Individuals who were impacted by a long-term drinking water advisory that continued at least for 12 months between 20 November 1995 to 20 June 2021 are going to receive a maximum of $2,000 through a paper check or direct deposit into their bank account.
Qualifying Individuals who will not receive their settlement funds on time or those who will face unexpected delays in receiving their First Nations Drinking Water Settlement Payout can check the status of their settlement funds by contacting the settlement Administrator 1-833-252-4220.
First Nations Drinking Water Settlement
On 22 December 2021, the Courts gave approval for a Settlement between Canada and specific First Nations and their participants who were subject to a drinking water advisory for more than one year between 20 November 1995 to 20 June 2021.
The Settlement is going to provide payment amounts for persons and Impacted First Nations who were subject to a drinking water advisory during the settlement period, for construction, operation, and for preservation of infrastructure, aimed to provide financial assistance to all the qualifying individuals is that they will be able to enjoy regular access to safe drinking water in their houses.
Who will get the First Nation’s drinking water settlement payment?
To receive the settlement payout amount from first nation’s drinking water settlement individuals need to satisfy the below listed eligibility requirements.
- Applicants need to have a permanent residency of First Nations lands to qualify for this settlement.
- Candidates must be an impacted person of drinking water advisory that lasted in any year between 20 November 1995 to 20 June 2021.
- Individuals need to submit a valid application form before the settlement claim form submission deadline of March 7, 2024.
- Claimants born before 20 November 1995 need to live in a First Nation during a long-term drinking water advisory that happened between 20 November 2013 to 20 June 2021.
- The settlement funds will also be provided to
- Individuals who have some type of disability
- Those who have little children.
- Qualifying individuals who passed away after 20 November 2017
- Such persons who faced specific Injuries because of a drinking water advisory, lasted at least within a year between November 20, 1995 to June 20, 2021.
How much can you receive from a first nation’s drinking water settlement?
The exact payout amount of the first nation’s drinking water settlement is not known yet. But it is expected that the payout amount can depend on the kind of water advisory that an individual experienced, the remoteness of the applicant’s First Nation community, the total number of years that they spent in that community and when individuals submitted their claim form.
Individual settlement funds range from $1,300 to $2,000 for every 12 months that they spent in a community that faced a drinking water advisory. If you lived in the community but not for the year then you can also expect to receive compensation.
But keep in mind that the amount that individuals will receive can be calculated on the total number of days that you spent in the community during the drinking water advisory. The expected settlement payout amounts per individual’s rates are listed in the below table.
Type of water advisory | Remote First Nations | Non- Remote First Nations |
Don’t use | About $2,000 per year | About $2,000 per year |
Don’t consume | About $2,000 per year | About $1,650 per year |
Boil water | About $2,000 per year | About $1,300 per year |
What is the Specified Injuries Compensation Amount of first nations drinking water settlement?
Individuals who were faced some Specified Injuries just because they act upon the drinking water advisories or they have not fully access to safe water can expect to receive a maximum part of $50 million.
The exact Specified Injuries Compensation Amount can depend on the number of submitted claim forms. Individuals will be able to get this compensation if they face Specified Injuries linked with the following types of disease.
- Digestive
- Dermatological
- Liver
- Neurological
- Breathing
- Tumors
- Cancer
- Mental Health
- Bloodstream infections
- Kidney
- Respiratory
When will you receive First Nations drinking water settlement?
The claims form submission deadline has passed. The Settlement Administrator is currently processing those claims that were submitted on or prior to 07 March 2024. The first nation’s drinking water exact settlement fund depositing date is not disclosed by officials yet.
But it is expected that after receiving an eligibility decision from the officials, (qualifying individuals only have 60 days to appeal the settlement administrator’s decision) claimants will receive the settlement funds within a few days to several weeks.
But it is important to know that if an individual submitted a claim form based on the false or invalid details then it will take more time to process your application form and to deliver settlement funds to you.