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Helping Canadians find a balance between the workplace and family is a priority for the Government of Canada. To this effect, compassionate care benefits are paid to persons who have to be away from work temporarily to provide care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks.
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To be eligible for compassionate care benefits, you must apply and show that:
If you are a fisher, you will have to have accumulated an amount of $3,760 or more during your qualifying period.
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You can receive compassionate care benefits up to a maximum of 6 weeks within the 26-week period that starts with the earlier of:
The benefits end when:
Several factors were considered, including medical evidence, best practices in the public and private sectors, and the fact that the majority of Canadians who take time off work to care for a gravely ill family member take 6 weeks or less.
The Government will monitor the new benefits to ensure that they remain responsive to the needs of Canadians.
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Yes. You can share the 6 weeks of compassionate care benefits with other members of your family who must also apply and qualify for these benefits.
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You will be able to receive compassionate care benefits to provide care or support for one of the following family member:
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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Care or support to a family member means:
Yes. As proof, 2 forms must be provided:
These 2 forms must be submitted at the same time.
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.
Please note that the fees requested by the doctor are entirely at your own expense.
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A 2-week waiting period needs to be served before you can receive compassionate care benefits. When these benefits are shared with other members of your family, only one waiting period will have to be served. At the end of the compassionate care leave, if the family member who has not served a waiting period claims regular, sickness or maternity benefits, a 2-week waiting period will need to be served at that time.
To know more on the 2-week waiting period...
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No, but you must sign a declaration of exemption at the time of applying.
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Yes. 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.
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No. However, if this family member is gravely ill with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks, you can claim compassionate care benefits.
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Yes. Compassionate care benefits can be paid to allow you to provide care or support to a gravely ill family member with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks, no matter where that family member lives. You have to apply for benefits and submit the same information/documents as required if that gravely ill person were in Canada.
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Yes. Should the gravely ill family member die while you are collecting compassionate care benefits, you must let us know immediately to prevent unnecessary 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 or go to your Service Canada Centre. Benefits are paid to the end of the week in which the gravely ill family member dies.