Prosper Canada launches Benefits wayfinder to support access to government benefits

Posted on March 3, 2022
By Prosper Canada

Searching for government benefits can feel like wading through a huge ocean of information. With so many programs out there, it can be hard to know where to start. As Canada continues to confront COVID-19, the need to help people who are financially struggling to access financial relief has never been greater.

 

Online tool to search for benefitspaulius-dragunas-lighthouse

On January 19, 2022, Prosper Canada launched the Benefits wayfinder, an online tool that simplifies the search for government benefits for people seeking ways to boost their incomes and/or reduce their expenses.

Sponsored by TD Bank Group, the bilingual tool is easy to use, plain language and provides customized benefit recommendations based on the life circumstances of each user. It can be used by individuals, as well as by community service providers that help people to access income benefits.

“The Benefits wayfinder [acts] as a personal guide, helping individuals to quickly navigate the maze of government information and successfully identify benefits they may be eligible for, but not receiving, and how to access them."
Elizabeth Mulholland, CEO, Prosper Canada.

Different ways to search

The Benefits wayfinder offers four different ways to search for benefits:  

  • Selecting ‘Starting Points’ generates a quick list of suggested benefits for people in specific groups (e.g., newcomers) or life phases (e.g., lost my job)   
  • Completing a short ‘Questionnaire’ provides a list of personalized benefits  
  • ‘Browsing all benefits’ lets people search for benefits they already know about  
  • Selecting benefits they are already receiving lets people explore related benefits

The tool also includes:

  • A tutorial video for users to learn how to use the Benefits wayfinder
  • A help feature that provides a list of agencies by community that can help users connect to government benefits, including help to complete applications and to file taxes
  • An agency portal that helps organizations who work directly with people living on low and modest incomes to help clients access government benefits

Provide feedback

The Benefits wayfinder’s design process engaged target users and incorporated their feedback at every stage to ensure the tool delivers on its promise to simplify and demystify the search for government benefits. It will be updated on an ongoing basis as new information and resources become available from federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

More about Prosper Canada

Prosper Canada is Canada’s leading champion of financial empowerment, working to expand economic opportunity for Canadians living in poverty. Their team is available to provide training and support to help organizations integrate the Benefits wayfinder into their work.  

 

Resources:

Topics:
Government, CRP Blogs, Homepage Blog, Tax Credits


Prosper Canada

By Prosper Canada

Prosper Canada works with partners in all sectors to develop and promote financial policies, programs and resources that transform lives and help Canadians to prosper.

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