please help me with canada info !!
 

hello, all.
i need some info about the welfare system in canada, please, if such a thing exists, and i will be pleased to hear any other constructive comments too :

1) is there any kind of unemployment benefit programme there (ie in the UK if you are out of a job, you will get approx C$200-400 a week)
2) is there any type of family benefit programme there (in the UK, every child up to age 18 gets around C$25 a week)
3) is there a free medical health system there (the UK Govt provides all citizens with free emergency and surgical care and doctor's consultations, with those up to age 18 or under going fulltime studies having free medicines)
4) what happens if you are fired from a job? is there any law that provides you with an exgratia payment (again, in the UK any employer by law has to pay you a weeks wages for every year you may have worked, ie for 10 yrs service, you will get 10 weeks pay minimum)?
5) what is the work regime like? is it, from what i hear, like the US, ie work till you drop and if you are out of work, nobody wants to know you?

you may have seen my other postings on this site, as i am planning to emigrate to canada soon, but so far, nobody has been able to fully explain the above to me.

Re: please help me with canada info !!
 

    >1) is there any kind of unemployment benefit programme there (ie in the
    > UK if you are out of a job, you will get approx C$200-400 a week)

Yes ... although of limited duration.

    > 2) is there any type of family benefit programme there (in the UK, every child up
    > to age 18 gets around C$25 a week)

Based on non-refundable tax credits ... a combination of family allowances and tax
deductions.

    > 3) is there a free medical health system there (the UK Govt provides all citizens
    > with free emergency and surgical care and doctor's consultations, with those up
    > to age 18 or under going fulltime studies having free medicines)

Yes, provincially administered. Generally no to low cost of basic medical services -
hospital, doctor. Drugs excluded except when administered in a hospital.

    > 4) what happens if you are fired from a job? is there any law that provides you
    > with an exgratia payment (again, in the UK any employer by law has to pay you a
    > weeks wages for every year you may have worked, ie for 10 yrs service, you will
    > get 10 weeks pay minimum)?

No.

    > 5) what is the work regime like? is it, from what i hear, like the US, ie work till
    > you drop and if you are out of work, nobody wants to know you?

It's not as bad as the US, but still the work ethic is stronger than in the UK.

Stuart (an expat brit who has lived and worked in Canada, UK and US)