Question Period Note: NATURAL DISASTERS ACROSS CANADA

Service Canada has procedures in place to maintain seamless delivery of benefits and services to those affected by hazardous weather and natural disasters.

The Government of Canada is there to help those affected by natural disasters and makes every effort to provide direct support and assistance to individuals and their communities during difficult times.

Service Canada supports impacted communities and works with local and Indigenous partners to maintain continued service delivery. This includes outreach to evacuees, support for benefit applications (e.g., Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement , Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, and Work-Sharing at evacuation centres and support for document replacement.

IF PRESSED (Wildfires affecting multiple regions)

In response to the extensive wildfires and evacuations across the country, Service Canada has been supporting evacuees in person at evacuation centres and working with Public Safety Canada to coordinate emergency assistance across the different levels of government.

Canada.ca plays a role in emergency response by providing general information regarding natural disasters as well as information on Service Canada Centre closures.

IF PRESSED (Support Measures and Additional Details)

Individuals affected by natural disasters can use Employment and Social Development Canada’s eServiceCanada online tool to request information on programs and services or a call back to discuss their benefits. eService Canada can also be used to book an appointment regarding passport services or biometrics collection.

Individuals affected by natural disasters are strongly encouraged to apply for Employment Insurance benefits promptly, even without a Record of Employment, as these applications are prioritized.

To expedite benefit payments, the Government of Canada encourages individuals to enrol in Direct Deposit. Canadians may contact Service Canada for help switching to direct deposit or if they have any issues regarding a payment.

While Public Safety Canada plays a crucial role in coordinating emergency management with other federal and provincial/territorial governments, Service Canada is front and centre when natural disasters strike Canadian communities.

Service Canada supports Canadians, including Indigenous communities, living through natural disasters by expediting measures that support Employment Insurance (EI) claims, assistance with Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) benefits, Work-sharing applications, and temporary foreign worker health and safety.

In the case of recent wildfires across Canada, Service Canada continues to deliver services through the Outreach Support Centre and in-person directly at evacuation centres, ensuring timely access to essential services, with increased offerings in the most affected regions. Examples of Service Canada’s response to recent wildfires include:

Mobile teams are deployed to assist affected individuals in accessing essential programs and services.

Planned visits to remote communities are aligned with evolving needs to ensure continued service delivery.

Targeted outreach activities are conducted across various regions to address emerging service gaps and support recovery efforts.

Service Canada staff are stationed at designated evacuation centres to provide in-person assistance, with ongoing outreach across multiple provinces.

Extended call centre hours are offered to enhance support for impacted citizens.

Service Canada continues to serve all individuals in a way that meets their unique needs and addresses their specific service delivery requirements.

When a disaster occurs, the Government of Canada uses targeted social media and postal code information to focus support on impacted communities and displaced Canadians.

To support these communities, Service Canada outreach centres are set up near impacted communities or evacuation centers to deliver services to Canadians, including replacing lost documents like Social Insurance Numbers and Passports.

Service Canada actively conducts wellness checks on temporary foreign workers through contact with employers in impacted communities.