Summary of the Evaluation of the Employment Insurance Parents of Critically Ill Children benefit
From: Employment and Social Development Canada
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About the program
The Employment Insurance program’s Parents of Critically Ill Children benefit provided temporary financial support to working parents who must interrupt their employment to provide care to a child under the age of 18 with a life-threatening illness or injury. It was available between June 2013 and December 2017, after which it was replaced by the Family Caregiver Benefit for ChildrenFootnote 1.
Key findings
- Low levels of awareness and incomplete understanding of the benefit were key barriers to accessing the benefit, particularly in the early years of implementation
- The benefit was effective in easing financial pressures on parents in order to allow them more time to provide care to their critically ill or injured child
- The benefit also had noticeable non-financial impacts and positive effects on the personal lives of recipients
- The benefit helped keep claimants attached to the labour force, but the gradual alignment of provincial and territorial employment standards may have reduced their time on leave or created a barrier to access the benefit
- Slower-than-usual speed of pay for the benefit was likely related to difficulties with submitting and/or processing appropriate Parents of Critically Ill Children-specific medical certificates
- The Manual Pay System, through which the benefit was administered, limited tracking and reporting functions for claimants and for the Department
Recommendations
- Seek to increase the level of awareness and understanding of the Employment Insurance Family Caregiver Benefit for Children following its December 2017 launch.
- Explore the feasibility of migrating the administration of the Employment Insurance Family Caregiver Benefit for Children from the Manual Pay System for applicants in order to allow self-serve functionality for applicants.
The full Evaluation of the Employment Insurance Parents of Critically Ill Children Benefit is now available.
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