With its high life expectancy rate, high quality of life standards, access to education, and low crime and violence rates, Canada can be one of the best places to live. It also offers a wide variety of social programs to help Canadians with their personal, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing and improve their lives in every aspect. Permanent residents and some refugees also have access to some of these programs.
The two main types of programs are income assistance programs and services-based social programs. Income assistance programs make direct payments to individuals. They support a person’s income during childbirth, injury, illness, unemployment, and retirement. Services-based social programs provide services that support personal, social, and emotional wellbeing. These include health care, housing, and education.
Income Assistance Programs
Family Benefits
Workers who have to leave employment due to pregnancy or the birth of a child get covered by the Employment Insurance (EI) program. Parents who take maternity or parental leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted kid may be eligible for benefits. Parental leave can get split between the parents.
Employment Insurance Benefits
The Employment Insurance (EI) program offers residents temporary financial assistance in the event of a job loss, illness, or injury. Workers who lose their jobs due to no fault of their own are entitled to regular payments. Sickness benefits are available to workers who are unable to work due to illness or injury.
Public Pensions
The Old Age Security (OAS) program provides monthly payments to Canadians aged 65 and up, regardless of whether or not they have worked. The OAS program is funded by general tax funds collected by the federal government. The amount deserved for an OAS pension is determined by how long a citizen has lived in Canada after turning 18.
Workers’ Compensation
Workers' Compensation Boards (WCB) are governed by provinces and territories in Canada. Workers who suffer from a work-related accident or disease are covered by these organizations. Employers are the exclusive source of funding.
Income Support
People in financial need can receive financial assistance as well as employment assistance through income support programs. They are a last-resort source of income if all other sources are insufficient to support a person.
Services-based Social Programs
Health Canada
Health Canada is a federal agency that assists Canadians in living healthy lives. It has various branches that provide health care and information. Medicare, Canada's health insurance program, is a publicly funded healthcare system that ensures all Canadians have access to hospitals and physicians.
Children
In Canada, child welfare programs provide services with the primary goal of protecting children from abuse and neglect. They also advocate for family stability and the placement of children with their birth families whenever possible.
Education
The provinces and territories are responsible for funding and delivering primary and secondary public education. Tuition for postsecondary education is paid for by students. The federal and provincial governments both subsidize post-secondary education. Canada Student Grants and Loans assists post-secondary students with tuition costs. The federal government also provides apprenticeship loans for training as well as tuition assistance for student-athletes.
People with Disabilities
People with disabilities benefit from regional support programs that promote inclusion and healthy living. These programs assist participants in finding work, volunteering, exercising, and improving their daily living skills.
Housing
The federal government established Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to help improve access to housing for all Canadians, including those with low incomes and special needs. There are several policies in place to assist people with the cost of purchasing a house.
Newcomers to Canada
The Resettlement Assistance Program of Canada provides financial assistance to refugees who are chosen by the government. The Immigration Loans Program offers financial assistance to refugees who have been selected for resettlement.
As you can see, when compared to other countries, Canada has many benefits for its citizens and permanent residents. Also, the government and the people of Canada are quite welcoming to foreigners. The government has special policies in place to make sure that the people’s wellbeing is above anything else.
