How term, permanent, disability and critical illness insurance work, what drives the price, and what EI and CPP or QPP pay in 2026.
Income protection in Canada is built in layers. At the bottom sit the public programs: EI sickness benefits for up to 26 weeks of short-term illness, and CPP or QPP disability benefits for people whose disability is severe and prolonged. Above them sit employer group benefits such as short-term and long-term disability and group life insurance. At the top are policies you buy yourself: term or permanent life insurance, individual disability insurance and critical illness insurance.
Start with the overview of life and disability insurance in Canada. It links to guides on term versus permanent life insurance, what drives a life insurance premium, the disability policy terms that decide whether you get paid, and critical illness insurance.
Two guides cover the public layer in detail: EI sickness benefits and CPP and QPP disability benefits. Health, drug and dental coverage is a different subject and is not covered here.
Dollar figures for premiums are illustrative examples, not quotes. Government benefit amounts are stated for 2026 with the official page to confirm them.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
CPP disability in 2026: severe and prolonged test, contribution rules, up to $1,741.20 a month, children's benefit, LTD offsets, and how Quebec's QPP disability pension differs.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
How Canadian critical illness insurance works: covered conditions, survival period, partial payouts, return-of-premium options, tax treatment and how it differs from disability.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
The disability insurance terms that decide whether a Canadian policy pays: definitions of disability, waiting and benefit periods, offsets, residual benefits and guarantees.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
EI sickness benefits explained for 2026: who qualifies, the 600-hour rule, the one-week waiting period, the $729 weekly maximum, medical certificates and employer plans.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
How EI sickness, CPP/QPP disability, group LTD, term and permanent life, disability and critical illness insurance fit together in Canada, with 2026 figures.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
Age, sex, tobacco and cannabis use, health class, family history, occupation, face amount, term and riders: how each affects a Canadian life insurance quote.
Coverage Types, Price Factors and 2026 Rules
Term 10, 20, 30, term to 100, whole life and universal life compared: how each works in Canada, what it costs relative to term, and a decision checklist.
