New rules for employment insurance are rolling out. Here’s what changes – National

The employment insurance system is about for an additional spherical of pandemic-related adjustments that come into drive on Sunday. Listed here are just a few of the important thing adjustments that can apply to new claims for advantages made starting Sept. 26.

Eligibility

EI candidates must have labored a minimal variety of hours to qualify for advantages. Previously, that quantity has been about 600 hours, though the quantity various in numerous components of the nation primarily based on native labour market situations.

Many staff have had their hours lower throughout the pandemic, that means they could not have labored sufficient hours to qualify.

During the last 12 months, all new EI candidates acquired a one-time hours top-up to assist them qualify, however that disappears on Sunday. As a substitute shall be a uniform requirement to have labored 420 hours.

The uniform hours requirement shall be in place for one 12 months, till Sept. 24, 2022.

The federal government can also be requiring anew a medical certificates proving an applicant is sick and might’t work to obtain EI illness advantages. The requirement was waived quickly during the last 12 months due to COVID-19.

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Advantages

The weekly flooring on advantages will decline to $300 from $500, consistent with the worth of funds underneath the Canada Restoration Profit that’s obtainable for many who don’t qualify for EI.

The weekly flooring is deliberate to use to claims made between Sept. 26 and Nov. 20.

The period and worth of advantages will as soon as once more be calculated utilizing regional unemployment charges that have been quickly changed during the last 12 months by a uniform unemployment charge of 13.1 per cent.

EI officers can even use simplified guidelines round severance and trip pay so claimants ought to be capable to begin receiving advantages sooner. The funds can delay the beginning and worth of advantages.

Nonetheless, there’ll as soon as once more be a one-week wait earlier than advantages circulate for any new EI claims after the ready interval was waived during the last 12 months.

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Staying the identical

Anybody with an present EI declare gained’t see any adjustments to the worth or period of their advantages with these new guidelines.

As properly, seasonal staff in 13 areas will nonetheless be eligible for 5 further weeks of EI common advantages till October 2022.

The pilot challenge supplies the additional weeks to seasonal staff who began a declare between Aug. 5, 2018 and this coming Oct. 30, supplied they’d three claims for normal or fishing advantages within the final 5 years, and a minimum of two began across the identical time of 12 months.