How to Apply for the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime
Apply for federal income support if you lose income after taking time away from work following the death or disappearance of a child due to a probable Criminal Code offence.
CA Canada
Benefits & Support ~ 11 min read
13 FAQ
Updated 2026-09-04
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The Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime pays eligible parents or legal guardians $500 per week, paid every 2 weeks, for up to 35 weeks within the 3 years following the incident. You must generally have been legally responsible for the child, earned at least $5,000 in the previous calendar year or 52 weeks before the incident, and be on leave or working no more than 50% of your regular week, up to 20 hours per week. The child must have been under 25 and have died or disappeared because of a probable Criminal Code offence in Canada. Apply online through Service Canada and submit an Employment Form and an Incident Report Form completed by the appropriate employer and law enforcement agency.
What you need
- Your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
- Your full home address and mailing address if different.
- The number of benefit weeks you are requesting.
- Banking details if you want direct deposit, including financial institution, branch or transit number and account number.
- The name and telephone number of your recent employer or employers.
- The police incident report number.
- An original completed and signed Employment Form from your current employer or an employer you worked for during the 52 weeks before the incident.
- An original Incident Report Form completed and stamped by the law enforcement agency where the incident was reported.
- If you are self-employed, a completed Employment Form plus your CRA Notice of Assessment from the previous income tax year.
- A paper application form if you cannot apply online.
Eligibility
You may qualify if you were legally responsible for the child, earned at least $5,000 in the previous calendar year or in the 52 weeks before the incident, have a valid SIN, and are on leave from work or working no more than 50% of your regular work week, up to a maximum of 20 hours per week. You must not be receiving Employment Insurance or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits for the same period and must not have been charged with committing the probable Criminal Code offence that led to the child's death or disappearance. The incident must involve a child who was under 25 when they died or disappeared because of a probable Criminal Code offence that occurred in Canada. For a missing child, the child must have been missing for more than one week.
How to do it
- Check both applicant and incident eligibility. Confirm the employment, income, SIN and work-reduction requirements and make sure the incident meets the federal criteria.
- Decide how many weeks to request. The benefit can pay up to 35 weeks within the 3-year period following the incident, and those weeks may be shared with other eligible applicants.
- Gather your personal and banking information. Prepare your SIN, addresses, employer details, police incident report number and direct-deposit information if you want payments deposited to your account.
- Have your employer complete the Employment Form. The employer must confirm the required employment and earnings information.
- Have the law enforcement agency complete the Incident Report Form. It must be completed and stamped by the agency where the incident was reported.
- Add self-employment evidence if applicable. Self-employed applicants must also provide the CRA Notice of Assessment from the previous income tax year.
- Apply online through Service Canada. You can upload the required documents with the online application or upload them separately afterward.
- Use mail or in-person service if you cannot apply online. Complete the paper application and mail it with the required documents or drop it off at a Service Canada Centre.
- Respond if Service Canada asks for more information. Service Canada may also contact your employer or the law enforcement agency to verify information.
- Receive payments if approved. Once the complete application is approved, payments begin immediately by direct deposit if banking information was provided, or otherwise by cheque.
What does the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime provide?
The Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime is federal income support administered by Employment and Social Development Canada through Service Canada. It is intended for eligible parents or legal guardians who lose income because they take time away from work to cope with the death or disappearance of a child resulting from a probable Criminal Code offence.
The current benefit is $500 per week, paid every 2 weeks, for a maximum of 35 weeks during the 3 years following the incident. You can stop receiving payments and restart them later within that 3-year period if you continue to meet the rules.
The available weeks can also be shared between eligible recipients.
Who can qualify for the benefit?
To qualify as an applicant, you must meet all of the federal applicant criteria. You must:
- have been legally responsible for the child or children involved in the incident;
- have earned at least $5,000 in the previous calendar year or in the 52 weeks before the incident;
- be on leave from employment or be working no more than 50% of your regular work week, up to a maximum of 20 hours per week;
- have a valid Social Insurance Number;
- not be receiving Employment Insurance benefits or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits for the same period; and
- not have been charged with committing the probable Criminal Code offence that led to the child's death or disappearance.
What incidents qualify?
The circumstances surrounding the child's death or disappearance must also qualify. Service Canada states that:
- the child must be deceased or missing as a result of a probable Criminal Code offence;
- the incident must have occurred in Canada on or after September 30, 2018;
- the child must have been under 25 years old at the time of the incident; and
- if the child is missing, the child must have been missing for more than one week.
The benefit is therefore not a general bereavement payment for every death or disappearance. Both the applicant and the incident must satisfy the program's specific criteria.
How much must you have earned before the incident?
You must have earned at least $5,000 either during the previous calendar year or during the 52 weeks immediately before the incident.
You must also have suffered a work-related loss of income. To remain eligible, you must be on leave from employment or working no more than half of your normal work week, subject to the program's absolute maximum of 20 work hours per week.
What if you are self-employed?
Self-employed applicants must complete and sign the program's Employment Form and submit their CRA Notice of Assessment from the previous income tax year.
If you have both employment and self-employment income, provide the documentation Service Canada requires to establish your qualifying earnings.
What documents must you submit?
A complete application requires supporting information from both employment and law enforcement sources.
Employment Form
You must submit an original completed and signed Employment Form from the employer you currently work for or an employer you worked for during the 52 weeks before the incident.
If you had more than one employer, Service Canada says you do not necessarily need an Employment Form from every employer as long as the documentation demonstrates that you earned at least the required $5,000.
Incident Report Form
You must also provide an original Incident Report Form completed and stamped by the law enforcement agency where the incident was reported. The law enforcement agency completes this form on your behalf.
Before applying, have your police incident report number available.
What information should you have ready?
Service Canada asks applicants to prepare:
- their SIN;
- home and mailing addresses;
- the number of weeks being requested;
- banking information for direct deposit;
- recent employer names and telephone numbers; and
- the police incident report number.
For direct deposit, you need the name of your financial institution, your branch or transit number and your account number.
How to apply online
Service Canada provides an online application for the benefit. Once you have prepared the required information, you can complete the application electronically.
You can upload the required supporting documents at the same time as the online application. If they are not ready when you submit the application, Service Canada also allows you to upload them separately afterward.
Submitting the initial application without all supporting documents does not make the file complete. The Employment Form, Incident Report Form and any other required evidence still need to be provided.
Can you apply by mail or in person?
Yes. If you cannot apply online, you can complete the paper Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime Application Form.
You can mail the paper application and supporting documents to:
Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime Processing Centre
PO Box 8232 STN T
Ottawa ON K1G 3H7
You may also drop off the application and supporting documents at a Service Canada Centre. Service Canada Centres can also provide information about the benefit and access to a computer for an online application.
How much can you receive?
Eligible recipients receive $500 per week. Payments are made every 2 weeks.
You can receive no more than 35 weeks of payments for the incident, and those weeks must fall within the program's 3-year benefit period following the incident.
The 35 weeks belong to the incident rather than automatically giving 35 weeks to each eligible parent. When more than one eligible recipient applies, the available weeks are shared.
What happens if more than one person applies?
Each eligible applicant must complete a separate application and provide their own Employment Form and Incident Report Form.
Applicants should state how many weeks each person wants. The combined number of weeks cannot exceed 35 weeks. If applicants do not specify a division or cannot agree, Service Canada uses its sharing mechanism to divide the available weeks.
Service Canada will notify applicants in writing if another eligible application changes the number of weeks available to them.
Can you receive EI or QPIP at the same time?
No. You cannot receive the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime for the same weeks in which you receive Employment Insurance or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits.
If you begin receiving EI or QPIP after submitting your application, Service Canada instructs you to contact the program.
Depending on why you are unable to work, separate programs may apply in different circumstances. Helpydo also explains how EI sickness benefits work when a medical condition prevents you from working, but EI cannot be paid for the same weeks as this benefit.
When do payments start?
Service Canada states that when you have submitted all required documents and your application is approved, payments begin immediately.
If you included banking information, payment is made by direct deposit. Otherwise, Service Canada sends a cheque by mail.
Service Canada may contact you for additional information before approving the application. It may also contact your employer or the law enforcement agency to verify or update information already provided.
Is the benefit taxable?
Yes. Income tax is deducted from the payments. At the end of the year, you receive a T4A statement of income for tax purposes. Quebec residents also receive an RL-1 slip.
When do payments end?
Payments stop when one of the program's end conditions applies. These include when:
- you return to work for more than 50% of your normal work week or more than 20 hours per week;
- the maximum 35 weeks have been paid;
- 3 years or 156 weeks have passed since the incident;
- you start receiving EI or QPIP benefits for the same weeks;
- you ask Service Canada to stop the payments;
- in a missing-child case, 2 weeks have passed following the week the child is found alive; or
- you are charged with a Criminal Code offence that led to the child's death or disappearance.
The program contains additional rules about suspended payments and repayment if a recipient is charged or convicted in connection with the incident.
Can you pause the benefit and restart it later?
Yes. Service Canada states that you can choose to stop receiving the benefit and restart later, provided the payments remain within the 3-year period following the incident and you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
This flexibility may be useful when a parent temporarily returns to work or needs the income-support weeks at different stages after the incident.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using outdated eligibility amounts: the current minimum earnings requirement is $5,000, not the older $6,500 threshold.
- Using outdated benefit amounts: the current payment is $500 per week, not the former $450 rate.
- Assuming each parent receives 35 weeks: the maximum 35 weeks are shared among eligible applicants for the same incident.
- Forgetting the Incident Report Form: it must be completed and stamped by the law enforcement agency.
- Submitting no Employment Form: this document is required to establish the employment and earnings conditions.
- Receiving EI or QPIP for the same weeks: the programs cannot overlap for the same payment period.
- Working too many hours: eligibility can end if you work more than 50% of your regular work week or more than 20 hours per week.
- Assuming the online application alone completes the file: required supporting documents must still be submitted.
What happens after you apply?
Service Canada reviews the application and may request more information from you. It can also contact your employer and the law enforcement agency to verify the information provided.
Once your required documents have been submitted and the application is approved, payments begin. Keep Service Canada informed of changes that could affect eligibility, including returning to work, beginning EI or QPIP benefits, or wanting to stop your benefit payments.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime in 2026?
The benefit pays eligible recipients $500 per week, paid every 2 weeks, for up to 35 weeks within the 3 years following the incident.
How much do I need to have earned to qualify?
You must have earned at least $5,000 in the previous calendar year or during the 52 weeks before the incident.
How old can the child be for a parent to qualify?
The child must have been under 25 years old at the time of the qualifying incident.
Does the death or disappearance have to involve a crime?
Yes. The child must be deceased or missing as a result of a probable Criminal Code offence that occurred in Canada.
How long must a child be missing before the benefit can apply?
For a missing-child case, the child must have been missing for more than one week.
Can I work while receiving the benefit?
You may work only up to 50% of your regular work week, subject to a maximum of 20 hours per week. Payments stop if you exceed those limits.
Can I apply for the benefit online?
Yes. Service Canada provides an online application and allows required documents to be uploaded with the application or separately afterward.
What documents are required for the application?
You generally need an Employment Form completed and signed by your employer and an Incident Report Form completed and stamped by the law enforcement agency. Self-employed applicants must also provide their previous tax year's CRA Notice of Assessment.
Can both parents apply for the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime?
Yes, if both are eligible. Each must apply separately, but the maximum 35 benefit weeks are shared between all eligible recipients for the same incident.
Can I receive EI and this benefit at the same time?
You cannot receive Employment Insurance or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits for the same weeks that you receive the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime.
Is the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime taxable?
Yes. Income tax is deducted from payments, and Service Canada issues a T4A statement of income at the end of the year. Quebec residents also receive an RL-1 slip.
Can I stop the payments and restart them later?
Yes. You can stop receiving the benefit and restart later as long as you remain eligible and the payments are within the 3-year period following the incident.
When do payments start after my application is approved?
Service Canada states that once all required documents have been submitted and the application is approved, payments begin immediately.
Official sources
Employment and Social Development Canada - Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of CrimeEmployment and Social Development Canada - Do you qualifyEmployment and Social Development Canada - ApplyEmployment and Social Development Canada - After you applyEmployment and Social Development Canada - Contact usRelated procedures
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