Workers: helping you stay informed and stay safe

Pre-1990 benefits


Workers with claims for accidents before 1990

Before January 2, 1990, there were different workers' compensation laws in effect.

Workers who were injured before that date are eligible to receive different benefits than are in place today. This section of the website will keep you informed on the pre-1990 benefits that may be available to you.

Pre-1990 claim centralization

Providing Ontario's workers and employers with the best possible service is a priority for the WSIB. Claims for workers who were injured prior to January 2, 1990 are complex and require experience and expertise to manage them.

As the Pre-1990 worker population declines, the WSIB has had to continually adjust workloads in offices across the province. In 2005, the WSIB began the process of centralizing Pre-1990 claims to Toronto. Declining work volumes for the Pre-1990 team in Hamilton now indicate that it is no longer administratively effective to maintain Pre-1990 services in that office.

Pre-1990 claims from the Hamilton office will be transferred to the WSIB's Toronto office in the third quarter of 2010.

Workers with active Pre-1990 claims in Hamilton will be contacted individually as their claims are moved to Toronto. Their current Case Manager will contact them by phone and they will receive a letter from their new Case Manager when their claim arrives in Toronto. If you have a Pre-1990 claim in Hamilton and have questions, please contact the Pre-1990 Claims Branch toll-free in Toronto at 1-800-387-0750 (between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday).

Guide to the Workplace Safety and Insurance System for workers with claims for accidents before 1990

If you are a worker who was injured before 1990, this Guide to the Workplace Safety and Insurance System (374k, pdf) outlines potential benefits and services you may be entitled to from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Pre-1990 Claims Unit.

While these benefits and services are extended to you under law, they are only allowed if they are directly related to your injury. For example, if you have an allowed claim for a low back injury, therapy, chiropractic, X-rays and medication may be necessary treatment. However, there are many more benefits and services that your health care provider may recommend and your adjudicator can consider approving.

It is important to remember that when treatment has been recommended, you promptly contact your WSIB adjudicator to determine eligibility for payment. Otherwise, you may have to pay for treatment yourself.

Besides health care, there are other benefits such as pensions, lump sum payments and supplements you may be eligible for.

While this guide will give you a general understanding of the major WSIB benefits and services, because every worker’s injury or illness is different, additional questions, individual concerns or issues should be discussed with your adjudicator.

WSIB services are provided in English and French, as well as several other languages. Call 1-800-387-0750 if you need help in another language. For telephone services for the deaf and hard of hearing, please call 1-800-387-0050.