Service Canada Service Standards

• Our Service Standards (PDF version, '78' KB)

As the Government of Canada's primary service delivery organization, Service Canada proactively strives to improve your service experience. As our customer, your needs and preferences are important to us. If we better understand them, we can better respond to them. Service Canada's Service Standards have been enhanced to ensure that you continue to receive the quality service you have come to expect and deserve.

We continue to offer you choice and convenience; whether online at servicecanada.gc.ca, through our 1 800 O-Canada telephone line, or in person at any of our 600 plus points of service across Canada. Whichever service channel you choose, we aim to consistently meet or exceed our standards – our commitment is to provide you with a consistently positive experience that is efficient, affordable, and fair.

Our Service Standards

Service Canada is the Government of Canada's citizen-centred service delivery organization. At Service Canada, we work with partners to provide Canadian citizens and newcomers to Canada with access to a wide range of government services, which we deliver by telephone, on the Internet, in person, or by mail.

Our service standards represent the level of service that we are aiming to provide. We demonstrate our accountability and transparency in complying with these enhanced standards when we measure and report results via the Service Canada's Performance Scorecard.

• Service Canada 2009-2010 Performance Scorecard
• Service Canada 2008-2009 Performance Scorecard
• Service Canada 2007-2008 Performance Scorecard

Language of Service

We provide service in both official languages – English or French – online, on the telephone, and in all Service Canada points of service that are designated as bilingual.

Click

You can access the servicecanada.gc.ca Web site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to the wealth of information in English and French, you can also access general information on selected programs and services in various Aboriginal and foreign languages.

Call

Call centres are open Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays).

General Inquiries

1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232)
TTY: 1-800-926-9105

You can call 1 800 O-Canada from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, where your call will be answered by an agent within 18 seconds. The agent can answer your questions, direct you to services, and take your orders for government publications and documents.

You can leave a Teletypewriter (TTY) text message 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An agent will respond within one hour; Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time (excluding statutory holidays).

Specialized Call Centers
Our agent's goal is to answer your call within three minutes for the following services:

If you use a TTY service and an agent is unavailable to answer your call right away, please leave a TTY text message and an agent will return your call within one hour, Monday to Friday within call centre hours of operation (excluding holidays*).

Employment Insurance (EI)
1-800-206-7218
TTY: 1-800-529-3742

Automated services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when you call the EI call centres. If needed, agents are available to assist you from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time.

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Old Age Security (OAS)/Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
1-800-277-9914
TTY: 1-800-255-4786

Agents are available to assist you from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time. (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm for Newfoundland and Labrador).

If you use a TTY service and an agent is unavailable to answer your call right away, please leave a TTY text message and an agent will return your call within one hour. An agent will respond within one hour, Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time (excluding statutory holidays).

Apprenticeship Incentive Grants (AIG)/Apprenticeship Completion Grants (ACG)
1-866-742-3644
TTY: 1-866-909-9757

You can call AIG/ACG call centres from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP)
1-866-683-6516
TTY: 1-800-926-9105

You can call WEPP call centres from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Visit

You can access a Service Canada point of service within 50 kilometres of where you live. To find a Service Canada location near you, visit our Find a Service Canada Office Web page, check your local blue pages, or call 1 800 O-Canada.

Core services
The following standards apply to eligible applicants who have submitted their completed application forms, including all required supporting documents.
You will receive:

• an Employment Insurance (EI) benefit payment in the right amount, or a non-payment notification, within 28 calendar days of filing;
• a Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement benefit payment in the right amount within the first month of entitlement;
• a Canada Pension Plan (CPP)disability initial application decision within 120 calendar days of receipt of a completed application;
• an Old Age Security (OAS) basic benefit payment in the right amount within the first month of entitlement;
• a Social Insurance Number (SIN) card within 10 business days if you apply in person, or within 15 business days if you applied by mail. If you applied at a Service Canada Centre, you can receive a Social Insurance Number in one visit;
• an Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG) payment, or non-payment notification issued within 28 calendar days; 
• an Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) payment, or non-payment notification issued within 28 calendar days; and
• an initial Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP) payment, or non-payment notification issued within 42 calendar days.

Feedback

We accept suggestions, compliments and complaints regarding Service Canada's service delivery.

Service Canada's feedback system:
To provide feedback regarding our Internet services, go to the page Your Comments Matter! of our Web site.

Client comment cards are available at all Service Canada Centres and scheduled outreach sites. Use the cards to comment on the quality of service you received in our in-person offices. The manager of the location where you submit your comment card will review it and act on it in a timely fashion.

If you are still not satisfied:
You are welcome to bring your concerns to the attention of the Office for Client Satisfaction (OCS) by calling 1-866-506-6806 (TTY: 1-866-506-6803) or by filling the online feedback form. The OCS will confirm it has received your feedback within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, and will reply and/or resolve the issue within seven working days.