Question Period Note: Thalidomide

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KEY MESSAGES
• Our Government is committed to supporting Canadian thalidomide survivors and has established an ex gratia program to help them live the rest of their lives with dignity.
• We are providing tax free financial support to 133 thalidomide survivors, and more continue to be recognized through the Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program.
• There is no definitive medical test for thalidomide injuries, so the applications are reviewed carefully by medical experts. This process can be time consuming, but it is important to assess all applications carefully and fairly.
IF PRESSED
Q1 : If pressed on assessment timelines
A1 :
• Identifying thalidomide survivors is complex as there is no definitive medical test available (genetic or otherwise). Several other factors impact the length of the assessment process, including the size of applicants’ files, the complexity of their injuries, the time required to receive additional medical information, and changes to the assessment process as a result of federal court decisions.
• Continuous efforts are made to streamline the process and to assess all applications carefully and fairly. Within the last year, the average assessment time per file at Step 3 was reduced from 82 days to 48 days.
Q2 : If pressed on individual with congenital malformations whose applications were denied
A2 :
• Sadly, to this day, a number of children are born with spontaneous or otherwise unaccountable malformations similar to those caused by thalidomide.
• According to the World Health Organization, congenital malformations may be the result of one or more genetic, infectious, nutritional, or environmental factors. Approximately half of all birth defects cannot be linked to a specific cause.
• Congenital anomalies in the Canadian population have been determined to occur at a rate of 3 to 5%.
Q3 : If pressed on funding to Epiq and administration costs
A3 :
• The Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (CTSSP) is administered through a contribution agreement with Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc.
• Epiq is responsible for delivering ongoing support payments to survivors, managing the Extraordinary Medical Assistance Fund, assessing the health status of survivors, and determining eligibility of individuals who applied during the 5-year application period.
• Between April 2019 and March 2025, Epiq spent $79M on the CTSSP. Of that total, over 91% was paid directly to confirmed survivors. The remaining was used for administrative costs related to program implementation.
Q4 : If pressed on financial support to survivors
A4 :
• The CTSSP offers tax free financial support, including an immediate ex gratia payment of $250,000, and annual support payments of $25K-$100K, based on level of disability, indexed at 2%.
• Survivors also have access to an Extraordinary Medical Assistance Fund (EMAF), set at $1M/year, indexed at 2%. This shared fund helps pay for specialized surgeries, some health support treatments, and adaptations to home and vehicle not otherwise covered by provincial/territorial health care plans.
• Survivor feedback informs improvements to processes and enhancements to the EMAF to meet survivors’ evolving needs.

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KEY Stats
• The Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (CTSSP) was established by Order in Council (OIC) in April 2019 and is currently providing financial support to 133 confirmed thalidomide survivors. New survivors continue to be admitted, and some have passed away.

• Over the 5-year application period (2019 to 2024), a total of 342 applications were submitted to the administrator, Epiq, a Canadian corporation. To date, 219 final decisions have been rendered, 18 of which were confirmed as eligible survivors under the CTSSP. The remaining applications are at various stages of the probability-based medical assessment process.

• The Federal Court rendered two judgements that changed the assessment process outlined in the CTSSP OIC. As a result, the number of applications to be assessed by the Multidisciplinary Committee at Step 3 has increased. For example, further to the August 2022 decision, 146 additional applications were received and more are expected.