Employment Insurance:Caregiving Benefits
EI caregiving benefits provide financial assistance while you’re away from work to care for or support a critically ill or injured person or someone needing end-of-life care. You could receive 55% of your earnings, up to a maximum, yearly, insurable earnings amount.
As a caregiver, you don’t have to be related to or live with the person you care for or support, but they must consider you to be like a family member.
There are three (3) types of caregiving Benefits:
- Family caregiver benefits for children: Maximum benefit is up to 35 weeks. This benefit supports caregivers of a critically ill or injured person under the age of 18.
- Family caregiver benefits for adults: Maximum benefits is up to 15 weeks. This benefit supports caregivers of a critically ill or injured person over the age of 18.
- Compassionate care benefits: Maximum benefit up to 26 weeks. This benefit supports caregivers of a person of any age who require end-of-life care.
You can receive benefits during the 52 weeks following the date the person is certified by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner to be critically ill or injured or in need of end-of-life care. You can take the weeks of benefits within this timeframe either all at once or in separate periods.
The weeks of benefits can be shared by eligible caregivers, either at the same time or one after another.
How do I qualify?
- you’re a family member of the person who is critically ill or injured or needing end-of-life care, or you’re considered to be like a family member
- your regular weekly earnings from work have decreased by more than 40% for at least 1 week because you need to take time away from work to provide care or support to the person
- you accumulated at least 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before the start of your claim, or since the start of your last claim, whichever is shorter
- a medical doctor or nurse practitioner has certified that the person you are providing care or support to is critically ill or injured or needing end-of-life care
- If you’re not a family member, either the person needing care or support or their legal representative must complete an attestation form to confirm that they consider you to be like family. For a child, the parent or legal guardian must sign the form to confirm.
How do I apply for Employment Insurance Caregiving Benefits?
You must apply for benefits online. Please visit EI caregiving benefits – How to apply – Canada.ca to apply.
You should apply as soon as possible, but not more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, or risk losing benefits.
Once you complete the online application you must submit medical information. This information can be submitted online or by mailing or dropping them off at a Service Canada Centre.
What forms and medical information are required when I apply for Employment Insurance Caregiving Benefits?
- Personal information
- Authorization to release a medical information
- Medical certificate
- Records of employment
- Attestation for non-family members, if applicable
Please visit Service Canada Website for more specific details of the forms requirement.
Do I have to fill out reports while I am receiving Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits?
No, but you must sign a declaration of exemption at the time of applying.
Am I required to serve a waiting period before I begin collecting Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits?
Yes, you must serve a waiting period in order to receive benefits. The waiting period is one week.
If you are sharing the compassionate care benefits with other family members, only one family member needs to serve the waiting period. The waiting period can be waived if you were in receipt of sickness benefits from your employer after your last day worked.
Important!
Please note that the Ontario Employment Standards Act provides for a Family Caregiver Leave that only requires that your job be protected for 8 weeks. However, it also provides a Family Medical Leave which provides up to 28 weeks of job protection, however, in order to qualify a doctor must certify that the person is at significant risk of death within 26 weeks. It is important to check your Collective Agreement to determine how much leave you are entitled to, and if less than the 26 weeks allowed by Employment Insurance, discuss with your employer if they will allow a leave of longer than that negotiated in the Collective Agreement (either on compassionate or other grounds). It is prudent to also involve a steward in your discussions with your employer.
For additional information regarding Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits, please contact Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218 or www.servicecanada.ca.
Download PDF copy of EI Factsheet 5 – EI Caregiving Benefits