Life-event guide · Canada-wide
Lost your job? Start here.
Losing work can affect more than your paycheque. There may be income benefits, training, tax credits, and provincial supports available while you figure out what comes next.
Pick your province below to see provincial programs. You can use this guide without taking the benefits quiz.
What happened?
Optional. Pick the closest match to see tailored notes. You can browse the full guide without selecting anything.
Start with these
Practical first steps many people take in the first days after employment ends.
1
Get your Record of Employment (ROE)
Your ROE shows your insurable hours and why employment ended. Employers usually submit ROEs electronically to Service Canada. You may still need a copy for your own records and for some applications.
About the ROE2
Check Employment Insurance (EI)
People who lose employment through no fault of their own may qualify for EI regular benefits if they have enough insurable hours and meet other rules. Apply soon after your last day of work.
3
Keep your termination documents
Save your layoff or termination letter, ROE, final pay statement, workplace benefit summaries, pension information, and any severance paperwork. These help with EI, WEPP, employment standards questions, and tax filing.
4
Check what happens to workplace benefits
Ask what ends when employment ends: prescription coverage, dental, short- or long-term disability, health spending accounts, pension contributions, and life insurance. Some plans allow conversion or grace periods.
5
Look at training and re-employment help
Provinces fund employment services, skills training, and career supports. Scroll to the training section below for programs in your area.
Money you may be able to access
Federal and provincial programs that may help replace income or cover essentials while you search for work. Eligibility depends on your situation.
Canada-wide
Employment Insurance (Regular)
Income replacement after job loss if you have enough insurable hours.
How to applyCanada Workers Benefit
Refundable credit for low-income workers; up to about half may arrive in automatic advance instalments, with the rest at tax time.
How to applyCanada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB)
Quarterly tax-free payment to offset sales tax for low- and modest-income households. Replaced the GST/HST (goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax credit) credit in July 2026 with a 25% increase for five years.
How to applyCanada Training Credit (CTC)
Refundable federal credit against eligible tuition and fees, funded from a Canada training credit limit that grows when you file returns and meet age/residence rules.
How to apply
In your province or territory (Ontario)
Ontario Works, financial assistance
Income- and asset-tested last-resort monthly financial assistance for Ontario residents who need help with basic needs and shelter costs.
How to apply
You worked earlier this year? The Canada Workers Benefit is based on working income for the tax year. Losing your job does not necessarily mean you cannot receive it for a year in which you had eligible working income. Quebec residents may receive the Quebec work premium instead.
Learn about the Canada Workers BenefitIllness or disability
Separate from workplace injury: sickness, chronic illness, or disability may open different benefit pathways.
EI (Employment Insurance) Sickness Benefits
Up to 26 weeks if you cannot work for medical reasons.
How to applyCPP (Canada Pension Plan) Disability Benefit
Monthly CPP (Canada Pension Plan) disability pension for contributors under age 65 with severe and prolonged disability.
How to applyCanada Disability Benefit
New federal monthly disability income support for eligible adults ages 18 to 64.
How to apply
Training and getting back to work
Government-funded employment services, skills training, and career supports in your province or territory.
Ontario
Employment Ontario
Ontario's hub for employment services, training, and apprenticeship supports.
Official information
Canada-wide training supports
Canada Training Credit (CTC)
Refundable federal credit against eligible tuition and fees, funded from a Canada training credit limit that grows when you file returns and meet age/residence rules.
How to apply
If money is getting tight
Rent help, emergency assistance, food supports, and other essentials programs MyEligible tracks in your province.
Ontario Works, financial assistance
Income- and asset-tested last-resort monthly financial assistance for Ontario residents who need help with basic needs and shelter costs.
How to applyOntario Trillium Benefit
Combines sales tax credit, energy & property tax credit, and northern energy credit.
How to applyOntario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
Income- and asset-tested provincial monthly income support and health-related benefits for adults 18 or older who meet Ontario's disability and financial tests, separate from the federal Disability Tax Credit and CPP-D (Canada Pension Plan Disability).
How to apply
Benefits you may already receive
Job loss may change household income, but many family and tax benefits are based on annual or adjusted family income. Recalculation timing varies. Losing a job does not automatically increase these immediately.
Canada Child Benefit
Tax-free monthly payment for families with children under 18.
How to applyCanada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB)
Quarterly tax-free payment to offset sales tax for low- and modest-income households. Replaced the GST/HST (goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax credit) credit in July 2026 with a 25% increase for five years.
How to apply
Tax-time supports
File your taxes even with little or no current employment income. Refundable credits may still apply based on the year as a whole.
Canada Workers Benefit
Refundable credit for low-income workers; up to about half may arrive in automatic advance instalments, with the rest at tax time.
How to applyCanada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB)
Quarterly tax-free payment to offset sales tax for low- and modest-income households. Replaced the GST/HST (goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax credit) credit in July 2026 with a 25% increase for five years.
How to apply
Documents to keep
Record of Employment, termination or layoff letter, final pay and vacation pay statements, workplace benefit and pension summaries, severance agreements, and any workers' compensation or medical paperwork if injury or illness is involved.
There may be other benefits too
MyEligible tracks federal, provincial, and local programs beyond job-loss supports.
Find benefits for my situation