If you wish to have your benefits start immediately after you stop working, you should apply as soon as you stop working, even if you receive or will receive money when you become unemployed. Delaying in filing your claim for benefits beyond 4 weeks from the time your earnings have decreased by more than 40% may cause loss of benefits.
Application for Employment Insurance benefits online
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/application/employmentinsurance.shtml
ROE: Once you have decided the week you wish to submit your application, be sure to do so even if you don’t have your Records of Employment. If your employers issue ROEs in paper format, you
must request ROEs from all your employers who issued ROEs in paper format in the last 52 weeks. However, if your employer submits your ROE to Service Canada electronically, you do
not need to request a paper copy of your ROE from your employer since we will receive it electronically from your employer. On the same day your employer submits it, you will be able to view and print copies of your ROE online using
My Service Canada Account.
What information/documents are needed to apply?
SIN / ROE / bank information / expected or actual date of birth of your child (for Mat. Benefits) / newborn's date of birth (for Par.Benefits) / details regarding your most recent employment (total salary, salary for last week of work - from Sunday to your last day worked, other pays)
Waiting Period:
2 weeks for Mat. + Par. benefits
How long can you receive maternity and parental benefits?
In most situations, a combination of maternity and parental benefits can be received up to a combined maximum of 50 weeks. Sometimes less than 50 weeks would be payable, for example, when a person had earnings or worked during their benefit period.
You do not have to fill out reports during maternity and/or parental benefits
You must sign a declaration of exemption at the time of applying.
Working while on maternity, parental and sickness benefits
If you work while on
maternity or sickness benefits, your earnings will be deducted dollar for dollar from your benefits.
If you work while on
parental benefits you can earn
$50 per week or 25% of your weekly benefits,
whichever is higher. Any monies earned above that amount will be deducted dollar for dollar from your benefits.
However, between December 7, 2008 and August 6, 2011, regardless of where you live in Canada, the amount you can earn while working part-time and receiving EI benefits is the
greater of $75 or 40% of weekly benefits.
You must, of course, report any earnings: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/types/special.shtml#Working
How much will you receive?
The basic benefit rate is 55% of your average insured earnings up to a yearly maximum insurable amount of $43,200. This means you can receive a
maximum payment of $457 per week. Your EI payment is a taxable income, meaning federal and provincial or territorial, if it applies, taxes will be deducted.
How much will you receive?
If you do not live in one of the designated economic regions, the amount of your weekly benefits will be calculated based on your total income before deductions, including tips and commissions, earned in the last 26 weeks (about 6 months) of work. The amount of weekly benefits is calculated as follows:
- We determine your total earnings for the 26 consecutive weeks up to your last day of work.
- We determine the number of weeks in which you worked during this period: 26
- We determine the divisor that corresponds to your regional rate of unemployment: 19 for Ontario
- We divide your total earnings for the last 26 weeks by the higher of the following two numbers: 26
- the number of weeks in which you worked during this period; or
- the corresponding divisor.
- We then multiply the result by 55% to obtain the amount of your weekly benefits.
When should I expect my first payment? within 28 days
Maternity, parental and sickness benefits when you are out of the country
You are able to collect maternity and parental benefits while you are outside Canada. However, you must advise your Service Canada Centre if you go out of Canada.
