Income assistance benefits

Income assistance benefits while waiting for claim decision

If you meet their eligibility requirements, Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) may help you financially while you wait for a decision on your workers compensation claim. If you receive EIA benefits while waiting for a decision on your claim, EIA requires you to complete a wage assignment release.

If the WCB accepts your claim and determines that you are entitled to wage loss benefits for the same period of time that you received EIA benefits, the benefits you received from EIA will need to be repaid. The WCB will directly reimburse EIA from the wage loss benefits the WCB determines are owed to you. Note that you cannot receive benefits from both EIA and the WCB for the same period of time.

If you received less money from EIA than your weekly WCB benefit rate, you will receive a payment from WCB for the difference once your claim has been accepted.

If you receive more money from EIA than you do from your WCB benefits, we will reduce your compensation payment(s) until EIA has been repaid. If your claim continues after EIA is repaid, your WCB benefits will be paid directly to you.

If you have applied for, or are receiving, EIA benefits at any point during your WCB claim, you must report this to the WCB immediately by calling your WCB representative. You must also advise your EIA worker that you have applied for or are receiving workers compensation benefits.