Benefits Available to Seriously Ill Patients
Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is a national public insurance program that provides income protection to Canadian workers upon retirement. The CPP also has a disability component that provides benefits to contributors who cannot work because of a disability. Working Canadians are covered under the disability plan regardless of their medical history. In order to be eligible for the disability benefit, workers must have paid into the CPP for a specified time period and have a disability that is both severe and prolonged. “Severe” means your condition prevents you from working regularly at any job, and "prolonged" means your condition is long term or may result in your death.
If you have children and are receiving a disability benefit, your children may be eligible for the CPP children’s benefit. To find out more about the CPP disability benefit, see:
http://www.sdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=en/isp/pub/cpp/disability/benefi... at Social Development Canada.
Provincial Palliative Care Benefit Programs
The BC Palliative Care Benefits Program is covered elsewhere on this site.
http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/cpa/publications/palliative_benefits...
Provincial Social Assistance
People who are not eligible to receive a disability benefit from the CPP may turn to social assistance, often referred to as “welfare.” The province generally requires that the applicant’s disability be long term and severe enough to prevent the person from working. In addition, the applicant must also complete a needs test to determine the person’s total income and whether they qualify for the benefit.
Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits
Employment Insurance is a federal program that offers income protection from temporary work absences, including reasons related to illness and temporary disability. If the work absence is going to be over a prolonged period of time, employment insurance will not provide benefits. People who expect to be unemployed over a longer period would receive benefits under the CPP and social assistance programs.
Like the CPP, Employment Insurance is administered by Social Development Canada.
Insurance Plans
Some employers provide group insurance packages to their employees as a workrelated benefit. These packages may cover such things as prescription drugs, medical expenses, and dental expenses. Group insurance may also provide survivors with an income in the event of the employee’s disability or death. You will need to check with your employer or the insurance company providing the group insurance to understand the details of your particular coverage, and how long the insurance will continue in the event that illness forces you to stop working.
People who work for companies that do not offer group insurance plans or who are self-employed can buy disability coverage through a private insurer, above and beyond the CPP disability benefit.
Life insurance, either provided through a group plan at work or an individual policy that you may have purchased, will often provide for what is known as a “living benefit.” Such a benefit allows for people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness to have a portion of their anticipated benefit paid to them in the years preceding their death. Taking such benefits will reduce the amount of the insurance benefit ultimately paid to the beneficiary of the insurance and any such decision likely should be discussed with a financial advisor.
Tax Credits
People who have costs related to health-related goods and services or additional living costs due disability may be eligible for tax credits. To find out more about tax credits that may be available to you, consult with a financial adviser.
