SGI has implemented enhancements to injury benefits, designed to provide additional support to some of the most severely injured victims. The new enhancements took effect on May 1.

Customers who require assistance with daily tasks like housekeeping and yard work will see the maximum payments for those services increase to better reflect current market rates.
Customers who receive income replacement benefits from SGI and Canada Pension Plan Disability will no longer have income benefits from SGI reduced by the amount of their Disability benefit.
The increase in living assistance benefits is expected to directly benefit approximately 1,100 customers while the elimination of the reduction of benefits based on CPP income will benefit about 200 customers.

SGI says one-time costs are about $65 million in total. The company says strong investment earnings and a decrease in collision claims during the pandemic put the Auto Fund in the position to be able to implement these benefits.

There are also some new benefits being implemented including:

• Support for immediate family members who attend counselling to be reimbursed for expenses such as meals, transportation, and lost earnings.
• A new attendant care benefit for family members who need to temporarily stay home with the injured person under medical advice.
• Increasing the maximum limit for expenses when someone is required to accompany an injured person because of their physical or mental condition or age, so that the customer may receive medical care.