Government of Canada initiates regulatory changes to expand eligibility criteria for the Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit

Compassionate Care Benefits | About HRSDC

November 28, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05-102

GATINEAU, QUEBEC - On behalf of the Government of Canada, Belinda Stronach, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal, today announced that the Government of Canada is initiating regulatory changes that would modify the eligibility criteria of the Employment Insurance (EI) Compassionate Care Benefit by expanding the current definition of family member for the purposes of caregiving. Under the proposed regulatory changes, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, foster parents, wards and others considered like family by the gravely ill person, or their representative, would be eligible for the Compassionate Care Benefit. Input from the public, provinces and territories, the medical community and stakeholders will be sought during pre-publication of the regulatory changes in the Canada Gazette.

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