Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program

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Applicants to the CTSSP: The Honourable Justice Pamel issued a judgement on April 29, 2024 removing date of birth as one of the eligibility criteria. The CTSSP Application deadline was June 3rd, 2024. New Step 1 applications are no longer being accepted.

 

The Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (“CTSSP”) is a financial support package for Canadian Thalidomide Survivors, announced by the Minister of Health on January 9, 2019.

 

Thalidomide Survivors who were already confirmed under the Government of Canada’s 1991 Extraordinary Assistance Plan (”EAP”) for Thalidomide Victims and/or the former Thalidomide Survivors Contribution Program (”TSCP”) were transferred automatically to the new Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (“CTSSP”) without the need to re-apply.

 

Anyone who believes that they are a Thalidomide survivor, including those previously refused by the 1991 EAP or the 2015 TSCP, was able to apply for assessment under the new CTSSP program up until the closure of the Application Deadline on June 3rd, 2024. New Step 1 applications are no longer being accepted.

 

What does the CTSSP include?

 

• A five-year time frame to apply to the CTSSP, beginning June 3, 2019 and ending June 3, 2024, for those individuals who believe they are a Thalidomide Survivor.  Individuals denied under the Government of Canada’s 1991 Extraordinary Assistance Plan (“EAP”) or the 2015 Thalidomide Survivors Contribution Program (“TSCP”) were also eligible to apply. The CTSSP Application Period is now closed as of June 3rd, 2024. New Step 1 applications are no longer being accepted.
  
  
• A medical assessment process using a web-based algorithm created in the UK which uses answers provided by the applicant to a set of questions to generate a result (unlikely, uncertain, probable) as to whether the applicant's birth differences could be attributed to in utero exposure to thalidomide. This algorithmic result does not prove or disprove a diagnosis of thalidomide embryopathy;
  
  
• An increased initial ex gratia lump sum, tax-free payment of $250,000 for Survivors confirmed under the new CTSSP. Survivors already recognized under the former TSCP received a top up payment of $125,000 to equalize the ex gratia amount payable to all Survivors under the two programs;
  
  
• Ongoing annual tax-free payments to Thalidomide Survivors indexed at 2% per year for life based on each individual’s assessed level of disability;
  
  
• Access to an annual Extraordinary Medical Assistance Fund (“EMAF”) to help cover the costs of extraordinary health support costs of Thalidomide Survivors with needs such as specialized surgeries and home or vehicle adaptations that are not otherwise provided in provincial/territorial healthcare plans;
  
  
• An increase to the EMAF to $1 M per year, indexed at 2% per year, to account for an anticipated greater number of confirmed survivors.

 

Confirmed Survivors:

 

Thalidomide Survivors who were already confirmed under the 1991 EAP and/or the former TSCP will automatically be transferred to the new Canadian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program (“CTSSP”) without the need to re-apply.

 

Health Canada will contact existing Confirmed Thalidomide Survivors directly to arrange payment of the CTSSP ex gratia $125,000 top up payment.

 

Annual ongoing support payments will continue uninterrupted for the Confirmed Thalidomide Survivor’s lifetime.

 

Confirmed Survivor Benefits

 

• Ongoing Tax Free Support Payments
  
  
• Extraordinary Medical Assistance Fund
  
  
• Health Status Reassessments
  
  
  

Address & Contact Info Changes:Please promptly notify the Administrator of any changes to your contact information as we use what’s on file to communicate with you. When providing changes, please provide your full name, your File ID (if applicable), as well as confirm the old contact information and the change requested.