Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) is a financial support program for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
This article covers what you need to know about Employment Insurance in Canada, including the benefit payment dates and how much you can receive.
Key Takeaways
- Employment Insurance (EI) is a government-funded program that serves as a financial safety net for Canadians who are actively looking for work but temporarily can’t land a job.
- You can receive up to 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings per week under the EI program for anywhere between 14 to 25 weeks, depending on your specific situation.
What is EI In Canada?
Employment Insurance (EI) in Canada is a program that provides temporary financial support to unemployed workers who are actively seeking employment.
It offers regular benefits for those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own and special benefits to individuals who cannot work due to illness, pregnancy, and other important life events that they must prioritize over work.
The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) oversees the management of the EI program while being supported by Service Canada, which processes claims, conducts authentications, and prevents fraud.
How Much Can You Get Paid From EI?
The exact amount you’ll receive from EI will only be calculated once the government receives and processes your application. Most applicants receive up to 55% of their average insurable weekly earnings from this program for a maximum of $650 weekly.
When Do You Start Getting Paid EI?
You won’t immediately get covered by EI after applying for the program. The initial week following your application is designated as a waiting period, comparable to deductibles in other insurance categories.
Once your eligibility for the program is confirmed, you can expect to receive payments from EI about 28 days after submitting your application. The first payment will encompass the benefits you’re entitled to starting from the second week.
EI Payment Dates In 2024
Unlike many Canadian financial support programs that pay beneficiaries at scheduled dates, the Canada EI payment dates differ for each individual. This program pays you on a consistent interval of two weeks, starting from when you receive your first payment, instead of following specific dates on a calendar.
Depending on several factors, such as the unemployment rate in your region or the number of insurable hours you’ve accumulated for the past year, you can receive regular EI benefits from 14 weeks to up to 45 weeks.
EI Eligibility
Below are the requirements you must demonstrate to be eligible for EI benefits.
Have Worked Enough Hours
To be eligible for this benefit, you must have worked in insurable employment for at least 420 to 700 hours during the qualifying period of your claim, depending on the unemployment rate in your area.
The qualifying period is the shorter of the two:
- The 52 weeks prior to the date of your claim.
- The period between the start of your previous benefit period and the new claim if you’ve had an EI application approved during the past year.
Learn more about the hours you can work while on EI.
Lost Your Job Through No Fault Of Your Own
Some common reasons you may lose your job despite not being at fault are layoffs, contract expiry, workplace harassment or discrimination, and company closure. You may not be eligible if you voluntarily leave work or if you were dismissed due to misconduct.
Before applying for EI, you must have been out of work for at least 7 consecutive days in the past 52 weeks prior to your application.
Actively Looking For Work
You must be ready and capable of working to receive benefits from EI. To prove that you’re actively searching for new employment, you must complete bi-weekly reports online or by phone while getting paid from the program.
How to Apply For EI
You can apply for EI online through the official Canadian government’s website. It generally takes about an hour to go over the entire process, provided that you have all the needed important information readily available, such as your:
- Social insurance number
- One of your parents’ last name at birth
- Mailing and residential addresses
- Banking information (for direct deposit)
- Employment records for the last 52 weeks
- A detailed explanation of why or how you quit or were dismissed from work
In the event that you don’t complete your application at once, you can easily come back to it the next day or two, as your information is saved on the website for 72 hours.
If you don’t finish the process within this timeframe, your attempt will be deleted, and you’ll have to start the application from scratch again.
Check out this detailed guide on how to apply for EI and EI sickness benefits.
When Will Your EI Benefits Stop?
Your EI benefits will stop if 1 of these scenarios happens:
- You receive all the benefits for the specified duration of your Employment Insurance
- You stop providing the bi-weekly report required from you
- You personally request to terminate your current EI to file a new claim
Your claim can also be terminated if you start working before its duration ends. However, this won’t always be the case, as the benefits can also be adjusted, not stopped, if your new employment is only part-time or contractual.
When are the EI Maternity Payment Dates?
The EI maternity payment dates are similar to those of regular EI benefits. There are no specific calendar dates for getting paid, as each beneficiary will get their own payment timeline, depending on when they’ve filed their EI application.
Once you receive your first payment, you can expect to get paid bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks. After receiving the EI maternity benefits, you may still be eligible for the parental benefits that can last for up to 40 weeks when shared between parents.
FAQs
EI is paid every 2 weeks. You’ll receive the payment once your bi-weekly report has been verified.
You’ll receive your EI payments every 2-week intervals, as long as you complete your EI reports on time. If you have a direct deposit setup, your bank’s mobile application or notification system should be able to notify you every time you receive EI payments.
How long you can receive support from EI depends on the type of EI benefits you’re applying for. For the standard EI benefits, you can get paid for a minimum of 14 weeks to a maximum of 45 weeks.
Among the first 2 weeks from your EI application date, only the 2nd week is covered by the program. The first week serves as the waiting period. Hence, it won’t be included in your first payment, which comes 28 days after your date of application.
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