Difference between revisions of "Types of Employment Insurance Benefits (8:IV)"

Compassionate Care Benefits may be paid up to a maximum of 26 weeks to a major attachment claimant who has to be absent from work to provide care or support to a gravely ill family member or a person who considers the claimant to be like a family member and is at risk of dying within 26 weeks.  The benefits for compassionate care must be claimed within a 52-week period that generally starts on the day the doctor certifies the family member is likely to die.  Unemployed persons on EI can also apply for this type of benefit.

Benefits can only be paid for a maximum of 15 consecutive weeks during the period that starts no more than 12 weeks before the week when the claimant’s due date is expected or before the week when the birth actually occurs, whichever is earliest (EI Act, s 22(2)).  

The maximum period in which benefits may be collected ends 17 weeks after birth or due date, whichever is later. If the child born from the pregnancy is hospitalized, the benefit period may be extended by one week for each week or part of a week that the child is hospitalized (''EI Act'', s 22(6)). However, a person's actual benefits may end earlier if the maximum 15 weeks of benefits has been collected. As with claims for regular benefits, there is a one-week waiting period after the claim is made before benefits become payable.

There are two options available to parents; they may choose to get 55% of their wage for 40 weeks or they may choose to receive 33% of their wage for up to 69 weeks. These benefits are available to any parent, including adoptive parents, who experience an interruption of earnings to care for their new child.However, birth mothers can collect parental benefits in addition to their pregnancy benefits.   

Should parents elect to receive benefits for up to 40 weeks, parents can share the 40 weeks of benefits between them.   However, each parent cannot individually claim more than 35 weeks.