Question Period Note: SERVICE CANADA SUPPORTS FOR CANADIANS IMPACTED BY NATURAL HAZARDS

Natural Hazards in Canada are increasing in frequency and severity across the country. When Canadians are impacted by natural hazards (flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has procedures in place to deliver benefits and services to those affected.

• My thoughts are with all Canadians who have been affected by natural disasters across the country. The Federal Government is here to support Canadians through these difficult times.

• Service Canada delivers and prioritizes applications for income support including OAS, GIS, CPP and Employment Insurance for those affected by hazardous weather or natural disasters.

• When a disaster occurs, outreach and service centres are setup near impacted communities to maintain services, including replacing lost documents.

• The Government works directly with provincial, territorial and First Nations partners and communities to provide as much support as possible.

Wildfires and other natural disasters affect all Canadians. From evacuations and loss of property/life, to impacts on transportation, supply lines, the economy, and the environment. ESDC support measures are one facet of the Government of Canada’s larger emergency response strategy for managing and responding to wildfires and other natural disasters.

In addition to reaching out to impacted local communities and community organizations, Service Canada officers attend evacuation centres to provide outreach services to evacuees.
Service Canada strives to serve all individuals in a way that meets their unique needs and addresses their specific service delivery requirements, such as helping with:

• Employment Insurance (EI) – to provide temporary income support for people who are unable to work due to hazardous weather and natural disasters, and to assist with other claim-related activities including setting up direct deposit;
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) – to assist in the set-up of direct deposit benefits payments in the event that mailed cheques are unable to be delivered;
• Student and apprentice loans – to assist with fast tracking applications for the Repayment Assistance Plan;
• Temporary foreign workers – to actively conduct wellness checks on temporary foreign workers by connecting and verifying well-being with employers;
• Canadian Dental Care Plan – to assist in the completion of an application and check the status of enrolment into the plan; and
• Passport – to assist for urgent services or change mailing address or pick-up location.

Support Measures and Additional Details
• Individuals affected by a natural disaster, are strongly encouraged to apply for EI benefits as soon as possible, even if they do not have their Record of Employment. The application will be prioritized.

• Individuals affected by hazardous weather or a natural disaster can submit an eServiceCanada request online to receive assistance.

• The Government uses geotargeted social media and postal codes to focus support on impacted communities and displaced Canadians.

• The Government facilitates enrolment for Direct Deposit so Canadians can receive their benefit payments more quickly.

Number of Canadians Impacted/supported
• As of September 9, 2024, over 3,054 EI applications had been received related to the 2024 wildfire season.
• As of September 9, 2024, there had been over 480 forest wildfire enquires to Service Canada call centres across the Western region.

• As of September 9, over 400 In-Person and 695 Outreach Support Centre (wildfire) clients had been served across the Western region.

• Service Canada actively conducts wellness checks on temporary foreign workers by connecting and verifying well-being with employers. Following the Jasper wildfire, over 100 employers from the area were emailed information on Service Canada resources and supports to evacuees impacted by the wildfires.

• Service Canada has reached out to impacted local communities and community organizations, including Indigenous communities, to provide information about available services, where to access service, and to provide contact information.