The job market is tough. With Canada’s unemployment rate above seven per cent for the first time in months, it’s increasingly common to find people languishing without any work on the horizon. But when it comes to a traumatic experience like a serious car accident, unemployment shouldn’t limit a person’s rights. Fortunately, disability claims in every standard insurance benefits agreement in Ontario account for unemployed people and other non-earners. While students, unemployed people, or other non-earners are not entitled to any income replacements, they can receive a non-earner benefit.
Non-earner Benefits in Ontario
Non-earner benefits and income replacement benefits are two of the most commonly submitted disability claims in Ontario. We have discussed the income replacement benefit in an earlier post however Toronto personal injury lawyers know the importance of the non-earner benefit as well.
Non-earner Benefit Requirements
- Eligibility: You are entitled to a non-earner benefit if you are completely unable to carry on “normal life” as a result of an impairment and:
- You are unemployed;
- You are currently enrolled in an elementary, secondary, or post-secondary program; or
- You have graduated from such an educational program within one year of the motor vehicle accident.
- Amount of Payment: The non-earner benefit is worth $185 per week however that figure increases to $320 if you qualify by virtue of having recently graduated. Furthermore, this benefit is not payable for the first 26 weeks of the injury.
Clearly, the non-earner benefit is not meant to represent someone’s sole income. If you have not received the compensation you need to live after your motor vehicle collision, contact an experienced Toronto personal injury lawyer for a free consultation.
Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/jobs-canada-november-1.3350423
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/100034#BK16