More information about Employment Insurance (EI)
Do you have a question about the EI program? The frequently asked questions might help!
Who is eligible?
Who is considered a family member?
Definition of care or support
Sharing compassionate care benefits
Medical proof
How, where and when to apply
What information/documents are needed?
When will you receive your first payment?
A 2-week waiting period to serve
Period during which you can receive compassionate care benefits
In order to get paid
You wish to obtain information about your EI Insurance claim
Working while on compassionate care benefits
Various types of earnings
How much will you receive?
Compassionate care benefits combined with regular benefits
Compassionate care benefits combined with maternity, parental and sickness benefits
Quitting your job for compassionate care reasons
Labour disputes
Compassionate care benefits outside Canada
Other benefits from Canada's public pensions
Repayment of benefits at income tax time
Your rights and responsibilities
Appealing a decision
Compassionate care benefits may be paid up to a maximum of 6 weeks to a person who has to be absent from work to provide care or support to a gravely ill family member at risk of dying within 26 weeks. Unemployed persons on EI can also ask for this type of benefits.
To be eligible for compassionate care benefits you must apply and show that:
If you have been paid EI benefits in the past and you received a written notice, for example, a warning letter or a penalty letter, for making a false statement, the required number of hours worked to claim compassionate care benefits will be higher. To know more...
The qualifying period is the shorter of:
You can receive compassionate care benefits to care for the following family members:
Note: Common-law partner means a person who has been living in a conjugal relationship with that person for at least a year.
You can receive compassionate care benefits to care for your: | Or to care for the following family members of your spouse or common-law partner |
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Child | Child |
Wife/husband or common-law partner | |
Father or mother | Father or mother either married or common-law |
Father's wife or mother's husband | |
The common-law partner of your father or mother | |
Brothers or sisters and stepbrothers and stepsisters | Brothers or sisters and stepbrothers and stepsisters |
Grandparents and step grandparents | Grandparents |
Grandchildren and their spouse or common-law partner | Grandchildren |
Son-in-law and daughter-in-law, either married or common-law | Son-in-law and daughter-in-law, either married or common-law |
Father-in-law and mother-in-law, either married or common-law | |
Brother-in-law and sister-in-law, either married or common-law |
|
Uncle and aunt and their spouse or common-law partner | Uncle and aunt |
Nephew and niece and their spouse or common-law partner | Nephew and niece |
Current or former foster parents | Current or former foster parents |
Current or former foster children and their spouse or common-law partner |
|
Current or former wards | Current or former wards |
Current or former guardians or tutors and their spouse or common-law partner |
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You can also receive compassionate care benefits to care for a gravely ill person who considers you like a family member. For instance a close friend or neighbour. A signed “Compassionate Care Benefits Attestation” is required from the gravely ill person or their representative.
Care or support to a family member means:
You can share the 6 weeks compassionate care benefits with other members of your family who must also apply and be eligible for these benefits.
The number of weeks that you will share with other members of your family should be decided and agreed between each family member requesting these benefits at the time you apply for compassionate care benefits. See example 1
Example 1
Shared compassionate care benefits between 3 family members:
Medical certificate signed January 4, 2006. As you are the 1st to claim compassionate care benefits, you serve the 2-week waiting period. Waiting period to be served and number of weeks payable for each family member:
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When requesting compassionate care benefits you must provide proof showing that the ill family member needs care or support and is at risk of dying within 26 weeks.
As proof, 2 forms must be submitted:
These 2 forms must be submitted at the same time.
Please note that the fees requested by the doctor are entirely at your own expense.
Another medical practitioner, such as a nurse practitioner, is accepted when:
Only one medical certificate is required per gravely ill family member within the 26-week period whether one person claims the total of 6 weeks of benefits or whether they are shared.
In the eventuality that more than one medical certificate is submitted, it's the 1st one that determines the start and end of the 26-week period.
To receive compassionate care benefits you must submit an EI application on-line or in person at your Service Canada Centre. You should apply as soon as you stop working.
You must request your Record of Employment (ROE) from your last employer. If you have your ROE from your last employer, apply immediately. If you did not receive your last ROE, submit your application along with proof of employment, for example, pay stubs. If one or more ROE covering periods prior to your last employment are missing, you must still submit your claim for benefits.
If getting your ROE is a problem, your Service Canada Centre can help you. You will have to fill out a form "Request for Record of Employment" explaining what efforts you have made to obtain it. You will have to provide proof of your employment, such as: pay stubs, cancelled pay cheques, T4 slip, work schedules. If possible, we will use the proof to calculate your claim.
Delaying in filing your claim for benefits beyond 4 weeks after your last day of work may cause loss of benefits.
If we have all the required information and if you qualify for benefits, your payment will usually be issued within 28 days from the date of filing your claim. If you do not qualify, we will notify you of the decision made on your claim.
topYou must serve a 2-week unpaid waiting period before your EI benefits begin to be paid. Generally, this period is the first 2 weeks of your claim. This is like a deductible for any kind of insurance. On the other hand, if you reopen a claim for benefits in which you have already served a 2-week waiting period, you do not serve another 2-week waiting period.
Earnings, for example,vacation pay, severance pay... made or allocated during the 2-week waiting period will be deducted in the first 3 weeks for which benefits are otherwise payable following the waiting period.
In some instances, the 2-week waiting period may be waived or deferred, but only under certain circumstances, for examples:
In the situation where more than one family member claims compassionate care benefits at the same time, the family members are required to choose which individual serves the waiting period.
A maximum of 6 weeks compassionate care benefits is payable within the 26-week period that starts with the earlier of:
The benefits end when:
In the eventuality that more than one medical certificate is submitted, it's the 1st one that determines the start and end of the 26-week period.
Note: In case the gravely ill family member dies while you are collecting compassionate care benefits, you must let us know immediately to prevent EI overpayments. In that case, call our telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a representative. You can also write to us or go in person to your Service Canada Centre.
See example 2 for the period during which compassionate care benefits can be paid.
Example 2
Period during which compassionate care benefits can be paid. You already filed a claim for which you served the 2-week waiting period. On January 1, 2006 your father became gravely ill and you asked for the total of 6 weeks as follows: Number of weeks requested:
Medical certificate signed January 4, 2006;
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Normally, a payment cannot be issued without a completed report. However, when applying for compassionate care benefits you do not have to complete reports to receive your EI benefits. To do this, you must sign a declaration of exemption at the time of applying. This declaration states that you must notify Human Resources and Social Development Canada if you work, receive money or find yourself in a situation that may affect your EI payments. Your payments are made directly to your bank account with Direct Deposit.
Shortly after applying for compassionate care benefits, you will receive a statement in the mail indicating your Access code. Your Access code is a 4 digit number printed on your statement. It's needed, along with your Social Insurance Number (SIN), when you make telephone enquiries about your claim. Keep in mind that this does not mean that a decision has been made yet on your claim.
If you have a current or previous claim for EI benefits, you can with our Internet service My Employment Insurance (EI) Information on-line:
Please note, if your bank account information changes or if you move, it is important that you let us know as soon as possible. You can update your mailing address, telephone number and direct deposit information by using My Employment Insurance (EI) Information on-line.
You can also obtain information about your EI claim by calling our telephone information service 1 800 206-7218 and choosing Option 1.
If you work while on compassionate care benefits you can earn $50 per week or 25% of your weekly benefits, whichever is higher. Any monies earned above that amount will be deducted dollar for dollar from your benefits.
However, effective December 11, 2005, if you are living in one of the 23 participating economic regions, the amount you can earn while working part-time and receiving EI benefits is the greater of $75 or 40 % of weekly benefits. To know more...
You must report all gross earnings — earnings before taxes and deductions — in the week(s) in which they are earned, as well as any other monies you may receive while collecting compassionate care benefits. Simply call our telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a representative. You can also write to us or go in person to your Service Canada Centre to report your earnings.
Tip: Use the reporting calendar — PDF 11 kb — to keep track of your earnings and hours worked. About PDF Files.
Earnings paid or payable by your employer at the end of your employment or while you are receiving benefits, generally affect payment of your benefits. To know more...
The basic benefit rate is 55% of your average insured earnings up to a yearly maximum insurable amount of $40,000. This means you can receive a maximum payment of $423 per week. Your EI payment is a taxable income, meaning federal and provincial or territorial, if it applies, taxes will be deducted. Find out how we calculate the amount you will receive...
You could receive a higher benefit rate if you are in a low-income family — an income of less than $25,921— with children and you or your spouse receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) , you are entitled to the Family Supplement.
You may receive up to 50 weeks of benefits when compassionate care benefits are combined with regular benefits.
When compassionate care benefits are combined with maternity, parental and sickness benefits, you can received up to a combined maximum of 71 weeks. Certains conditions apply. If you are in that situation and want to know more, call our telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a representative. You can also write to us or go in person to your Service Canada Centre.
Find out more about : maternity, parental and sickness benefits...
It is hoped that compassionate care benefits will help you provide care or support to a gravely ill family member at risk of dying without having to quit your job. If you do quit, you may still be paid compassionate care benefits, but there is a possibility that you will not be paid regular benefits.
You may be able to receive regular benefits if voluntarily leaving your employment was the only reasonable alternative in your case, considering all the circumstances. In other words, you took all the necessary steps to avoid quitting your employment.
If your absence from work to claim compassionate care benefits was already approved by your employer before the work stoppage for strike, lockout or other form of labour dispute, you may be eligible for EI benefits.
Find out more about the consequences of labour disputes on EI benefits...
Compassionate care benefits to care for or support a family member who is gravely ill and at risk of dying can be paid regardless of where that family member — patient — lives. You have to apply for benefits and submit the same information/documents as required for a person taking care of a gravely ill family member residing in Canada.
If you go outside Canada, you must advise Human Resources and Social Development Canada by calling our telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a representative. You can also write to us or go in person to your Service Canada Centre.
The Canada Pension Plan pays disability and survivor benefits for those who qualify.
It could provide a monthly income to the gravely ill family member that becomes severely disabled during the working years. It could also provide a monthly income to the surviving spouse or common-law partner and dependent children.
If you work in Quebec, you contribute to the Québec Pension Plan , which is similar to the Canada Pension Plan.
The gravely ill family member may be eligible to EI sickness benefits and disability benefits from the Canada or Quebec Pension Plan. That person may apply for both benefits at the same time.
The Canada Canada Pension Plan and the Québec Pension also offer other types of benefits. Take the time to look at them.
When you file your income tax return, you will not be required to repay any of the compassionate care benefits you received. But, if you received compassionate care and regular benefits within the same taxation year, you may be required to repay some or all of the regular benefits. Further detailed information and examples on repayment of benefits...
It is very important for you to know about your rights and responsibilities...
If you disagree with an EI related decision you have the right to appeal. Information on how to file and prepare for an appeal can be found at Serving Employment Insurance Appellants...