per week (whichever is higher) with no reduction in EI payment

Family Supplement

• for low income families who receive the Canada Child Benefit (see separate entry)
• amount based on annual net family income
• supplement will be added to EI payment

Special benefits

• 26 weeks sickness benefits
• 26 weeks compassionate care benefits
• 35 weeks for family caregivers to care for critically ill or injured children, and 15 weeks to care for critically ill or injured adults
• 15 weeks maternity benefits
• 40 weeks standard parental, 69 weeks extended parental benefits available to natural, legal or adoptive parents -- benefits can be shared by both parents

Claimants may be able to receive combination of special benefits

My Service Canada Account

• computer access to claim information

Social Security Tribunal, 1-877-227-8577​

• independent appeal process for Employment Insurance decisions

Job Bank www.jobbank.gc.ca

• online employment information and job postings
• employers can post jobs online

Program of Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by Service Canada

Monthly retirement pension, beginning as early as 60 years or as late as 70 years

• full pension if started at 65 years
• reduced pension if started before 65 years
• increased pension if started after 65 years

Post-Retirement Benefit -- for workers 60-70 years who continue to contribute to CPP while receiving a CPP pension

Disability benefits -- for contributors under 65 years

• allowance for dependent children

Survivor benefits -- monthly pension for surviving spouse or common law partner

• children's benefit for dependent children of deceased contributor
• death benefit (lump sum payment to estate, or persons responsible for funeral costs)

Amount of benefits payable is in proportion to contributions

• pension credits earned by either spouse may be divided equally (credit splitting) on termination of marriage or common law partnership

Social Security Tribunal, 1-877-227-8577 -- independent appeal process for Canada Pension Plan decisions

Program of Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by Service Canada

Old Age Security (OAS)

• Monthly pension to legal residents of Canada 65 years and older
• full pension to those who have lived in Canada for at least 40 years after turning 18
• partial pension may be available

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) -- Monthly supplement for low income OAS recipients living in Canada

Allowance -- Monthly benefit for low income spouses (60-64 years) of GIS recipients; based on combined income of the couple

Allowance for the Survivor -- Monthly benefit for low income widowed spouses 60-64 years

Social Security Tribunal, 1-877-227-8577 -- independent appeal process for Old Age Security decisions

Programs of Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by Service Canada

Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS), 1-866-668-8297 -- monthly supplement to low income Ontario seniors receiving OAS and GIS

• program of the Ontario Ministry of Finance

One-stop service delivery for a wide range of federal programs and services

• labour market information
• information and referral on Employment Insurance, Social Insurance Numbers, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Veterans benefits, Apprenticeship Incentive Grant, Canada Education Savings Grant and others
• some Service Canada locations are passport receiving agents

For details on all federal and provincial benefits see Canada Benefits directory

For local Service Canada Centres see separate entries or office locator

Veterans Affairs Canada Funeral and Burial Program -- financial assistance for Veterans' funeral, burial, cremation and grave marking

Unmarked Grave Program -- placement of military gravestones for Canadian Veterans deceased 5 years or more without grave marking

Temporary financial assistance and support in finding new employment

• able-bodied claimants must be seeking employment to remain eligible

Basic benefit rate is 55% of average insured earnings up to a maximum amount. In 2022, the maximum amount is $638 per week.

Family Supplement: for low income families who receive the Canada Child Benefit

• amount based on annual net family income up to $25,921 and on the number of children in the family and their ages
• entitlement will be added to EI payment

Special Benefits:

• sickness benefits
• compassionate care
• benefits for the self-employed
• benefits for Canadians living abroad
• family caregiver benefit for children
• family caregiver benefit for adults
• fishing benefits

Maternity or parental benefits

• 15 weeks maternity benefits
• 35 week standard parental benefits which can be shared by the two parents (children born or adopted)
• 61 weeks extended parental benefits which can be shared by both parents (children born or adopted

For information from Employment and Social Development Canada regarding the Employment Insurance sickness benefits for those affect by COVID-19: Click Here

• for individuals without access to the Internet, or facing other barriers, a Service Canada Outreach Support Centre is available by phone at 1-877-355-2657 Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 4 pm

Old Age Security (OAS)

Monthly pension to persons 65 or over regardless of income or assets

• must be legal resident of Canada for at least 40 years to receive full pension
• also full pension for persons who were 25 years or older as of July 1, 1977, and who resided in or had a visa to enter Canada that was valid on that date, or who had resided legally in Canada prior to that date and after reaching age 18, and who resided in Canada immediately before approval of the application

Guaranteed Income Supplement

Supplement added monthly to Old Age Security for those with limited or no income

• amount of supplement is adjusted quarterly
• reapply when income taxes are filed (end of April)
• not payable outside Canada beyond a period of 6 months regardless of how long the person lived in Canada

Allowance

Monthly allowance for spouses 60-64 years of Old Age Security pensioners receiving Guaranteed Income Supplement

• based on combined income of the couple
• allowance is adjusted quarterly
• residence requirements
• proof of age required
• reapply when income taxes are filed (end of April)

Allowance for the Survivor

Monthly allowance for widowed spouses 60-65 years

• death, marriage and applicant's birth certificate required
• based on limited or no income
• deceased spouse need not have received Old Age Security
• apply when income taxes are filed (end of April)

Some seniors might not be able to afford their rent consider referring them to Home - Community Legal Services of Ottawa / or to the Services juridiques - CSC Vanier immediately for assistance

Programs of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, delivered by Service Canada)

Click here for the Benefits Payment Calendar