Are you a work permit holder who has lost your job due to COVID-19?

YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE  OR CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit)

 The COVID-19-related changes to the EI system announced this month will speed up access to sickness benefits, but they won’t change who qualifies for EI in the first place.

According to the Government of Canada, you qualify for regular EI if you:

  • Were employed in insurable employment

  • Lost your job through no fault of your own

  • Have been without work and without pay for at least seven consecutive days in the last 52 weeks

  • Have worked for the required number of insurable employment hours in the last 52 weeks or since the start of your last EI claim, whichever is shorter

  • Are ready, willing and capable of working each day

  • Are actively looking for work.

If you don’t meet these requirements, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks for workers who do not have access to paid sick leave or and employment insurance. This would include:

  • The self-employed, who are sick, quarantined or who have been directed to self-isolate

  • Those taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent or other sick dependents

  • EI-eligible and non EI-eligible working parents who must stay home without pay to care for their children.

Trudeau also announced an Emergency Support Benefit of up to $5 billion to support laid-off workers who are not eligible for EI, but did not give specific details. 

Both can be applied for through your Canada Revenue Agency account, and will be open for applications in April.

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/eligibility.html

How do you apply for EI?

If you’re in a quarantine or sickness situation, Service Canada has waived the regular one-week waiting period and set up a special COVID-19-related hotline at 1-833-381-2725.

You can apply online for sickness EI here. You’ll need proof of employment documentation as well as documentation from a medical practitioner.

Apply for regular EI here, using a record of employment and other personal documentation. Note: It can take up to 60 minutes to fill out the online forms.

For more information on the Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support Benefit, check out the Government of Canada website.