The accident benefits Ontario drivers carry changed on July 1, 2026. Medical, rehabilitation and attendant care are still mandatory on every auto policy. Income replacement, non-earner, caregiver, death and funeral and the rest are now optional. This guide sets out what each benefit pays, who it covers and what could fill the gap if you go without it.
For the reform itself, see our guide to the Ontario auto insurance changes of July 2026. This one is the reference page, with the amounts the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) publishes.
What are the accident benefits Ontario drivers have now?
Every Ontario auto policy still includes three mandatory accident benefits: medical, rehabilitation and attendant care. Together they pay up to $65,000 for a non-catastrophic injury and up to $1,000,000 for a catastrophic one. Every other accident benefit, from income replacement to death and funeral, has been optional since July 1, 2026.
Accident benefits are no-fault. FSRA explains that they pay if you, your passengers or pedestrians are injured or killed in an auto accident, whoever caused it. The rules sit in the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS), a regulation under Ontario's Insurance Act. Because the schedule is provincial, the benefits are the same at every insurer. Prices and the optional limits on offer are not.
Accident benefits at a glance (October 2026)
The table shows each benefit's status since July 1, 2026, who it protects, what it pays and what else might fill the gap. Amounts are the limits FSRA publishes: maximums, not what every claim receives.
| Benefit | Status since July 1, 2026 | Who it covers | What it pays (standard limit, then options) | What might fill the gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and rehabilitation | Mandatory. | Anyone injured who claims under the policy, including passengers and pedestrians. | Up to $65,000 combined with attendant care for a non-catastrophic injury. Up to $1,000,000 for a catastrophic one. Options: $130,000 or $1,000,000 for non-catastrophic, plus $1,000,000 more for catastrophic. | OHIP and a workplace health plan cover some care. Medication still goes to your health plan first. |
| Attendant care | Mandatory. | Same as above. | Inside the same combined limit. FSRA lists monthly caps of $3,000 (non-catastrophic) and $6,000 (catastrophic). | Little else pays for personal care at home. |
| Income replacement | Optional. | Named insured, spouse, dependants and listed drivers. | 70% of gross income, up to $400 a week. Options: $600, $800 or $1,000 a week. | Group or personal disability insurance. |
| Non-earner | Optional. | Same as above. | $185 a week for up to 104 weeks, after a four-week waiting period. | Hard to replace, because disability insurance replaces earned income. |
| Caregiver | Optional. | Same as above. | $250 a week for the first person in need of care, plus $50 for each additional person. | Savings and family help. |
| Housekeeping and home maintenance | Optional. | Same as above. | Up to $100 a week. | Savings, or disability income that frees up cash. |
| Death benefit | Optional. | Same as above. | $25,000 to a spouse and $10,000 for each dependant. Option: $50,000 and $20,000. | Term or permanent life insurance. |
| Funeral benefit | Optional. | Same as above. | Up to $6,000. Option: up to $8,000. | Life insurance, funeral insurance or the CPP death benefit. |
| Visitor expenses, lost educational expenses, damaged items | Optional. | Same as above. | Reasonable and necessary costs, up to set maximums. | Savings. |
| Dependant care | Optional (never standard). | Same as above. | $75 a week for the first dependant and $25 for each additional one, up to $150 a week. For employed people not receiving the caregiver benefit. | Savings and family help. |
| Indexation | Optional (never standard). | Same as above. | Adjusts listed benefits each year in line with the Consumer Price Index. | None. |
Sources: FSRA's page on customizing accident benefits, its 2024 SABS guidelines consultation paper (attendant care caps) and a 2025 reform costing report published by FSRA (non-earner and caregiver amounts). Your policy wording is what counts.
Your own limits are on your policy's benefits page (the Certificate of Automobile Insurance and any OPCF 47R endorsement). Confirm the current amounts with your insurer or a licensed advisor before you change a benefit.
Mandatory benefits: medical, rehabilitation and attendant care in Ontario
These three are the accident benefits Ontario law requires on every policy. Medical and rehabilitation benefits help pay for the treatment and therapy you need after a collision. Attendant care pays for help with personal care when a serious injury means you can't manage alone.
How much they pay. For a non-catastrophic injury, the three share one limit of $65,000. For a catastrophic impairment, the shared limit is $1,000,000. Minor injuries, such as most sprains, strains and whiplash, fall under the Minor Injury Guideline. FSRA's consultation paper describes a $3,500 limit for medical and rehabilitation benefits under that guideline, with no attendant care.
Optional increases. You can raise the non-catastrophic limit to $130,000 or $1,000,000. You can also add $1,000,000 to the catastrophic limit. These options matter most if a long recovery would outrun the standard limit.
Who pays first. Before the reform, people with a workplace health plan had to claim there first. FSRA's 2026 Treatment and Assessment Plan form says that, effective July 1, 2026, auto insurers are the first payers for medical and rehabilitation benefits. Medication is the exception: submit those costs to your supplementary health plan first. For what the province covers outside your auto policy, see our guide on what OHIP doesn't cover.
Optional benefits: income replacement, non-earner and caregiver
These three benefits replace money or help when an injury stops you from working or caring for others. If you qualify for more than one, you choose one of them on FSRA's election form (OCF-10).
Income replacement benefit
The standard income replacement benefit pays 70% of your gross income, up to $400 a week. You can buy a higher weekly limit of $600, $800 or $1,000. FSRA's fact sheet notes that the limits on offer vary by insurer. Its Q&A for insurers says insurers that offer other limits must still offer the current ones.
Here's an illustrative example. An employee earning $60,000 a year makes about $1,154 a week before tax. Seventy per cent of that is about $808 a week. The standard $400 limit pays roughly half of it, which works out to about $1,733 a month. The $800 option would cover almost all of the 70%.
One more rule matters. FSRA's costing report notes that auto insurers can deduct other income replacement payments, such as a disability plan, from this benefit. So a strong workplace plan may mean the auto benefit pays less, while a weak or missing one leaves it doing more of the work.
For a reference point, Instasure's estimate for an example profile (35-year-old male non-smoker, $60,000 income, professional occupation, $3,250 a month benefit, 90-day waiting period, benefits to age 65) is $68 to $105 a month, typically $85, as of October 2026. A disability policy also covers illness, not just car crashes. Our guide to disability insurance cost in Canada explains what moves that price.
Non-earner benefit in Ontario
The non-earner benefit is for people without employment income. FSRA describes it as support for people who suffer a complete inability to carry on a normal life after the accident. It pays $185 a week for up to 104 weeks, after a four-week waiting period. Few other products replace it, because disability insurance is built to replace earned income.
Caregiver benefit in Ontario
The caregiver benefit helps if you were the main caregiver for someone at home and your injury stops you from providing that care. It pays $250 a week for the first person in need of care, plus $50 for each additional person. Before the reform, the standard version paid only for catastrophic impairment. FSRA's Q&A says the optional benefit is designed for all impairments, but insurers may also offer a lower-cost version limited to catastrophic impairment. Check which one your policy lists.
Optional benefits: housekeeping, visitor, death and funeral and others
Housekeeping and home maintenance pays up to $100 a week for chores you can't do because of your injury. As with the caregiver benefit, FSRA allows insurers to offer an all-impairment version or a catastrophic-only one.
The death and funeral benefit in Ontario has two parts. The death benefit pays $25,000 to a spouse and $10,000 for each dependant. The funeral benefit pays up to $6,000. An optional increase raises these to $50,000, $20,000 and $8,000. Those amounts help, but they are small next to most family needs. For comparison, Instasure's estimate for an example profile (35-year-old female non-smoker, $500,000 Term 20 policy) is $20.50 to $29.50 a month, typically $24.50, as of October 2026. A life policy also isn't limited to car accidents. See how much life insurance you need and how the CPP death benefit fits funeral costs.
Visitor expenses, lost educational expenses and damaged items cover costs such as family visits during treatment, some lost educational expenses, and some personal items damaged in the crash. Under the reform, FSRA says visitor and damaged-item expenses are paid on a "reasonable and necessary" basis up to a set maximum.
Who each benefit covers in your household
This is the change people miss. The mandatory benefits protect anyone injured who claims under the policy, including passengers and pedestrians. FSRA's claims guide adds that a pedestrian or cyclist can claim through the insurer of the vehicle that struck them.
The optional accident benefits Ontario insurers sell are narrower. FSRA says they extend only to:
- the named insured on the policy;
- the named insured's spouse;
- dependants of the named insured and of the spouse;
- people listed on the policy as drivers.
So think through your own household before you renew:
- Dependent children are covered by your optional benefits.
- An adult child who no longer depends on you is covered only if listed as a driver.
- A friend in your passenger seat still gets the mandatory benefits, but not your optional ones.
- A partner who drives a car on a separate policy should check both policies, because each lists its own options.
Prices also vary by city. If you're comparing car insurance in Toronto or car insurance in Brampton, ask every insurer to quote the same accident benefits so the prices are comparable.
How to read the benefits page of your policy
Your renewal package or certificate of insurance lists your accident benefits. Use these steps to check it:
- Find the accident benefits section. Mandatory medical, rehabilitation and attendant care should appear on every policy.
- Look for the optional benefits endorsement. FSRA's form for optional accident benefits is the OPCF 47R. FSRA's Q&A says insurers add it at renewal or when you change your policy mid-term.
- Note each optional benefit and its limit. Write down the weekly income replacement limit, the death and funeral amounts and any medical increase.
- Check the caregiver and housekeeping version. Is it all impairments or catastrophic only?
- Check who is listed. Make sure every household driver is named, so optional coverage reaches them.
- Know your renewal rights. FSRA's fact sheet says a renewing policy keeps the same coverage and limits until you agree in writing to change them.
- Price each benefit separately. Ask what each optional benefit adds to your premium, then decide one benefit at a time.
For a sense of the overall bill, Instasure's estimate for an example profile (35-year-old driver in Ontario, 15+ years licensed, no tickets or at-fault claims, standard vehicle, full coverage) is $137 to $212 a month, typically $171, as of October 2026. Our model doesn't price accident benefits one by one, so ask a licensed advisor for the cost of each option. Compare car insurance in Ontario for local rules and figures. If you drive for an app, read our gig driver insurance guide as well.
Michael's take
As a planner, I look at accident benefits as one piece of a household's income protection, not as a line to trim on the auto bill. My rule of thumb is simple. Don't remove an optional benefit until you can name what replaces it, how much it pays and how long it lasts. For most working families, that conversation starts with income replacement, because the standard $400 a week can fall well short of 70% of your pay, as the example above shows.
I'd also keep the bigger picture in view. Accident benefits only respond to car crashes, while disability and life insurance respond to illness and every other cause too. If your budget allows only one fix, the broader cover usually does more for the plan. Either way, I'd make these choices with a licensed advisor who can price each option on your actual policy.
Next steps
Start with an instant car insurance estimate to see a realistic range for your profile. Then book a free accident benefits review with our Accident benefits review desk. A licensed advisor will look at your income, work benefits and drivers, and price each optional benefit before your renewal.
If income replacement is your biggest gap, compare disability insurance as well. You can also read more about car insurance in Ontario and what changed in the July 2026 reform.
