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

*has made “reasonable and customary efforts”; and  

This category includes sickness, compassionate care, pregnancy, parental benefits, and benefits for parents caring for a critically ill child (s 12(3)).  More than one type of special benefit can be claimed within one benefit period. Similarly, special and regular benefits claims can be combined. However, s 12(6) sets out the maximum for such a combination.  If a claimant has not collected any regular benefits and is just combining different special benefits to which they are entitled, the maximum number of weeks the claimant can collect is the combined maximum for each of the special benefits they are collecting.  To ensure they have time to collect all these combined weeks, their benefit period will also be extended to the combined maximum number of weeks of special benefits they can collect.  

Up to 15 weeks of sickness benefits are payable to a claimant who is incapable of work due to a prescribed illness, injury, or quarantine (s 12(3)). Major attachment claimants can receive sickness benefits even if the illness is the reason for ceasing work.

In some cases, a claimant who loses previous employment – due to injury for example – may not immediately qualify for regular benefits if he or she is capable of performing other jobs and is actively seeking such employment.

Sickness benefits are only available for a “prescribed illness, injury or quarantine that renders a claimant incapable of performing the functions of his or her regular or usual employment or other suitable employment” ('''EI Regulations''', s 40(4)).  The onus is on the claimant to prove entitlement.  A medical certificate is usually required, and the Commission may also require a claimant to undergo a medical examination at their direction pursuant to s 40(2) of the EI Regulations.  In those situations, the Commission must pay travel and other expenses for the examination ('''EI Regulation''', s 40(3)).

*his or her regular weekly earnings from work have decreased by more than 40 percent; and

*he or she has accumulated 600 insured hours in her qualifying period.  

== E. Benefits for Parents of Critically Ill Children (PCIC) ==

Eligible family members who take leave from work to provide care or support to a child with a life-threatening illness or injury can receive up to 35 weeks of benefits. The benefits must be collected in the 52-week window beginning on the day a medical certificate is issued showing that the child is critically ill or, if the claim is made before the certificate is issued, from the date a specialist medical doctor certifies that the child is critically ill or injured. The child must be under the age of 18 at the time that the beginning of the benefit window; if the child turns 18 at any time during the benefit window besides the beginning, the claimant will remain eligible to claim PCIC benefits. Due to Covid-19 claimants will only need 120 insured hours to qualify for benefits because they will get a one-time credit of 480 insured hours to help them meet the required 600 insured hours of work. (As of the time of writing, these changes are in effect until September 25, 2021. Please check the CRA website for potential extensions or changes).  

As with other special benefits, the claimant must have an interruption of earnings (for special benefits, a 40% reduction in earnings) and have 600 hours in their qualifying period.

As with other special benefits, the claimant must have an interruption of earnings (for special benefits, a 40% reduction in earnings) and have 600 hours in their qualifying period. Due to Covid-19 claimants will only need 120 insured hours to qualify for benefits because they will get a one-time credit of 480 insured hours to help them meet the required 600 insured hours of work. (As of the time of writing, these changes are in effect until September 25, 2021. Please check the CRA website for potential extensions or changes.)

b) prove her pregnancy.  This entails furnishing a certificate completed by a physician that sets out the expected date of birth, or providing such other evidence as the Commission may require, and

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, benefits may last no longer than 15 weeks total, even if extensions have been granted. As with claims for regular benefits, there is a one-week waiting period after the claim is made before benefits become payable.

The pregnancy benefit rate is the same as the regular benefit rate. All earnings received from other sources reduce benefits. However, no proof of availability is necessary. Money received under an employer’s sickness or maternity plan, other than a SUB plan, is regarded as earnings, and will be deducted. For a comprehensive list of what is and is not, regarded as earnings, see s 35 of the ''EI Regulations''. See also [[Quantifying Employment Insurance Benefits (8:V)#C. Effect of Earnings | Section V.C: Effect of Earnings]], above.

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.   

In either case, only parents who are major attachment claimants (i.e. have at least 600 insurable hours in their qualifying period) can qualify.  In other words, each parent must qualify individually, and one parent cannot qualify on behalf of the other. For example, if one parent claims 35 weeks of benefits, then the other parent may claim a maximum of 5 weeks. Due to Covid-19 claimants will only need 120 insured hours to qualify for benefits because they will get a one-time credit of 480 insured hours to help them meet the required 600 insured hours of work. (As of the time of writing, these changes are in effect until September 25, 2021. Please check the CRA website for potential extensions or changes.)

The EI budget includes discretionary funding for retraining.  Eligibility for these benefits is determined by the criteria in s 58(1) of the EI Act, and includes anyone whose benefit period ended within the last 60 months. Section 9 of the EI Act lists out certain types of benefits that could be conferred to claimants that meet the criteria in s 58(1). The Commission has discretion to approve funding for benefits during training, and decisions on this matter cannot be appealed (EI Act, s 25(2)).