Western Canada Floods: Important Notice

The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canadians affected by flooding in Western Canada. In order to serve citizens affected by this situation, measures have been put in place to provide access to Government of Canada programs and services including Employment Insurance, Work-Sharing, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, passport services and Social Insurance Number (SIN) card.

Applying for Employment Insurance

Service Canada is making every effort to ensure streamlined processing of Employment Insurance (EI) claims for all workers affected. Due to the unique challenges many of you will face, we are asking that the following processes be followed to ensure timely and accurate handling of all claims.

To apply for EI benefits, you must submit an application for EI online. This can be done at home, at a public internet access site (public library for example) or at your Service Canada Centre. To access the application for EI Benefits go to Applying for Employment Insurance benefits online.

Employers seeking more information related to Records of Employment (ROEs) or Temporary Foreign Workers should consult the Western Canada Floods - Frequently Asked Questions for Employers.

Reference Code

Reference codes have been assigned to facilitate the processing of these claims. When you begin the online application process, you will be asked to enter a reference code. Each province has its own reference code:

  • Alberta - 4812-01-2013-300913 - effective June 21, a2013 to September 30, 2013
  • British Columbia- 5986-01-2013-300913 - effective June 25, 2013 to September 30, 2013
  • Saskatchewan- 4317-01-2013-300913 - effective June 25, 2013 to September 30, 2013
  • Manitoba - 5988-01-2013-300913 - effective June 25, 2013 to September 30, 2013

Interim Records of Employment (ROEs)

We understand that many of you will be unable to obtain ROEs in a timely manner. If sufficient information is received, we can create interim ROEs to facilitate earlier claim establishment. In order to enable us to create Interim ROEs, we require specific details related to your employment. Please complete the attached Request for Record of Employment, or provide the details by telephone, 1-800-206-7218, or in person at a Service Canada Centre near you.

Direct Deposit

We encourage all claimants to sign up for Direct Deposit (DDP) when completing their application for benefits. DDP is the most efficient and surest method of payment that will not be impacted in the event of a potential postal disruption or natural disaster.

Other Services

For information regarding other services possibly affected by the floods including SIN card and Passports, please consult the Western Canada Floods – Other Frequently Asked Questions.