What it is and Who can apply to Employment Insurance?

In this publication you will learn what is the employment insurance benefit and who can apply for this benefit.

What is Employment Insurance?

People who lose their jobs through no fault of their own (e.g., labor shortages, seasonal or mass layoffs) and are willing to work but cannot find work are covered by Employment Insurance (EI). As soon as you finish working, apply for EI benefits. You may lose insurance if you wait more than four weeks after your last day of work to file for benefits.

Who can Apply for Employment Insurance?

The following material is intended to serve as a reference. We recommend that you apply for benefits so that our processing agents can decide whether or not you are eligible.

If you meet the following criteria, you might be eligible for routine EI benefits:

• Was working in a job that was insurable.
• You’ve lost your career due to no mistake of your own.
• Are flooded or engulfed by wildfires.
• have been out of work and unpaid for at least seven days in the previous 52 weeks.
• Have worked the minimum amount of insurable employment hours in the previous 52 weeks or since the start Of your last EI claim, whichever comes first.
• Are prepared, eager, and able to work every day.
• Are actively seeking employment.(you must keep a written record of employers you contact, including when you contacted them).

Remember: You must provide bi-weekly reports by internet or telephone to prove your qualifications and collect any payments you might be entitled to. If you don’t, you risk losing your benefits.

Employment Insurance Benefit Regular for Special Cases

If you work for a related member’s boss, you can be eligible for benefits. There are specific Situations to access Employment Insurance with their respective requirements such as:

• Employment Insurance for Farmers. (click here to consult)
• Employment Insurance for Fishers. (click here to consult)
• Employment Insurance for Teachers. (click here to consult)
• Employment Insurance for Military Families. (click here to consult)
• Employment Insurance for Workers and Residents Outside of Canada. (click here to consult)
• Employment Insurance Benefit for Self-employed People. (click here to consult)

Cases in Which you Cannot Apply to the EI Benefit

It’s possible that you won’t be eligible for benefits:

• When you willingly quit your employment for no good reason.
• When you were fired due to insubordination.
• If you are unemployed as a result of your direct participation whether there is a labor dispute (for example, a strike, lockout or other type of conflict).
• During a term of leave that compensates for a period during which you spent more hours than are usually. worked in full-time jobs under an arrangement with your employer.

Exceptional Case for EI

When incarcerated in a prison, penitentiary, or other related facility, you are not eligible for EI benefits.

If you were convicted but then found not guilty on all charges in regards to the incident that led to your imprisonment by a court of law, your eligibility term and reward period which be extended if you have the requisite evidence.

You will be required to provide evidence that you were incarcerated in a prison, penitentiary, or other equivalent facility and that you were not found guilty of the offence(s) related to the event(s) during which you were being detained after you have applied for EI benefits.

You will be required to apply the following documentation in order to extend a qualification period or benefit period:

• A letter from the facility where you were imprisoned, detailing your arrest dates
• To ensure that the time spent is not being credited to any other charge(s) in relation to the initial incident or any subsequent event, documents demonstrating that no other unresolved charge(s) in relation to the event(s) that initially contributed to the incarceration remain.
• Evidence that you were not found guilty of the charge(s) that led to your arrest in the first place

Place these papers in a secure location. Service Canada will get in touch with you and give you directions about how to send them in.

The number of hours of insurable work expected to be eligible for EI

The number of hours of insurable work required to be eligible for EI varies depending on your circumstances. The hours of insurable work used to determine your income must, in all circumstances, have been accrued over your eligibility time.

The qualification time is determined by which of the following is the shortest:

1. The 52-week cycle immediately preceding the claim’s launch date.
2. If you applied for benefits earlier and your claim was accepted within the last 52 weeks, the time between the start of your prior benefit period and the start of the current benefit period.

Note: There are exceptions if you were not working in insurable jobs or were not earning EI payments, the eligibility duration could be extended to a limit of 104 weeks in some circumstances.

To apply for benefits, you’ll need between 420 and 700 hours of insurable work during the qualifying period, depending on the unemployment rate in your state. Once you’ve calculated the unemployment rate in your city, look at the table below to see how many hours you’ll need.

To find out the unemployment rate in your area and the amount of hours needed to apply for benefits, look up EI Economic Zone by Postal Code.

The amount of insurable hours needed to apply has been expanded if you got a note of breach for previous EI benefit periods.

The following table shows the number of hours:

To be eligible for sickness, maternity, maternal, supportive treatment, or family caregiver coverage, you must have 600 insurable hours.