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Ontario|Workers CompensationEmployees 634 What type of benefits are available? If you are a worker with a work-related injury or disease which causes you to lose wages, you may qualify for one or more of three types of benefits available from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The three main types of benefits are, loss of earnings benefits, non-economic loss benefits, and retirement income benefits. In addition to loss of earnings benefits, medical aid benefits are payable which include prescription drugs and special medical treatment and devices which may be required as a result of the work-related injury or disease.
- Loss of earnings benefits
Loss of earnings benefits are compensation for loss of wages due to injury or disease, and become payable as soon as your income is affected. These benefits will continue until you are capable of earning your normal salary again. If your injury makes it impossible for you to return to work, these benefits can be paid up until you turn 65 years of age. With respect to wages on the day of injury, the Act requires employers to pay an injured employee their regular pay for the day.
Generally, loss of earnings benefits will pay a large percentage of your normal take-home salary. If you worked for more than one employer at the time of the injury, you will normally be entitled to collect a percentage of your earnings from all employers. If your salary was not always the same during the past one or two years, because you changed jobs or were out of work for a while, then your benefit amount may be based on your average earnings during the past one or two years.
If you return to work, start to earn income, or if your condition improves, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will assess your ability to earn the same income as before your injury. Depending on how much your situation has improved, your benefits may be reduced or your benefits may end. If you have been receiving benefits for six years, the amount will be set permanently and not reviewed, unless you return to work or become capable of returning to work.
- Non-economic loss benefits
If you have been permanently injured or impaired you may be entitled to the second type of benefits called non-economic benefits. These benefits are paid to compensate for the negative effect the injury or disease has had upon your life.
Non-economic benefits are in addition to loss of earnings benefits. If you are eligible for non-economic loss benefits, you may receive a lump sum payment or, depending on the amount of the award, a monthly payment for life. Workers, however, have the right to choose to receive a lump sum payment if that suits them better. The amount you are entitled to is based on a special calculation taking into consideration your age and permanent medical restrictions.
- Retirement Income Benefits
If you have been receiving loss of earnings benefits for at least 12 months in a row, you are also eligible for the third type of benefit called retirement income benefit, which is a savings plan for when you reach 65. Since the amount of loss of earnings benefits may make it difficult to save for retirement, and since your employer only has to continue contributing to group insurance and pension plans for one year following the accident, this benefit provides assistance by contributing to your retirement savings.
If you are eligible for retirement income benefits, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will set aside an additional percentage of your loss of earnings benefits every pay period. You also have the choice of contributing to the retirement savings plan. This money will be invested until you are 65, at which time it will be paid to you or your surviving family. You will have the choice of a number of payment schemes and, in the case of a small pension, the Board will pay it in a lump sum.
For more information about workers' benefits, you can contact a lawyer or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. This office is listed in the Blue pages of your telephone book.
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