Starting July 1, 2026, Ontario has made auto insurance more flexible. Some accident benefits that were previously included in every auto insurance policy will become optional, giving you more choice to select coverage that fits your needs.
What's staying the same?
Standard medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care benefits will continue to be included in all auto insurance policies. They cover medical expenses, therapy, and personal care assistance for injuries from an accident, including doctor visits, physiotherapy, and help with daily activities like bathing and dressing.
You still have the option to purchase additional or increased benefits and coverages, such as:
- Supplementary medical, rehabilitation and attendant care: Helps cover expenses for medical benefits beyond the standard limits.
- Dependant care: Helps cover reasonable and necessary additional expenses associated with caring for dependants such as a child, spouse, or aging parent.
- Indexation benefits: Helps to ensure that certain weekly payments and monetary limits are adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living.
What’s changing?
The following auto insurance accident benefits will become optional:
Income replacement
Helps replace income you or another covered person may lose because of an auto accident.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Do you rely on your employment income to support yourself or others?
- If you were injured, would you not have access to disability benefits through your employer benefits or private disability insurance?
Non-earner
If you or another covered person is a student or unemployed and an auto accident keeps you from leading a normal life, this benefit can provide financial support while you recover.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Are you a student, unemployed, or retired?
- Would an injury affect your ability to live independently or pursue education?
Caregiver benefits
Helps cover caregiving expenses if you or another covered person is injured in an auto accident and can no longer provide care for a household member, such as a child or aging parent, who needs it.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Are you the primary caregiver for children, aging parents, or disabled family members?
- Are you a single parent?
Expenses of visitors
Helps cover reasonable and necessary expenses of visitors, such as a sibling or parents, if you or another covered person is injured in an auto accident.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Do your family members live far away?
- Would your family need to visit you if you were seriously injured?
Housekeeping and home maintenance
Helps cover costs if you or another covered person is unable to perform the housekeeping and home maintenance tasks normally done before an auto accident.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Would you need to hire someone to take over housekeeping duties if you were injured?
Damage to personal items
Helps cover the cost to repair or replace personal items (e.g., clothing, prescription eyewear, hearing aids, etc.) damaged in an auto accident.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Do you regularly carry valuable items such as glasses, hearing aids, or medical devices?
- Would replacing these items be costly if damaged in an accident?
Death benefits
Compensates some family members if you or another covered person dies due to an auto accident.
Should I consider this coverage?
- Would your family need financial support to cover ongoing expenses if you passed away in an auto accident?
- Do you lack life insurance or other coverage for funeral expenses?
Who is covered?
Starting July 1, 2026, for all new policies (including existing customers who cancel their policy mid-term and rewrite it as new business on or after July 1, 2026, such as when changing their Accident Benefits options) and policies being renewed, the new optional accident benefits under your auto policy will only apply to:
- The named insured
- The spouse of the named insured
- Dependants of the named insured and of the named insured’s spouse
- Persons specified in the policy as drivers of the automobile
This means that some people, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and certain passengers who may have been covered in the past may no longer be eligible for optional accident benefits if they are injured in an incident involving your vehicle.
What this means for you
If you’re an existing customer
Your policy will renew automatically with your current coverage and limits, unless you agree with your insurance representative in writing to decline the benefits or to make changes to them. You can review and update your coverage based on your needs. Before making changes, check if your personal or work benefits already provide similar coverage. Please contact your insurance representative if you wish to make changes to your optional accident benefits.
If you’re a new or existing customer
Customers who are purchasing or renewing a policy on or after July 1, 2026, can choose which optional accident benefits they would like to purchase. Ask your insurance representative which benefits are included in your quote. You may want to add optional accident benefits to your policy based on your needs.
If you’re a commercial customer or employee
Speak to your insurance representative to learn more about how this change impacts you or your employees.
What steps should I take?
Steps to help you make informed decisions and choose the benefits that best fit your needs.
How everyday life situations may shape your
Accident Benefits coverage needs
Here are nine examples of life situations that show how auto insurance can be tailored to protect you better.
Speak with your insurance representative about your needs.
If you’re a single parent
Example: You manage a busy schedule. You work as a contractor while caring for two young children and juggling all household responsibilities on your own. You rely on your car daily for work, school pick-ups and drop-offs, extracurricular activities for your kids, errands, and more. Without employer benefits or much savings, even a short recovery from an injury could make daily life difficult.
An auto accident could make it hard to maintain income, childcare, and household routines, especially without any family nearby to support you. Optional accident benefits may help you maintain stability while you recover. You are eligible to receive one disability-related benefit: Income replacement, Non-earner or Caregiver benefit.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Caregiver: to help cover caregiving expenses if you can no longer provide care for a household member, such as children under 16 or a person with physical or mental incapacity
- Expenses of visitors: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses of visitors, such as a sibling or parents, if a covered person is injured in an auto accident
- Housekeeping and home maintenance: to help cover costs if you are unable to perform the housekeeping and home maintenance tasks normally done before an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Dependant care: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses for caring for dependants
- Indexation: to make sure that certain weekly payments and benefit limits increase annually to reflect the rising cost of living
If you’re a self-employed consultant
Example: You operate an independent IT consulting business from home. Your mornings usually start with a coffee and long drives to client sites across the province – part of running a business you’ve built from scratch. Your spouse works part-time, and your household relies primarily on your income to cover the mortgage and household expenses. Since you’re self-employed, you don’t have access to a private employer plan and have not purchased additional disability or life insurance.
If you were injured in an auto accident, working could become impossible, and your household would face financial challenges. Personal items, such as your hearing aid, could also be damaged in the accident and require replacement. You may want to consider adding optional accident benefits to provide extra support for yourself and your family after an accident.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Housekeeping and home maintenance: to help cover costs if you are unable to perform the housekeeping and home maintenance tasks normally done before an auto accident
- Damage to personal items: to help cover the cost to repair or replace personal items (e.g., clothing, prescription eyewear, hearing aids, etc.) that were damaged in an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Indexation: to make sure that certain weekly payments and monetary limits are adjusted annually to reflect changes in cost of living
If you’re a retired surviving spouse
Example: You’re happily retired after a long career as a project manager. You live a very active lifestyle, managing all the upkeep for your apartment and driving yourself to medical appointments, errands, and social activities. A pension is your only source of income. It provides stability for basic needs but leaves little room for unexpected costs, such as paid household support and unplanned medical expenses.
You may need support with daily chores and home maintenance if you were injured in an auto accident. You may also need support from your children who live out of town. Considering optional coverages may give them peace of mind.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Non-earner: to help provide financial support while you recover
- Expenses of visitors: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses of visitors, such as a sibling or parents, if a covered person is injured in an auto accident
- Housekeeping and home maintenance: to help cover costs if you are unable to perform the housekeeping and home maintenance tasks normally done before an auto accident
- Damage to personal items: to help cover the cost to repair or replace personal items (e.g., clothing, prescription eyewear, hearing aids, etc.) that were damaged in an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Supplementary medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits: to help cover expenses for medical benefits beyond the standard limits
If you have a young family
With two toddlers, you and your spouse manage a busy schedule and a tight household budget. Your spouse works in construction and drives long distances each day for work. You work part-time as a retail associate and provide primary care for your two young children. You also manage most of the housekeeping for the townhouse you’re renting. You live paycheque to paycheque and don’t have disability or life insurance.
If either of you were injured in an auto accident, your family could face significant financial hardship and challenges with caregiving responsibilities. You may want to consider adding optional accident benefits to your policy to better protect you and your family. You are eligible to receive one disability-related benefit: Income replacement, Non-earner or Caregiver benefit.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Caregiver: to help cover caregiving expenses if you can no longer provide care for a household member, such as children under 16 or a person with physical or mental incapacity
- Housekeeping and home maintenance: to help cover costs if you are unable to perform the housekeeping and home maintenance tasks normally done before an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Dependant care: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses for caring for dependants
- Indexation: to make sure that certain weekly payments and monetary limits are adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living
If you’re a tradesperson
Example: You’re an electrician by trade and serve as the primary earner for your family. You drive to job sites across the region. The work is physically demanding, and even a moderate injury sustained outside of work could prevent your continued employment. Your spouse is currently unemployed, so the family depends on your income to pay for the bills, mortgage, and household necessities. You have two very active teenagers who both live at home. Both children are listed on your automobile policy as drivers, and one is enrolled in university. If your child attending university were injured in an auto accident, they may be unable to continue the college program.
Adding optional accident benefits to this family’s coverage may help provide extra support for everyone covered under their policy.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Lost educational expenses: to help cover costs if an auto accident prevents you, or another family member, from attending school or an education program
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Dependant care: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses for caring for dependants
- Indexation: to make sure that certain weekly payments and monetary limits are adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living
If you’re a university student
Example: At 21, you’re in your final year of university and working part-time at a café. You rent an apartment close to campus with three roommates. You rely on your car to get to school, work, and activities.
If you were injured in an auto accident, you may be unable to continue your studies or maintain your part-time job. Your parents live in another city and would need to travel to provide care and support. You are eligible to receive one disability-related benefit: Income replacement, Non-earner or Caregiver benefit.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Non-earner: to help provide financial support while you recover
- Lost educational expenses: to help cover costs if an auto accident prevents you, or another family member, from attending school or an education program
- Expenses of visitors: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses of visitors, such as a sibling or parents, if a covered person is injured in an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
If you’re a newcomer to Canada
Example: You recently immigrated to Canada with your partner and young child. You are getting settled in your community. You just started a new job as an administrative assistant and do not yet qualify for workplace disability benefits. Your partner is working irregular hours while looking for more stable employment. You have limited savings and rely on your car for work and childcare needs.
If an auto accident caused an injury, your household could face financial difficulty covering lost income, childcare, and household responsibilities. For extra support, you may consider adding optional accident benefits to protect everyone covered under their policy. You are eligible to receive one disability-related benefit: Income replacement, Non-earner or Caregiver benefit.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Caregiver: to help cover caregiving expenses if you can no longer provide care for a household member, such as children under 16 or a person with physical or mental incapacity
- Housekeeping and home maintenance: to help cover costs if you are unable to perform the housekeeping and home maintenance tasks normally done before an auto accident
- Expenses of visitors: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses of visitors, such as a sibling or parents, if a covered person is injured in an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Dependant care: to help cover reasonable and necessary expenses for caring for dependants
If you’re a delivery driver
Example: You spend most of your days on the road working full-time for a local courier company. When not working, you enjoy relaxing at your apartment or spending time with your parents who live close by. While on the job, you use a company-owned vehicle to make deliveries that is insured under a commercial policy. Your income depends entirely on the ability to drive, so an injury from an auto accident in the course of work could stop earnings and create financial difficulty with rent and living expenses. The courier company provides only the mandatory auto insurance benefits as employers are not required to purchase optional accident benefits for their commercial policies. From your perspective, as the driver, adding optional accident benefits to your own personal policy could provide extra peace of mind by ensuring income support if an accident occurs.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
- Indexation: to make sure that certain weekly payments and monetary limits are adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living
If you’re an office worker
Example: You work full-time for a large company and live in the suburbs with your spouse and three children. Your employer provides extended health and disability benefits, which already offer some income, caregiving, dependant care, and housekeeping protection. Before adding optional accident benefits to your auto insurance policy, it’s important to review what’s already included in your workplace plan to avoid overlap and ensure you have the right level of protection.
Optional accident benefits to consider:
- Income replacement: to help replace income you may lose because of an auto accident
- Death: to compensate some family members if a covered person dies due to an auto accident
- Funeral: to help cover some funeral costs
Quick links
Statutory Accident Benefits Legislation (SABS)
Ontario Automobile Policy Owner's Policy (OAP-1)
The content on this page is for information purposes only. The descriptions of the statutory accident benefits on this page are a summary of the statutory accident benefits in Ontario Regulation 34/10 (the “SABS”). Do not rely on this summary alone. For full details, refer to the SABS or speak with your insurance representative. Aviva and the Aviva logo are trademarks used under license from the licensor.