“I Haven't Been Paid Yet!” | How Does WSIB Pay You? When the Money Starts and How Often It Comes

A man with greying stubble and a black brace on his forearm checks his phone at a kitchen table, with a mug of tea, opened envelopes and a notebook beside him.

When the pay cheques stop, the next question is when money starts coming in again. Here is how the WSIB pays you, and when.

The WSIB pays loss of earnings benefits every two weeks. They normally start the day after your injury, and your employer pays your full wages for the day you were hurt, so there is no waiting period. In the WSIB's latest published results, for October to December 2025, it made the first payment within 15 days on 78% of claims.

How often does WSIB pay you?

Every two weeks. The WSIB's page on the loss of earnings benefit says so plainly. Each payment replaces 85% of your take-home pay, up to the 2026 maximum.

Want to know what each payment will be? Our 2026 WSIB calculator works it out from your hourly, weekly or yearly pay.

Health care costs are paid separately. Money back for physiotherapy, medication, assistive devices and travel comes by cheque, not with your loss of earnings payment. Our article “I Paid for My Prescription Myself!” | What Does WSIB Pay For? Prescriptions, Physio and Travel, Explained covers what is included.

When does the first WSIB payment arrive?

Usually within a couple of weeks of the WSIB having what it needs. Between October and December 2025, the WSIB made a first decision within 10 business days on 96% of lost-time claims, and the first payment within 15 days on 78% of claims, which it reported as below its target. Those are its most recent published results.

One thing holds up every payment after the first: your own report. Under its policy on the worker's requirement to claim and consent, the WSIB issues one payment, covering up to two weeks, and nothing further until your report arrives. Reporting online or on Form 6 keeps the rest coming. Our article “I'm Staring at a Blank Form!” | How to Fill Out WSIB Form 6 So Your Claim Starts Strong walks you through it.

Benefits are counted from the day after your injury, so a decision that takes longer delays the first payment rather than the date your benefits start. If money is tight in the meantime, our article “The Bills Won't Wait!” | Waiting on WSIB With No Money Coming In? Where to Turn sets out the options.

How does the money reach you?

By direct deposit if you set it up, or by cheque in the mail. You add your banking details yourself in the WSIB's online services, where you can also check your benefit and payment information.

A few things worth knowing, from the WSIB's online services help:

  • The first deposit can take a few days. Allow up to three business days after you set it up.
  • One setup covers every claim. The same banking details are used for all of your claim payments.
  • Canadian accounts only. Direct deposit works with Canadian financial institutions.
  • Health care costs still come by cheque. Direct deposit is for your loss of earnings payments.

Can your WSIB payment change?

Yes, and it helps to know when.

  • After 12 weeks, if your job was not permanent. If you were hired for a set period, or work as a contract, seasonal or temporary agency worker, the WSIB automatically recalculates your earnings after 12 weeks of benefits. The new rate applies from the start of week 13, under its policy on non-permanent employment.
  • After 12 weeks, if the first figure would be unfair. For a permanent job, the WSIB recalculates only when carrying on with the first figure would be unfair, and either you or your employer can ask. A new rate again applies from the start of week 13, under its policy on permanent employment.
  • When you go back to work. Back part time or on modified duties, you may receive partial benefits on top of what you earn. Our article “Will WSIB Cover My Bills?” | Off Work on WSIB? Here Is What You Will Actually Be Paid explains how they are worked out.
  • Each year. Ongoing benefits are adjusted for inflation every year, and reviewed every year until they have been paid for six years. Our article “I'm Worried the Money Will Stop!” | How Long Does WSIB Pay You For? explains the reviews.

Changes on your side matter too. The WSIB asks you to tell it about any significant change within 10 days. If you don't, your benefits can be reduced, suspended or stopped.

What if your employer keeps paying you?

Some employers keep paying wages while a claim is decided. Under the WSIB's policy on compensation advances by employer, the WSIB pays your employer back for what it advanced, up to what you were owed. If your employer paid you less than your benefit, the WSIB pays you the difference.

Keep your pay stubs from that time. They show what your employer paid and for which dates.

What if a WSIB payment is late or missing?

  1. Check online first. Look under Benefit payments in the WSIB's online services. New payment information can take up to 24 hours to appear.
  2. Check that your own report is in. Without it, payments stop after the first one.
  3. Call or message the WSIB. Its toll-free number is 1-800-387-0750, and you can send messages to your file through online services. If no one gets back to you, our article “I Keep Leaving Messages!” | WSIB Case Manager Not Calling You Back? How to Get an Answer sets out your next steps.
  4. Write down each contact. The date, who you spoke to and what you were told.

If payments stopped because of a decision, our article “My WSIB Payments Stopped!” | WSIB Cut Off Your Benefits? What to Do First, and How Long You Have explains what to do first.

Do you pay tax on WSIB payments?

No, but you do report them. The WSIB's page on WSIB benefits says you do not pay income tax on them, and it sends a T5007 statement at the end of each year showing the total you received. That total goes on your tax return. Our article “I Got a T5007 Slip!” | Do You Pay Tax on WSIB Benefits? What to Put on Your Return explains where.

What should you keep track of?

  • Every payment. The date it arrived and the amount.
  • Every day and hour you work. Modified duties and part days included, since partial benefits are worked out from them.
  • Every out-of-pocket cost. Keep the receipt, and note the date you sent each claim for it.
  • Every call and message with the WSIB. The date, the name and what you were told.
  • Every change you report. What changed, and the date you told the WSIB.
  • Every decision letter, with its date. You have six months from the date on most decisions to object.

When a payment looks short or late, this record is how you show exactly which days and which dollars are missing.

Why use Hurt Square?

Because when a payment is late or looks wrong, the first question is always what you were owed and when. Hurt Square guides give you one place to keep it all.

  • Every payment and every call. The National Workplace Injury Recovery Guide has structured space for time away from work, wage loss and every conversation with your employer and the WSIB, so a missing payment is easy to spot and easy to explain.
  • The Ontario rules, in plain words. The Ontario Workplace Injury Companion Guide explains Forms 6, 7 and 8 and how to object, step by step through to the Appeals Tribunal.
  • Made for hard days. 123 pages and more than 1,200 fillable fields that work on your phone, tablet or computer, in plain language. When your union representative, worker adviser or lawyer asks for something, it is already there.

Both guides, $39 until 22 November. The National Workplace Injury Recovery Guide and the Ontario Workplace Injury Companion Guide, with the discount applied at checkout. Bought separately: $63.99.

Get both guides

Who can help?

The Office of the Worker Adviser, if you are not in a union. It is an independent agency of the Ontario government, and its service to non-unionized injured workers is free. Its number for English service is 1-800-435-8980. If you are in a union, start with your union representative. A community legal clinic is another free route.

Read next

Every figure in this article comes from a named source. How we check
Last verified: 20 October 2026.
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