Employment Insurance (EI) and the family supplement
What is the Family Supplement
Who is eligible
Calculation of the Family Supplement
What is the Family Supplement
The Family Supplement is a feature of Employment Insurance (EI) that provides additional benefits to low-income families with children. You do not have to apply for it, if you are eligible your entitlement will automatically be added to your Employment Insurance payment.
Who is eligible
If you or your spouse receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB),
a program administered by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), then you are eligible to receive the EI Family Supplement on your family net income up to and including $25,921 per year.
Calculation of the Family Supplement
The Family Supplement rate is based on :
- your family net income up to a maximum of $25,921 per year; and
- the number of children in the family and their ages.
The maximum Family Supplement will reach as high as 80% of your average insurable earnings.
If you or your spouse claim Employment Insurance benefits at the same time, only one of you can receive the Family Supplement. Usually, it would be better for the spouse with the lower benefit rate to receive the Family Supplement.
As your income level rises, the Family Supplement gradually decreases, so that when the maximum income of $25,921 is reached no supplement is payable.
Examples
Your family net income is below $20,921 you will receive the full Family Supplement.
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Your family net income is $20,000 and you have 3 children aged 6, 8 and 10, you could receive $86.10 per week plus $4.15 extra supplement because you have a child under 7 years old.
Your family net income is between $20,921 and $25,921, you will receive a partial Family Supplement.
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Your family net income is $22,000 and you have three children aged 6, 8 and 10, you could receive $68.20 per week plus $3.45 extra supplement because you have a child under 7 years old.
No Family Supplement will be paid beyond the maximum EI weekly rate of $413.
If you need more information about your entitlement to the Family Supplement, call our telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or visit your Service Canada Centre.