Hello. I'm a long-time lurker, but first-time poster.

(I usually find what I'm looking for by doing searches on this forum or websites like CIC, but I've searched and can't find the answer to this. I was wondering if anyone could point me to an existing thread or other website that might help.)

I'm trying to find out whether anything else exists alongside EI if a person on a TWP loses their job (assuming they have completed the required amount of hours to qualify for EI that is). I'm thinking of equivalents to housing benefit or council tax benefit in the UK. Or is EI the only money available in this scenario? I'm also trying to find out if benefits are any different for people on TWPs than citizens or permanent residents.

No, this is not the nanny state Britain is.

My understanding (in Ontario) is that any benefits that might be available in "crisis" situations for example recently widowed, needing housing etc, wouldn't be available for people on TWPs in any case? I believe a TWP is not an entitlement even to the generated OHIP benefits, after 3 months, that other residents receive, you would need to get private health insurance.

Quite. No room for compassion in Canada. Brace yourself to be pissed on for asking.

Thank you all. That's what I assumed, but I have a friend who insists I'm wrong and that Canada must be like the UK.

(But colder, obviously. And a bit bigger.)

In BC (you would need to check with the government of the relevant province) a TWP holder can not apply for income assistance from the welfare program. However, they can apply for "hardship" payments.

Hardship payments are more discretionary than income assistance and are meant to cover temporary situations such as waiting for EI to start. These payments aren't easy to get and you certainly wouldn't want to make any plans around them.

Point is, though, that one always hears about people complaining about the "welfare scroungers" when in England. It seems that it is OK to criticise such people, until you become one yourself.

I have been in Ontario since last August on TWP. I have just successfully completed my 6 month probation period with my employer. I work in the manufacturing industry which as I am sure everybody is aware is suffering heavily in the current economic climate. The prospect of Lay Off is looming large and the company has applied for the Work Share programme. My question is about eligibility for EI. I have read the government site which says that Temporary workers are entitled to EI as long as they have the required hours in the last 52 weeks or since the last claim. The amount of hours required is a bit of a mystery, from what I can understand it is between 450 and 900ish dependant on the unemployment rate for the area you are in. Does anybody have any knowledge or experience of this?

If you have completed six months work you should have 26 x 40 = 1,040 hours. Whatever the number of hours in your area you should be qualified.

EI's not that great.

The basic benefit rate is 55% of your average insured earnings up to a yearly maximum insurable amount of $42,300. This means you can receive a maximum payment of $447 per week. Your EI payment is a taxable income, meaning federal and provincial or territorial, if it applies, taxes will be deducted.

Here in Winnipeg about all you can get other than EI is help from the Food Bank.

When EI runs out, you may qualify for "welfare" but I have no idea what that provides, but the people I have seen who are on it don't seem to have much money.

TWP is certainly valid for OHIP after the regular wait period. But situation for spouse / family is not as clear as I seem to recall...

It seems there is somethings other than EI in Manitoba, but VERY limited in what it will pay for.


http://www.nald.ca/FULLTEXT/guide/6.htm

So there is "something" then, even if it's not much?

Yes but only for very few types of people, the vast majority of the population would not qualify.