WSIB announces service changes; province raises worker benefits
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has announced a series of new services that are aimed at better serving individuals and businesses.
People with claims and businesses can now access claim information at any time of the day, with detailed information including claim status, latest payments, and approved benefits provided in real time. They can also submit documents straight to their claim file and send the WSIB a message any time.
“We are making improvements that will save businesses time, money, and make Ontario a safer place to work,” said WSIB President and CEO Jeffery Lang. “Our goal is to ensure the people and businesses we serve feel supported and valued and that we make it as easy as possible to work with us.”
As a result of these changes, the board has extended phone hours for claim-related support from 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Businesses can also report and pay their WSIB premiums through their online banking.
“These improvements are part of a deliberate effort to bring generational change to the WSIB,” said Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton. “People who are injured or fall ill at work should have the confidence they will get the help they need as quickly as possible and our government is making that happen.”
The minister added that the government will increase benefit payments to workers by more than six percent in 2023 to keep up with cost-of-living increases.
Also next year, the WSIB will take further steps to make it easier for people to get the help they need and for businesses to access information about their accounts and claims online.
Starting in January, businesses’ account statements will be available exclusively online through the WSIB’s online services and claim files will be shared entirely electronically.
“Eliminating paper statements and files will help businesses find the information they need more quickly and easily,” said Lang. “At the same time, this will also help reduce our impact on the environment and manage administrative costs more efficiently.”
The WSIB is also partnering with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to allow customers to report and pay their premiums through the CRA online platform at the same time they complete their taxes. This additional report and payment option is anticipated to be available in 2023.
The process of filing a new claim will also be simplified and be able to be completed on the WSIB’s website next year.