🇨🇦 Government Support for Caregivers

🧑‍⚕️ 1. Employment Insurance (EI) Caregiving Benefits

If you need time off work to provide care for a critically ill child, adult, or someone at end-of-life, you may qualify for EI caregiving benefits, which provide temporary income support:

• Family caregiver benefit for children: up to ~35 weeks

• Family caregiver benefit for adults: up to ~15 weeks

• Compassionate care benefits: up to ~26 weeks for end-of-life care
  You don’t need to live with the person you’re caring for, but their condition must be medically certified. (Canada)

👉 These benefits replace part of your income while you’re caregiving — they don’t directly “pay” a caregiver, but they help you afford to take time off work to provide care.

💸 2. Tax Credits That Help Offset Care Costs

These reduce how much tax you owe — not direct cash payments — but they can help offset financial pressures of caregiving.

📌 Canada Caregiver Credit (Federal)

A non-refundable tax credit if you support a spouse/common-law partner or dependent with a physical or mental impairment, including children, parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. (Canada)

• Helps reduce your federal tax owed based on your care role

• Amount varies based on relationship and dependent income

• Not refundable (only reduces tax owed)

📌 Disability Tax Credit (DTC)

If the person you’re caring for has a severe and prolonged impairment, they may qualify for this credit, which lowers taxable income and can make other benefits easier to claim. (Canada)

📌 Medical Expense Tax Credit

You can claim eligible medical expenses (including certain home care services or supplies) on your tax return for yourself or dependents. (Canada)

🏙️ 3. Provincial/Territorial Credits and Programs

In addition to federal supports, many provinces offer their own caregiver credits or benefits. Ontario, for example, has:

• Ontario Caregiver Tax Credit (OCTC) — additional non-refundable credit for caregivers of adult dependants with infirmity

• Respite and support programs — may include short-term relief or local services

Other provinces (BC, Quebec, Manitoba, etc.) have tax credits or caregiver supports that vary in eligibility and amount. (Canadian Seniors Directory)

🏡 4. Other Financial Supports

While not direct “caregiver pay” programs, these can help reduce your expenses:

• Child and family benefits (e.g., Canada Child Benefit for kids under 18) — supports families financially with monthly payments. (Canada)

• Home Accessibility Tax Credit — can help with modifications to make a home safer for a dependent (e.g., ramps, grab bars) — indirectly assists caregivers’ costs. (nbc.ca)