Information & Support

Financial support during pancreatic cancer

Taking time away from work, paying for prescriptions, or travelling for treatment can put pressure on household finances.

Explore income benefits, help with treatment-related costs, and support for caregivers. Eligibility and available assistance depend on your circumstances and where you live.

Find support by need ↓ Find support in your province →

Not sure where to start?

Ask for help navigating the options. Tell your cancer care team if costs are affecting your ability to attend appointments, obtain medication, or manage at home. Ask whether a social worker, patient navigator, or another team member can help you explore financial support.

Starting the conversation can be the hardest part. You could say:

“I’m worried about paying for treatment-related expenses and taking time away from work. Who can help me review the options?”

Income support when you cannot work

If treatment or recovery keeps you away from your job, start here. A diagnosis alone does not make you eligible for any of these programs — each has its own conditions.

Service Canada · Employment Insurance

EI sickness benefits

Income benefit

Financial assistance if you cannot work for medical reasons, for up to 26 weeks. Service Canada encourages you to apply as soon as possible and let them determine whether you qualify.

What it helps with: Replacing part of your income while you are away from work for treatment or recovery
Who it is for: People in insurable employment
Where: Across Canada
Main conditions: You are unable to work for medical reasons; your regular weekly earnings have dropped by more than 40% for at least one week; you have 600 insured hours in the 52 weeks before your claim; a medical certificate is required
Timing: Check any employer-paid sick leave first — some employers have their own plan

Check eligibility and apply →

Service Canada · Canada Pension Plan

CPP disability benefits

Monthly benefit

A monthly payment for people under 65 who are unable to work because of a severe and prolonged disability and who have contributed to the Canada Pension Plan. Quebec has an equivalent program through the Quebec Pension Plan.

What it helps with: Longer-term income when returning to work is not possible
Who it is for: People aged 18 to 64 with CPP contributions
Where: Across Canada
Main conditions: The disability is severe and prolonged and prevents substantially gainful work
Timing: Service Canada fast-tracks applications for grave conditions — pancreatic cancer is on its grave conditions list — and has a separate process for terminal illness

Learn about CPP disability benefits →

Also worth checking

Employer sick leave — ask your employer what paid leave you have before applying for EI.
Short-term or long-term disability coverage through your workplace benefits.
Private insurance you hold yourself, including critical illness policies.
Provincial or territorial income support programs, listed in our provincial and territorial guides.

These are options to investigate, not benefits everyone has. Your employer, insurer, or care team can confirm what applies to you.

Support for caregivers taking time off

Caregiver benefits are separate from the patient’s own benefits, and the two EI caregiving benefits cover different situations — they are not interchangeable.

Service Canada · Employment Insurance

EI caregiving benefits

Income benefit · Caregivers

The family caregiver benefit for adults (up to 15 weeks) covers time away from work to care for a critically ill or injured adult. Compassionate care benefits (up to 26 weeks) cover caring for someone who needs end-of-life care — a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks. Weeks can be shared between eligible caregivers.

Who it is for: Family members, or someone considered to be like family to the person needing care
Where: Across Canada
Main conditions: 600 insured hours in the 52 weeks before the claim; your earnings have dropped by more than 40%; a medical doctor or nurse practitioner must certify the condition
Note: Receiving palliative care does not by itself establish eligibility for compassionate care benefits

Check caregiving benefit eligibility →

Compare caregiving benefit types →

Travel and accommodation

Pancreatic cancer care is concentrated in larger centres, so getting there is often the first expense. Help exists, but it varies a lot by where you live.

The Heather Cutler Foundation

Port to Care

Travel grant

Our own travel grant program helps people in Atlantic Canada get to pancreatic cancer care, including appointments and clinical trials away from home.

What it helps with: A $500 grant toward treatment-related travel
Who it is for: People living with pancreatic cancer in Atlantic Canada
Where: Atlantic Canada
How to start: Apply through the Port to Care page — applications are open

Apply for a Port to Care grant →

Canadian Cancer Society

Transportation services and Travel Treatment Fund

Service · Travel fund

The Society offers transportation to treatment in some communities, and a Travel Treatment Fund that helps with the cost of getting to treatment. What is offered, and who qualifies, depends on your province.

What it helps with: Rides to appointments, and help with travel costs
Who it is for: People travelling for cancer treatment
Where: Varies by province

See CCS transportation support →

Provincial & Territorial Governments

Medical travel assistance programs

Varies by province

Many provinces and territories run their own medical travel programs, each with its own rules for distance, advance approval, and reimbursement. There is no single national threshold or distance rule.

What it helps with: Travel, and sometimes accommodation and meals, for treatment away from home
Timing: Some programs require approval before you travel — check before you book

Find your province’s programs →

Medication and treatment-related costs

Coverage for prescription medicines you take at home varies by province and by any private insurance you hold, so this page does not list individual drug programs — an out-of-date listing can create false expectations. The reliable route is:

Ask your care team or pharmacist which of your medicines are covered, and by whom, before you pay.
Check any private or employer insurance first — some public plans require it.
Check your province or territory’s public drug plan and its application process in our provincial and territorial guides.
If a deductible or co-payment is the problem, tell your care team — hospitals and programs sometimes have assistance they can connect you with.

Tax credits and expenses

Tax support is separate from financial help now: these credits reduce the tax you owe when you file, rather than reimbursing an expense when it happens.

Canada Revenue Agency

Disability Tax Credit (DTC)

Tax credit · Non-refundable

A non-refundable tax credit for people with a severe and prolonged impairment. It is not a cancer grant: eligibility is based on the effects of the impairment, not on the diagnosis alone, and a medical practitioner must certify those effects as part of the application.

Who it is for: The person with the impairment, or a supporting family member in some cases
Where: Across Canada

Check DTC eligibility →

Canada Revenue Agency

Medical Expense Tax Credit

Tax credit · Non-refundable

A credit for eligible medical expenses you paid, once they pass a threshold tied to your income. Eligible expenses can include prescription medicines and, when treatment is not available near home, certain travel costs. You claim it on your tax return, so keep your receipts.

Who it is for: You, your spouse or common-law partner, and dependants in some cases
Where: Across Canada

Look up eligible medical expenses →

Support depends on where you live

This page explains the main categories of help and links to federal programs. The details — local programs, drug coverage, travel rules, and contacts — live in our provincial and territorial guides.

Choose your province or territory →

Before you apply

Check which documents the program requires. Depending on the application, you may need employment information, income documents, medical certification, or receipts.
Confirm whether approval is required before booking travel or incurring an expense.
Keep copies of applications and correspondence.

Protect your information. Apply through the program provider. Do not send the Foundation your Social Insurance Number, banking details, tax returns, or medical records through a general contact form.

Program details and eligibility rules change. This page is a starting point for finding support, not a determination of eligibility — confirm the current rules with the provider before relying on them.
Sources: Service Canada — EI sickness benefits, EI caregiving benefits, CPP disability benefits; Canada Revenue Agency — Disability Tax Credit; Canadian Cancer Society — Finances.
Last reviewed: October 24, 2026 · Report an error