Searching for Employment Insurance

Provides legal advice and assistance to individuals who do not have the means to assert or defend their legal rights through the following services:

• Client representation in clinic areas of practice
• Free summary legal advice
• Information and referral
• Law reform advocacy
• Public education
• Specialized legal services

Services are offered in the following areas:

• Birth certificates
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability or Pension benefits
• Canada Child Benefits (CCB)
• Consumer and Credit/Debt issues
• Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB)
• Disability Tax benefits
• Employment Insurance (EI)
• Employment Standards (ESA)
• Human Rights
• Native Status applications
• Old Age Security (OAS)
• Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
• Ontario Works
• Residential Tenancies (tenants only)

Financial Relief Navigator (FRN)

• online tool that provides information and help to access emergency benefits, related to COVID-19, including Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), as well as other benefits and financial relief from governments, financial institutions, utilities, telecoms and internet providers
• Click HERE for more information

Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
Plan provides programs in the following three areas:

• Support for Individuals
• Support for Businesses
• Support for Sectors

Support for Individuals
CRB ended Oct 23, 2021, in its place is the Canadian Worker Lockdown Benefit:

• Canadian Worker Lockdown Benefit:
  • will provide $300 per week to workers who are subject to a lockdown, including those who are ineligible for traditional Employment Insurance
• Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)
  • available to those who need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 will continue until Nov 20, 2021 and is proposed by government to extend until May 7, 2022
  • to apply see CRSB Application
  • for other questions about CRSB see, CRSB Questions
• Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)
  • available to those who must stop work to care for a child under 12 or a family member who needs supervised care, will continue until Nov 20, 2021 and is proposed by government to extend until May 7, 2022
  • to apply see CRCB Application
  • for other question about CRCB see, CRCB Questions

Canada Student Loans

• see Canada Student Loans - COVID-19 for details
• see Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) for Ontario Students

Support for Seniors

• Government of Canada has introduced legislation to support low-income seniors who received pandemic benefits. For information about a One-Time Grant for Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) Recipients click here.

Provincial Programs
Social Assistance

• Visit Ontario Works and ODSP for up-to-date information and to apply online

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Ontario (WSIB)

• If you believe you contracted COVID-19 while at work, you may file a claim to determine if you are eligible for WSIB coverage, call 1-800-387-0750 or visit WSIB Benefits for more information

Service Ontario

• Service Ontario is reinstating renewal requirements for driver's licences, licence plate stickers, other driver and vehicle products, Ontario Photo Cards and Ontario health cards that were temporarily extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, see Renewal Requirements

OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)

• Ontario has waived the three-month waiting period for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage, see Applying for an Ontario Health Card for more details

Utilities Relief
Ontario Energy Board

• See Help for Low-Income Consumers

Telecommunications Relief

• Telus COVID-19 Updates
• Rogers COVID-19 Updates
• If your telecommunications company is not listed here, check their website or contact them directly to learn of any assistance they may be offering

Service Overview

• Temporary financial assistance and support in finding new employment
• claimants must conduct a reasonable job search to remain eligible
• Basic benefit rate is 55% of average insured earnings
• maximum weekly benefit $638
• duration of benefits based on insured weeks of work and regional unemployment rate

Working While on Claim

• claimants keep 50 cents of EI benefits for every dollar earned in wages, up to a maximum of 90% of weekly earnings
• claimants may choose instead to earn up to 40% of regular benefits or $75 per week (whichever is higher) with no reduction in EI payment

Family Supplement

• for low income families who receive the Canada Child Benefit (see separate entry)
• amount based on annual net family income
• supplement will be added to EI payment

Special benefits

• 26 weeks sickness benefits
• 26 weeks compassionate care benefits
• 35 weeks for family caregivers to care for critically ill or injured children, and 15 weeks to care for critically ill or injured adults
• 15 weeks maternity benefits
• 40 weeks standard parental, 69 weeks extended parental benefits available to natural, legal or adoptive parents -- benefits can be shared by both parents

Claimants may be able to receive combination of special benefits

My Service Canada Account

• computer access to claim information

Social Security Tribunal, 1-877-227-8577​

• independent appeal process for Employment Insurance decisions

Job Bank www.jobbank.gc.ca

• online employment information and job postings
• employers can post jobs online

Program of Employment and Social Development Canada, delivered by Service Canada

One-stop service delivery for a wide range of federal programs and services

• labour market information
• information and referral on Employment Insurance, Social Insurance Numbers, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Veterans benefits, Apprenticeship Incentive Grant, Canada Education Savings Grant and others
• some Service Canada locations are passport receiving agents

For details on all federal and provincial benefits see Canada Benefits directory

For local Service Canada Centres see separate entries or office locator

Temporary financial assistance and support in finding new employment

• able-bodied claimants must be seeking employment to remain eligible

Basic benefit rate is 55% of average insured earnings up to a maximum amount. In 2022, the maximum amount is $638 per week.

Family Supplement: for low income families who receive the Canada Child Benefit

• amount based on annual net family income up to $25,921 and on the number of children in the family and their ages
• entitlement will be added to EI payment

Special Benefits:

• sickness benefits
• compassionate care
• benefits for the self-employed
• benefits for Canadians living abroad
• family caregiver benefit for children
• family caregiver benefit for adults
• fishing benefits

Maternity or parental benefits

• 15 weeks maternity benefits
• 35 week standard parental benefits which can be shared by the two parents (children born or adopted)
• 61 weeks extended parental benefits which can be shared by both parents (children born or adopted

For information from Employment and Social Development Canada regarding the Employment Insurance sickness benefits for those affect by COVID-19: Click Here

• for individuals without access to the Internet, or facing other barriers, a Service Canada Outreach Support Centre is available by phone at 1-877-355-2657 Mon-Fri 8:30 am to 4 pm