About

Paycheque Backstop is an independent information site about protecting a household's income in Canada: life insurance, disability insurance, critical illness insurance, and the public benefits that sit underneath them, such as EI sickness benefits and CPP and QPP disability benefits.

It is written for employees reading their group benefits booklet for the first time, new parents and homeowners deciding how much coverage to buy, self-employed people without a group plan, and anyone dealing with a claim, a denial or a beneficiary question. Quebec rules are explained wherever they differ from the rest of Canada.

The guides explain how products and programs work, show the arithmetic with clearly labelled illustrative figures, and point to the official sources: Service Canada, Retraite Québec, the Canada Revenue Agency, provincial insurance regulators, the Autorité des marchés financiers, OLHI and Assuris. Government benefit amounts are given for 2026 where we could confirm them on the official page.

The site does not sell insurance, rank insurers or publish quotes, and it does not cover health, drug or dental insurance. It is general information, not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice. For decisions about a large policy, a disputed claim or an estate plan, speak with a licensed advisor, an accountant, a lawyer or, in Quebec, a notary.

How this site is made

Paycheque Backstop is an independent information project. Guides are drafted with the help of AI writing tools and checked against official and primary sources before publication; see our Editorial Policy. We are not affiliated with any provider mentioned on the site and do not sell products or services.