Temporary financial assistance and support in finding new employment, able-bodied claimants must be seeking employment to remain eligible

• Service Canada has tools available to help search job listings, create a résumé, choose a career, and assess skills
• Job Bank is an online source for employment information and job postings, see listing BAR2664
• for most people, basic rate for calculating EI benefits is 55% of average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount
• as of January 1, 2023, the maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $61,500 for a maximum amount of $650 per week
• Individuals not entitled to receive EI benefits, will be contacted by letter or by telephone, a Request for Reconsideration can be submitted, see website for details

Special benefits

• include maternity and parental benefits, compassionate care benefits, benefits for Parents of Critically Ill Children, sickness benefits and more, see website for complete list and details

Family Supplement

• for low income families who receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)
• entitlement will be added to EI payment
• amount based on annual net family income, see website for details

• Persons legally entitled to work in Canada who have an interruption of earnings due to shortage of work, injury, quarantine, pregnancy, adoption, personal illness, or a grave illness in the family
  
• Hours of insurable employment that are used to calculate benefit must have been accumulated during qualifying period
  
• qualifying period is the shorter of the 52-week period immediately before the start date of claim or the period from the start of a previous benefit period to the start of new benefit period, if benefits were applied for earlier and application was approved in the last 52 weeks
  
• Claimants who quit a job without just cause or are fired for misconduct are ineligible for regular benefits, just cause includes:
  
  • discrimination
  • sexual harassment
  • working conditions that constitute a danger to health and safety
  • significant modification of terms and conditions respecting wages or salary
  • eaving to care for child or immediate family member
  • major changes in work duties

• Drop-in
• Application forms available online only, can be accessed on computers at Service Canada sites, see Employment Insurance Benefits and Leave
  • Records of Employment from previous employers should be submitted immediately after employment has ended in order to have claim considered from the last day worked
  • first 2 weeks of claim are a waiting period for which no benefits are paid, two week waiting period is to be served while collecting "Regular EI", and only a 1 week waiting period is to be served for "Special benefits"
  • apply for EI benefits as soon as work has been interrupted even if Record of Employment (ROE) has not yet been received, delay may cause loss of benefits
  • claimants' reports must be correctly completed to generate payment (exemptions available for compassionate care benefit claimants)
• to request a phone call from a Service Canada representative about this program complete an online request at Service Request
• for people who do not have internet access call 1-877-355-2657 Mon-Fri 8:30 am-4 pm