HUMA Committee Report
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Appendix B: Summary of Employment Insurance Benefits
Table B.1 – Summary of Employment Insurance Benefits
Benefit type |
Circumstance |
Insurable employment entrance requirement |
Maximum entitlement |
Key temporary measures in place until September 2021* |
Regular |
Unemployed with a valid reason for separation and searching for suitable employment or retraining in certain cases |
420 to 700 hours depending on the regional rate of unemployment |
14 to 45 weeks |
Access to a one‑time top-up of 300 insurable hours Minimum unemployment rate has been set at 13.1% for all regions across Canada. Thus, claimants may receive a minimum of 26 weeks of benefits. EI regular benefits extended to up to 50 weeks. |
Maternity |
Unavailable to work because of pregnancy or has recently given birth |
600 hours |
15 weeks |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Parental (standard option) |
Caring for a newborn or a newly adopted child |
600 hours |
35 weeks (plus 5 additional weeks when benefits are shared) |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Parental (extended option) |
Caring for a newborn or a newly adopted child |
600 hours |
61 weeks (plus 8 additional weeks when benefits are shared) |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Sickness |
Unavailable to work because of illness, injury or quarantine |
600 hours |
15 weeks |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Compassionate care |
Providing care to a person of any age who requires end-of-life care |
600 hours |
26 weeks |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Family caregiver benefits for children (formerly, Parents of Critically Ill Children benefits) |
Providing care or support to a critically ill or injured person under the age of 18 |
600 hours |
35 weeks |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Family caregiver benefits for adults |
Providing care or support to a critically ill or injured person 18 years or older |
600 hours |
15 weeks |
Access to a one-time top-up of 480 insurable hours |
Fishing (regular) |
Self-employed fishers without available work |
Value of a catch between $2,500 and $4,200 depending on the regional rate of unemployment |
26 weeks per season (summer or winter) |
Minimum unemployment rate has been set at 13.1% for all regions across Canada. Thus, claimants only need $2,500 in earnings to qualify for benefits. |
Work-Sharing |
Employer avoiding layoffs during a slowdown in business activity for reasons beyond the employer’s control with a recovery plan and a Work-Sharing agreement in place |
420 to 700 hours depending on the regional rate of unemployment |
6 to 26 weeks, with the possibility of an extension by 12 weeks if warranted (maximum of 38 weeks) |
Maximum duration has been increased from 38 weeks to 76 weeks Other temporary measures apply** |
Notes: * Key temporary measures outlined in this table do not comprise measures contained in Bill C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measures (short title: Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1), 2nd Session, 43rd Parliament. Bill C-30 was introduced after the committee study had ended and, therefore, is not discussed in witness testimony. For more information regarding temporary measures implemented in response to COVID-19, see: Government of Canada, Employment Insurance – COVID-19.
** For additional information, see: Government of Canada, Work-Sharing Program – COVID-19.
Source: Table prepared by the authors based on data from Employment and Social Development Canada, “Table 1 – Summary of Employment Insurance benefit types,” Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report for fiscal year beginning April 1, 2018 and ending March 31, 2019: Chapter 2: Impact and effectiveness of Employment Insurance benefits (Part I of the Employment Insurance Act).