Difference between revisions of "Qualifying for Employment Insurance (8:III)"

=== 2. Extensions of the Qualifying Period ===

The qualifying period may be extended (i.e., the Commission will look further back in time) up to a maximum of 104 weeks, as set out in s. 8(7) of the ''EI Act''. It may be extended if the claimant can prove that they were unable to work during any of the weeks of the qualifying period because of:

:(a) illness, injury, quarantine, or pregnancy;

:(b) confinement in a jail, penitentiary, or other similar institution and was not found guilty of the offence for which the person was being held or any other offence arising out of the same transaction;

:(c) receiving assistance under employment benefits; or

:(d) the claimant has left the job due to hazardous work or working conditions. This covers situations where the claimant has ceased to work because to continue would have entailed danger to the worker, the worker’s unborn child, or a child whom the worker was breast-feeding (''EI Act'', s. 8(2)).

:'''Note''': The extension under subsection (d) is limited to situations where a worker would receive payments under provincial law. Many provinces, including BC, do not yet provide for such payments. Consequently, '''BC workers cannot use (d) as a ground to extend the qualifying period.'''

The absolute '''maximum extension''' of a qualifying period is '''104 weeks''' (two years). After 104 weeks, no extensions can be made to the claimant’s qualifying period.

It is worth noting that the same insurable hours cannot be used for two separate claims.

== C. Minimum Hours of Employment Required ==