Where to start
Employment Insurance is administered by the federal government. Visit canada.ca to start an application.
Types of benefits
If you’re applying because you yourself are sick with COVID-19 or quarantined, apply for sickness benefits. If your workplace is shut down or has laid you off, apply for regular benefits.
New due to COVID-19
The government has waived the one-week waiting period for new sickness benefits claims and implemented a new toll-free number for these calls: 1-833-381-2725. It also doesn’t require a medical certificate right now.
What to have
A record of employment (ROE) for any jobs you’ve had in the past 52-week period.
Am I eligible?
You qualify based on the eligible hours you’ve worked in the past 52 weeks, which vary with the unemployment rate in your area. For Halifax, the unemployment rate is 6.6 percent, meaning you must have worked 665 eligible hours to qualify for 15 weeks of EI benefits. If you’ve worked more hours, you can receive up to 38 weeks of benefits in total.
How much will I get?
Have pay stubs handy to enter up to 21 examples of your “best weeks” of pay. Your EI will be based on 55 percent of your average income. You won’t know the amount you qualify for up front but will get a letter with your benefit statement, and an access code to the Internet Reporting Service. The government requires bi-weekly reports from you to continue receiving EI, including information about whether you’re making any money and looking for jobs in the meantime.
For business owners
The funding period for the Work Sharing program from Service Canada has doubled during COVID-19, to 76 weeks total. On Wednesday, Trudeau also announced a Temporary Wage Subsidy for small businesses, which would provide 10 percent of employees wages for three months.
Emergency Care Benefit
Trudeau announced this new benefit for those who are self-isolating, in quarantine, or taking care of sick family members but don’t qualify for EI. You could receive up to $900 bi-weekly for a 14-week period.
Emergency Support Benefit
For people who lose their job due to COVID-19 and don’t qualify for EI—because of not enough hours worked, or being self-employed.
Update March 26, 2020
The federal government announced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which combines the Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support Benefit to give Canadians who don’t qualify for regular EI about $2,000 a month for up to 16 weeks. The application will be online in early April. Read more about it here.
Come back here or check with NS public health for the latest reliable updates. In the meantime, wash your hands, cover your cough, wipe commonly used surfaces and stay home if you feel sick.
Related Stories
Starting today you can apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
This article appears in Mar 19-31, 2020.
Define loose job in southern Nova Scotia the virus closed down the lobster market jobs are not lost but waiting for things to change
So i I’m self isolating to look after my friend, who is having Cancer surgery at RVH Barrie next Wednesday do I apply for Emergency Benefits???
The lines are overloaded as many of you know … Maybe someone knows what to do … I have been on EI for 15 weeks in Ontario… I was suppose to return to work, but due to Covid19, they have closed the retail store I work at … I am not sure if I have to reapply, or apply for ECB … Thanks for any replies … Keep safe
what if i work two part time jobs and have been laid off from one of them but still have the other? from what i read i would qualify for the new program cerb but not ei?
I am in similar situation as mentioned by Cathy where I have been using EI sickness benefit for 15 weeks Alberta and now I was ready to go back to work but company has temporary laid off .
Some of the questions are asked by people, Service Canada might not even know the answers yet. Once you hit apply you are asked questions to clarify your situation. Regular benefits are only before March 15th and after that it’s all Emergency benefits automatically.
so if i was laid off due to the covid 19 when i file my report what do i answer for the question am i looking and capable of work each day? yes or no
Hey! I had the same problem as Stephen Traynor. I got laid off from one job due to COVID, but still have another part-time job. I phoned EI, and they said that you do have to request an ROE from the job you’re still working at (as well as the job that laid you off), but the code that your current active employer has to put in the ROE is “K-Other at Employees Request”, and then continue to work at that job. Requesting an ROE does not mean that you need to be laid off or quit your job.