POP wage-loss benefits

Self-employed people who carry Personal Optional Protection (POP) coverage can use our compensation table to estimate their wage rate. Your rate is based on the amount of POP you purchased.

How we calculate POP wage-loss benefits

If you are self-employed, our wage-loss rate calculation has these four steps:

Step 1:	We start with the Personal Optional Protection coverage you carry. We multiply by 12 to convert your monthly coverage amount to a yearly coverage amount. We count that as your gross annual earnings.	Your POP coverage (annualized)
Step 2:	We subtract your estimated federal and provincial income taxes from your gross earnings. We do that because your income taxes are your responsibility. We also subtract your estimated CPP contributions and EI premiums. These are not payroll items that we cover or manage for you.	- Federal/provincial taxes - CPP contributions - EI premiums
Step 3:	That leaves us with a calculated net earnings amount. Please remember that it is based on the amount of coverage you purchased. The coverage we provide is 90% of this amount, so you can multiply this figure by 90% to determine roughly how much you'll receive.	= Your net annual earnings X 90%
Step 4:	We divide that by 52.14, the exact number of weeks in a year, to get your weekly wage rate. This amount may not equal exactly 90% of your usual weekly take-home pay. For an explanation of what might account for the difference, see our list of factors that affect wage-loss benefits.	÷ 52.14 weeks = Your approximate weekly wage-loss rate

Using the POP compensation table

View 2024 POP compensation table.

To estimate your wage-loss rate, find the amount of POP coverage you purchased.

Follow the calculations across to the right-hand column, "90% net weekly." It shows you the approximate wage rate you can expect to be paid in the first 10 weeks of your claim. In some cases the situation that led to your claim could last longer than 10 weeks. If so, we use a somewhat different long-term compensation approach.

Please remember that this is an estimate only. Your actual benefits may differ. We don't have all your personal information. Also, we take account of many factors that affect wage-loss benefits. Some of these may apply to you. Once we accept your claim, we will send you a letter to explain your wage-loss rate. Note that your wage-loss rate is based on the amount of coverage you purchased. It is not subject to minimum wage regulations.