In 2020, who would have believed that we would be living through such a major crisis as a pandemic?  COVID-19 has put Canada and the rest of the world in a crisis situation.  Many people are being laid off for health and safety reasons.

Employment Insurance is a source of money to help these workers.   Above all, you must apply for benefits as soon as possible after you stop working.  You can apply even if your employer has not yet produced your Record of Employment.

You should know Employment insurance is calculated based on 55% of your earnings.  According to the Federal Government website:

We cannot tell you exactly how much you will receive before we process your application.  For most people, the basic rate for calculating EI benefits is 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount.  As of January 1, 2020, the maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $54,200.  This means that you can receive a maximum amount of $573 per week.

For any information on how to apply for this insurance, click here.  Please ensure that you have your social insurance number.  

What you need to know

• Make sure to register for direct deposit;
• It will take about 60 minutes to complete the application on line;
• If they need more information on your application, they will call you, but with the number of applications they are receiving, this will take time;

Important links

• Website for benefits
• My Service Canada Account 
• Request for reconsideration
• Internet Reporting
• Telephone Reporting
• Direct Deposit

Given the crisis we are currently living through, the Federal  and provincial governments have announced series of measures with the aim of mitigating the risks of the pandemic for the population and the economy. However, the emergency measures are changing from day to day.  Workers who have lost their job related to COVID-19 and who earned more than $5000 during the last 52 weeks can obtain $2000 per month for a maximum of four months.

The money will be paid under Bill C-13, which implements the emergency plan announced last week by the Government to help individuals and businesses.