HUMA committee briefing binder: Appearance of the Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada

Official title: Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA). Study: Employment Insurance Processing Delays - January 31, 2022

1. Remarks

Full title: Remarks for Lori MacDonald, Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada at the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities

House of Commons

[Virtual]

January 31, 2022

Check against delivery

2022 PASRB 0043

Mr. Chairman:

Thank you forthe opportunityto appear before the committee today.

At the outset, I will say that we recognize the difficulties that any delay in the payment of benefits can cause to claimants and their families.

This has been a difficult time, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on our communities, including economic impacts and job losses.

Many Canadians rely on Employment Insurance to help get through these times, and time can be of the essence for them.

Despite an increase in EI claims over the pandemic, Service Canada processes the vast majority of claims efficiently and within the service standard.

In the past year, Service Canada has exceeded the 80% service delivery target with a rate of 88.0% processed within 4 weeks.

The vast majority of the remaining 12% of files are completed within the following 2 weeks. Unfortunately, sometimes complex claims take more than 6 weeks.

This is typically Service Canada’s busiest time of the year due to the winter peak of EI claims. That, and a recent surge in the EI claims due to Omicron, has caused some delays in the processing of EI applications.

In fact, for the first 4 weeks of this year, EI claims were 35% higher than forecast.

While the height of the peak period is starting to decline, some service delivery delays are expected to continue throughout February 2022.

To deal with the unprecedented volume of EI applications since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government has invested an additional $825 million to increase Service Canada capacity. These investments have made a tremendous difference.

Since September 2020, Service Canada has paid over 4.4M beneficiaries, a total of $56 billion in EI benefits. And despite these record volumes, 88% of applicants have been paid within the 4 week or 28 day service standard.

Furthermore, the capacity of the EI call centre has nearly tripled from approximately 1,100 officers prior to the pandemic, to nearly 3,000 by the end of March 2021.

Our EI Call Centre officers are on track to answer more than 7 million calls by March 31, 2022. Despite this high volume, there have been peaks where clients have experienced longer wait times. However, from April 1, 2021 to January 22, the average wait time is 18.6 minutes.

Pause

That said, Mr. Chairman, we are acutely aware that delays in processing applications can cause hardship to claimants and their families.

We are prioritizing cases of urgent need, especially situations where claimants have no income. No claimant will lose benefits because of a processing delay.

We have and we will continue to actively review our internal workforce strategies to help us better meet the challenges of the influx of claims due to the pandemic, including both mobilizing thousands of staff across business lines to help with the delivery of EI , as well as hiring new staff throughout this period.

We are also pursuing additional ways to streamline claims processing.

We have online resources to guide claimants through the process and Service Canada has proactively reached out to the employer community to reinforce the importance of issuing Records of Employment in a timely manner.

Pause

Mr. Chairman, Service Canada takes the integrity of its programs seriously, but the COVID pandemic has taught us that in a time of crisis, there is an increased risk of fraud.

From the outset of the pandemic, Service Canada has been actively detecting and preventing fraud in its programs.

Globally, fraudsters exploited the reduced up-front controls associated with emergency benefits programs, leveraging stolen identities and other schemes to divert funds.

This week, we are finalizing our roll-out of enhanced resources in our call centre to help clients whose legitimate claims have been delayed or interrupted because of identity theft.

We are also implementing measures to validate identity of clients more quickly and get benefits to them sooner.

To combat the fraudsters who cause financial and emotional harm to innocent Canadians, we are constantly enhancing and prioritizing the security of our benefits programs.

In 2020, the government announced it would spend $68.1 million over 4 years on departmental initiatives to protect the integrity of benefit programs.

I should also add that Service Canada works closely with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, law enforcement and financial institutions to help us defeat these fraudsters.

Further, we have more than 1,200 investigators in all regions across Canada dedicated to preventing, detecting and addressing fraud, error and abuse in the EI program. We are significantly increasing the number of investigators dedicated to quickly resolving these cases.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, we are working with legitimate clients to help them access benefits in a timely fashion after Service Canada’s systems have detected a risk of fraudulent activity.

Of course, the vast majority of clients submit straightforward claims and Service Canada is also leveraging its service delivery network to help ensure those claims are processed as quickly as possible.

Service Canada will continue to work hard every day to get Canadians their benefits in a timely manner.

I will be happy to answer any questions. Thank you.

- 30 -

2. Parliamentary background and analysis (header not included in original binder)

1. Overview

During an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) on January 28, 2022, the committee adopted the following motion: “That the officials appear before the committee for 1 hour on January 31, 2022 on the subject of the processing times that exceed the goal of a 30-day service standard for responding to Canadian Employment Insurance claimants at Service Canada.”

2. Committee proceedings

  • The appearance is scheduled for Monday, January 31, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • Employment and Social Development Canada officials will have up to 5 minutes for opening remarks.
  • The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities has agreed that questioning of witnesses would be allocated as follows:
    • Round 1: 6 minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows
      • Conservative Party
      • Liberal Party
      • Bloc Québécois
      • New Democratic Party
    • For the second and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning be as follows:
      • Conservative Party, 5 minutes
      • Liberal Party, 5 minutes
      • Bloc Québécois, 2.5 minutes
      • New Democratic Party, 2.5 minutes
      • Conservative Party, 5 minutes
      • Liberal Party, 5 minutes
  • After the appearance, the Committee will proceed in camera to discuss Committee Business.

3. Parliamentary environment

There were no questions regarding this issue in the House of Commons; however, there has been media coverage in Quebec in particular. Members from the Bloc Québécois have been outspoken about the situation and indicated that they are experiencing a high volume of calls and complaints to their offices.

Based on articles published on the topic, the following questions may be anticipated from opposition parties:

Bloc Québécois

  • Ask Service Canada about the number of investigators and resources dedicated to this issue.
  • Ask for specific statistics on the current situation (how many cases, by province).
  • Why so many cases in Quebec?
  • Ask Service Canada about steps taken to resolve the problem.
  • Is Service Canada urgently prioritizing getting payments to those who have been affected?
  • Is the department monitoring and conducting regular scans of accounts.
  • Are Employment and Social Development Canada systems (Legacy Systems) adequate or are they putting Canadians at risk?

Conservative Party of Canada

  • How can the Government better protect Canadians from identity theft?
  • How do you assist those affected?
  • How much money has been lost to fraudulent claims?
  • How many Canadians are still waiting for their payments?

New Democratic Party

  • When did Service Canada become aware of the problem? What steps were taken to resolve this issue?
  • How could the Government prevent fraud and ensure integrity of its systems?
  • Could this also happen to those receiving other benefits, seniors for example?

Liberal Party of Canada

  • Bobby Morrissey, Liberal MP and Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, spoke to media (April 2021) about 30 cases in his federal riding in PEI. Mr. Morrissey could raise this situation in his riding. He also mentioned other "hot spots" across the country, including rural Ontario and northern New Brunswick.

3. Ministerial briefing – HUMA appearance request

1. Strategic context

On January 25th, 2022, a number of Members of Parliament wrote to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) requesting a meeting to invite the Ministers responsible for Service Canada and Employment Insurance to testify before the committee on challenges to Employment Insurance (EI) processing times. The letter laid out 9 areas where the authors asserted that fraud in the Employment Insurance program had resulted in claimants waiting “weeks and even several months” to receive benefits.

The focus of the request was on the situation in Quebec, and cited media articles and statistics that suggest a widespread problem in the Employment Insurance program. The Standing Committee has invited Employment and Social Development Canada officials to appear on Monday, January 31st at 11 am.

Employment Insurance workload and processing trends

The Employment Insurance program continues to experience increased demand. For the period of April 1, 2021 to January 22, 2022, the program has received 3.1 million Initial and Renewal (I&R) applications for benefits and processed 2.9 million claims.

While there is an annual seasonal increase in the inventory at this time of year due to “winter peak”, this normal seasonal pattern was amplified by the emergence of Omicron. For the period of December 12, 2021 to January 22, 2022, claim intake was 25% higher than forecast. The highest increase was seen in the Quebec region (first to announce restrictions) representing 36% of the total intake over the past 6 weeks (usually 27%). The Department is actively working to address the higher demand.

Integrity activities during the pandemic

From the outset of the pandemic, the Integrity Services Branch (ISB) within Service Canada has been actively detecting and preventing fraud in its programs. Globally, fraudsters exploited the reduced up-front controls associated with emergency benefits programs, leveraging stolen identities and other schemes to divert funds. Canada was not immune, and Employment and Social Development Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency worked collaboratively to deploy analytics and other technologies to counter these fraudulent attacks. Over 38,000 potentially fraudulent Employment Insurance and Emergency Response Benefit applications were stopped, totalling $42 million in preventative savings.

As the department transitioned from emergency benefits back to normal operations, the fraud attempts have continued. Following the most recent attack Service Canada implemented an automated system that proactively detects high-risk and fraudulent behaviour through a number of indicators, and automatically imposes stop pays to prevent payments.

2. Supporting Canadians – ensuring timely support and resolution

Current and near-term initiatives

In order to address the increased workload associated with Integrity activities, the Department is implementing a number of proactive measures. Integrity work items are prioritized to ensure putting people back in pay and victims of identity theft are the top priorities. In addition, the Department identified a likely increased Integrity workload in the Quebec Region last fall, and initiated the hiring of 105 additional investigators. There are currently 130 investigators dedicated to resolving these cases, and the 105 new resources will be added in a phased approach beginning in February through May 2022.

In addition, the Department is implementing additional measures for prioritized resolution for victims of identity theft through its call centres. This new approach will allow a dedicated group of call centre staff to validate more claimant identities at that first point of contact with the department, rather than referring the cases to Integrity investigators. This will increase timely resolution of cases, putting Canadians back in pay sooner. This solution is expected to be finalized by February 4th.

Medium-term initiatives

The Department is also deploying a number of cyber security tools to prevent the sort of cyber fraud attacks that draw resources away from normal operations. Solutions include the implementation of online fraud detection tools that provide a transparent, enterprise layer of defence against attacks, leveraging open source intelligence and other commercial tools to monitor the internet for new and emerging threats, and exploring the voluntary use of biometric and device validation to strengthen authentication of legitimate clients. This intelligence will allow Employment and Social Development Canada to be more prepared and proactive in responding to threats before a fraud attack occurs.

Long-Term Initiatives

Over the longer term, the Department is planning a number of key initiatives that will strengthen our cyber security and anti-fraud capabilities. These include capacity building in areas such as ethical hacking and simulated attack response and training of staff to be prepared for future attacks. The department will also be establishing a Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) that would oversee and protect all digital assets and systems under departmental control and support incident response and recovery activities. Finally, the department would invest in a broad range of cyber security and fraud monitoring tools to ensure real-time and behaviour based monitoring and detection of attacks.

4. Questions and answers (header not included in original binder)

Processing and Workload

Q1. What is the average processing time for regular Employment Insurance claims? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch [BISB])

A1. Service Canada’s key client service performance indicator for Employment Insurance claims processing is Speed of Payment (SOP). This measures the percentage of initial and renewal claims for which payment (or non-payment notification) is given to claimants within 28 days (or 4 weeks) of filing their application for benefits. The national SOP target is 80% annually. Despite higher claim volumes so far this year due to the pandemic, this target has been met:

  • in fiscal year 2020 to 2021, SOP was met 88.8% of the time
  • from April 1 to December 31, 2021, SOP was met 88.0% of the time

As we all know, Omicron spread rapidly and the first cases of Omicron emerged in Canada in the final days of November last year as demands on the Employment Insurance system were beginning to reach their normal peak period.

While Service Canada has met its Employment Insurance processing service standards so far this year, there has been a recent surge in the Employment Insurance applicants caused by Omicron, coupled with the fact that this is Service Canada’s busiest time of the year (annual winter peak).

As a result, the vast majority of delays in the processing of Employment Insurance applications are related to this very high volume of claims, and not fraud-related issues.

While the height of the peak period has started to decline, some service delivery delays are expected to continue throughout February 2022.

Q2. Does the Department have a plan to expedite the processing of claims? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch)

A2. Service Canada has thousands of staff responsible for the overall delivery of the Employment Insurance program whose activities range from the processing of applications, answering enquiries to the Employment Insurance call centres, and conducting program integrity investigations to address suspected fraud and abuse of the program.

To deal with the unprecedented volume of Employment Insurance applications since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government has invested an additional $825 million to increase Service Canada capacity. This year, Service Canada is surpassing its service standard for the timely processing of Employment Insurance applications with 88% being paid within 28 days (against a target of 80%) and Service Canada has answered over 5.8 million calls, which is already 1.4 million more than was answered in the year prior to the pandemic, with 2 months remaining in the fiscal year.

Furthermore, by the end of this week, a new, dedicated, specially trained team will be in place in our Employment Insurance Call Centre. They will be able to directly resolve issues with callers to validate their identity and address issues which may have caused their claims to be delayed. Increased capacity from across Service Canada business lines is being added to assist in returning calls to clients to have issues resolved and allow claims to proceed. In addition, to address these particular cases in Quebec, there are currently 130 investigators dedicated to resolving these specific identity theft/fraudulent cases and 105 new resources will be added in the Quebec region beginning this week.

Q3. What measures are the Department taking to ensure that clients in Quebec are receiving the adequate access to call centres agents? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch)

A3. As of March 9, 2020, Service Canada migrated the Employment Insurance Call Centre to a new call centre platform, which significantly increased the capacity to ensure virtually all callers would have the ability to self-serve via the automated system and the option to wait in queue to speak to an agent.

As part of this migration, a new automated system was designed to have 1 virtual queue for all calls. English and French callers have equal access to wait in queue to speak to an agent. Clients are transferred to a call centre agent, based on their selections in the automated system, who can serve them in the selected language.

The Government has made significant investments to increase the capacity to manage the unprecedented volume of Employment Insurance applications. Notably, the capacity of the Employment Insurance call centre has nearly tripled from approximately 1,100 officers prior to the pandemic, to nearly 3,000 today.

Employment Insurance Call Centre

Average Wait Time – 2021 to 2022

Average Wait Time - April 1, 2021 to January 22, 2022

  • English
    • 18.3 minutes
  • French
    • 19.5 minutes
  • Average
    • 18.6 minutes

In 2019 to 2020, Employment Insurance call centre officers answered 4.4 million calls, while in 2020 to 2021, officers answered 5.6 million calls, compared to 2021 to 2022 where 5.8 million calls have been answered, as of the week ending on January 22, 2022. Employment Insurance call centre officers are on track to answer more than 7 million calls by March 31, 2022.

Q4. When does the Department anticipate clearing the backlog of claims? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch)

A4. Service Canada is meeting its Employment Insurance processing service standards so far this year.

There has been a recent surge in the Employment Insurance applicants caused by Omicron, coupled with the fact that this is Service Canada’s busiest time of the year (annual winter peak).

As a result, the vast majority of delays in the processing of Employment Insurance applications are related to this very high volume of claims.

While the height of the peak period has started to decline, some service delivery delays are expected to continue throughout February 2022.

Service Canada has thousands of staff responsible for the overall delivery of the Employment Insurance program whose activities range from the processing of applications, answering enquiries to the Employment Insurance call centres, and conducting program integrity investigations to address suspected fraud and abuse of the program.

Q5. How many files are outside the 28 day processing norm? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch)

A5. The Employment Insurance program continues to experience increased demand. For the period of April 1, 2021 to January 22, 2022, the program has received 3.1 million initial and renewal (I&R) applications for benefits and processed 2.9 million claims.

This year, Service Canada is surpassing its service standard for the timely processing of Employment Insurance applications with 88% being paid within 28 days, or 4 weeks, against a target of 80%. The vast majority of the remaining 12% of claims are completed within the following 2 weeks.

While there is an annual seasonal increase in the inventory at this time of year due to “winter peak”, this normal seasonal pattern was amplified by the emergence of Omicron. For the period of December 12, 2021 to January 22, 2022, claim intake was 25% higher than forecast. The highest increase was seen in the Quebec region (first to announce restrictions) representing 36% of the total intake over the past 6 weeks (usually 27%). The Department is actively working to address the higher demand.

Since April 1st Service Canada has issued more than 33.5 million benefit payments for a total of more than $29.9 billion in benefits paid.

Q6. Is it true that there are approximately 80,000 Employment Insurance claims that are currently awaiting processing? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch)

A6. There are not 80,000 claims that are delayed due to suspected fraudulent activities. Every week Service Canada receives and approves tens of thousands of applications.

We know that some Canadians have had their identities compromised and/or stolen through information breaches in the private and financial sectors. The stolen identities are being obtained by fraudsters, who are using them to attempt to gain access to Service Canada benefits by impersonating real clients.

It appears that Quebec residents have been disproportionately impacted by these fraud schemes and represent the vast majority of our investigative work.

At this time, there are approximately 10,000 clients who have contacted us and require additional validation to confirm their identity before benefits can be reinstated. We continue to prioritise this work.

The identity authentication process is a key step to prevent Employment Insurance benefits from being paid to fraudsters; in many instances, the fraudsters themselves are calling Service Canada to get the fraudulent claims unblocked and payments issued.

Service Canada has taken a number of steps to support Canadians who may have been the victims of identity theft and fraud.

  • We are redirecting staff to focus on contacting clients to validate their identity and get them into pay as quickly as possible.
  • We are increasing the capacity of our call centres to resolve claims at the first point of contact when clients call.
  • We are hiring an additional 105 investigators beginning this week which is almost doubling our staff in the Quebec region to address this priority.

Q7. Where can MP’s seek support to help their constituents? (Benefit and Integrated Services Branch)

A7. Service Canada’s Regional Enquiries Units (REU) provide prioritized service to parliamentarians (Senators and MPs) and their authorized staff members to obtain information related to Service Canada programs and services as well as address specific issues related to their constituents.

The Regional Enquiries Units can be reached by telephone and email.

The service standard for the Regional Enquiries Units is to acknowledge the receipt of the enquiries within 2 business days. For the week of January 17, 2022, the service standard was met 99.68% of the time.

Systems integrity

Q8. Approximately how many clients have had their information compromised? (Integrity Services Branch [ISB])

A8. That there have been no Employment Insurance accounts hacked or data compromised at Service Canada.

Some Canadians have had their identities compromised and/or stolen through information breaches in the private and financial sectors, some through large scale incidents published in media. The stolen identities are then being obtained by fraudsters, who are using them to attempt to gain access to Service Canada benefits by impersonating real clients.

Q9. How many Employment Insurance accounts of Canadians been hacked at Service Canada and how much personal information has been breached?

A9. No Employment Insurance accounts at Service Canada have been hacked, nor have any Service Canada systems been hacked or broken into.

No personal information has been breached or compromised at Service Canada during these fraudulent activities.

Some Canadians have had their identities compromised and/or stolen elsewhere, through information breaches in the private and financial sectors, some through large scale incidents published in media. The stolen identities are then being obtained by fraudsters, who are using them to attempt to gain access to Service Canada benefits by impersonating real clients.

Q10. How does Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) monitor fraud and mispayments? (Integrity Services Branch)

A10. Employment And Social Development Canada undertakes compliance reviews of claims to ensure clients are entitled to the amount of benefits received and will seek the reimbursement of overpayments from clients.

The Department is also leveraging data analytics and intelligence capabilities to detect high-risk and fraudulent behaviour through a number of indicators. These indicators include components such as IP address reputation, known fraudulent bank accounts, rapid application times, and bot-like behaviour.

Immediate and medium term measures

Q11. How many investigators are currently employed by Service Canada? (Integrity Services Branch)

A11. Service Canada has an investigative workforce of approximately 1,200 of which approx. 780 are responsible for preventing, detecting and addressing fraud, error and abuse in the Employment Insurance program.

Q12. Is Service Canada hiring additional investigators to deal with this issue? (Integrity Services Branch)

A12. The Government has made significant investments to increase the capacity to manage the unprecedented volume of Employment Insurance applications. Notably, the capacity of the Employment Insurance call centre has nearly tripled from approximately 1,100 officers prior to the pandemic, to nearly 3,000 today.

Additionally, there are currently 130 investigators dedicated to resolving the cases in the Quebec Region and 105 new resources will be added in a phased- approach Starting in February 2022.

Q13. Why has the Department not implemented any additional measures to support the affected clients? (Integrity Services Branch / Benefit and Integrated Services Branch /Innovation, Information and Technology Branch [IITB])

A13. The Department has and will continue to put measures in place to provide effective and efficient service that meets the needs of clients and will ensure that Canadians continue to have timely access to the Employment Insurance benefits to which they are entitled, when they need it most.

The Government has made significant investments to increase the capacity to manage the unprecedented volume of Employment Insurance applications. Notably, the capacity of the Employment Insurance call centre has nearly tripled from approximately 1,100 officers prior to the pandemic, to nearly 3,000 today.

Furthermore, by the end of this week, a new, dedicated, specially trained team will be in place in our Employment Insurance Call Centre. They will be able to directly resolve issues with callers to validate their identity and address issues which may have cause their claims to be delayed. In addition, further capacity from across Service Canada business lines are being trained to assist in returning calls to clients to have issues resolved and allow their claims to proceed.

Furthermore, to address these particular cases in Quebec, there are currently 130 investigators dedicated to resolving these specific ID theft/fraudulent cases and 105 new resources will be added in the Quebec region beginning this week.

Q14. During times of crisis, there is a heightened risk of fraud. This was true during the issuance of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Since then, has the Department taken any measures to lower instances of fraud?

(ISB/BISB/IITB)

A14. In the last few years, the Canadian private sector has been hit with a significant number of data breaches. These breaches often resulted in identity theft with the intent to use personal information to access Canadians’ benefits.

Fraudsters exploit the reduced up-front controls associated with emergency benefits programs, leveraging stolen identities and other schemes to divert funds.

Unfortunately, many Canadians have been victims of well known privacy breaches that have resulted in compromised identities.

The COVID-19 pandemic response by public sector institutions opened a window of opportunity for fraudsters around the globe. Canada was not immune, and Employment and Social Development Canada deployed analytics and other technologies to counter these fraudulent attacks. Over 38,000 potentially fraudulent Employment Insurance-Emergency Response Benefit applications were stopped, totalling $42 million in preventative payments.

5. Employment Insurance processing and call centres

Issue

  • How has the Government managed the processing of Employment Insurance applications and call volumes in the era of COVID-19?

Key facts

  • Service Canada continues to receive higher volumes of Employment Insurance (EI) applications and enquiries to its call centre in 2021 to 2022, compared to pre-pandemic levels.
  • Every year, Service Canada’s Employment Insurance volumes increase in December and January, corresponding to the winter peak of the Employment Insurance program. During this period, it is possible that some clients may experience longer delays in the processing of their claim and wait times may be longer to the call centre.
  • In addition, the latest COVID-19 Omicron wave began in December 2021 and Employment Insurance claim intakes have been higher than anticipated over the past 6 weeks.
  • So far this year, Service Canada has met its processing service standards, however given the overall higher volumes, some service delivery delays are to be expected to continue throughout February 2022.
  • From April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, 88.0% of EI payment or notifications of non-payment were made within the 28-day timeframe (against the annual target of 80%).
  • From April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, 91.3% of requests for reconsideration were completed within 30 days of receipt (against the annual target of 80%).
  • From April 1, 2021 to January 22, 2022, the EI Call Centre answered 5.8 million calls, and is on track to answer more than 7 million by March 31, 2022, compared to the year prior to the pandemic when 4.4 million calls were answered.
  • Average EI Call Centre wait times for the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year (as of January 22, 2022) is 18.6 minutes, compared to 66.7 minutes for the same period last year.

Omicron surge quick facts

  • Heading into its annual winter peak period in December 2021, the EI program was on track to receive 3.65 million EI applications for benefits in fiscal year 2021 to 2022.
  • The latest COVID-19 Omicron wave, with ensuing lockdown measures, began in December 2021, and EI claim intakes began to rise the week of December 12, 2021.
  • From December 12, 2021 to January 22, 2022, Service Canada received 729,692 claims, which is 148,000, or 25%, higher than the number of claims forecasted by the Department. Based on the current trend, Service Canada is forecasting to receive between 3.8 and 3.9 million claims in fiscal year 2021-2022.

Points to raise

  • The Employment Insurance Program, including its call centre, remains at the forefront of the Government of Canada’s service to Canadians and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the recent surge of the Omicron variant.
  • The Department has undertaken a series of measures to increase its capacity to meet this surge in demand, which includes streamlining processes to increase automation and focus the available capacity on finalizing claims.
  • Overall, the majority of Canadians are experiencing efficient processing of their Employment Insurance applications and therefore receiving benefit payments in a timely manner. However, during this period of very high demand, some clients will wait longer before their claim is processed or to reach an officer in the call centre.
  • Service Canada will continue to put measures in place to provide effective and efficient service that meets the needs of clients and will ensure that Canadians continue to have timely access to the Employment Insurance benefits to which they are entitled, when they need it most.

6. Recent media reports on Employment Insurance fraud in Quebec

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

Issue

  • Recently, some Canadians have reported that computer hacking and/or identity theft have negatively affected their Employment Insurance Benefits.

Key facts

  • We know that fraudsters sometimes use information following an identity theft to file fraudulent claims under our benefit programs.
  • We use data analytics and intelligence tools to counter this type of fraud. Measures are also in place to support clients on a priority basis when their benefits have been affected.
  • Claimants must contact Service Canada and provide additional information to continue to receive their benefits. We work closely with claimants to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
  • To protect the integrity of our processes, we are unable to disclose additional information at this time.

Points to raise

  • Service Canada takes the integrity of its programs very seriously.
  • Measures are in place to support clients impacted by computer hacking or identity theft on a priority basis.
  • The vast majority of Employment Insurance claims are paid properly. However, some claimants may experience delays or interruptions in their benefits if they were the victims of fraud.
  • We leverage our analytics and intelligence capabilities to disrupt, detect and prevent fraud.
  • The Department has long-established ties with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and law enforcement agencies to help address these issues.

7. Identity theft (document merged with previous section in original binder (header not included in original binder)

8. Committee profile (December 2021)

Official title: Committee Profile (December 2021) - House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA)

Table of Contents

HUMA Membership

Chad Collins (LPC)

Michael Coteau (LPC)

Wayne Long (LPC)

Soraya Martinez Ferrada (LPC)

Robert (Bobby) J. Morrissey (LPC)

Tony Van Bynen (LPC)

Bob Benzen (CPC)

Matt Jeneroux (CPC)

Stephanie Kusie (CPC)

Alex Ruff (CPC)

Bonita Zarrillo (NDP)

Louise Chabot (BQ)

Liberal party of Canada

  • Chad Collins, Ontario
  • Michael Coteau, Ontario
  • Wayne Lond, New Brunswick
  • Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Québec, PS for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)
  • Robert (Bobby) J. Morrissey, Prince Edward Island
  • Tony Van Bynen, Ontario

Conservative party of Canada

  • Bob Benzen, Alberta
  • Matt Jeneroux, Alberta, Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Critic
  • Stephanie Kusie, Alberta, Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Critic
  • Alex Ruff, Ontario

New democratic party of Canada

  • Bonita Zarrillo, British Columbia, Disability Inclusion Critic

Bloc Québécois

  • Louise Chabot, Québec, Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Critic

Committee members biography (header not included in original binder)

Chad Collins, Liberal Party, Hamilton East, Stoney Creek, Ontario

Brief biography

Chad Collins was first elected to the House of Commons for Hamilton East - Stoney Creek on September 20, 2021. A lifelong resident of Hamilton East - Stoney Creek, Chad resides in the Davis Creek area with his wife Mary and 2 children, Chase and Reese. He attended Glendale Secondary School, the University of Western Ontario, and McMaster University. Chad was first elected to City Council in 1995, at the age of 24, making him one of the youngest elected representatives in the City's history.

Chad is passionate about engaging local residents and community stakeholders, focusing on revitalization of infrastructure, development of social housing and stream-lining municipal programs.

As President of City Housing Hamilton, Chad has been committed to addressing the City's aging affordable housing stock by pressuring all levels of government to invest in the much needed repair of over 7,000 publicly owned units. He continues to work on nearly a dozen new projects across the City and in the riding that will provide new affordable housing units to those in need.

From the creation and development of new community parks and trails to the opening of a new food bank, Chad knows community consultation is an integral part of improving quality of life for everyone in Hamilton East - Stoney Creek.

Michael Coteau Liberal Party Don Valley East - Ontario

Brief biography

Michael Coteau was first elected to the House of Commons for Don Valley East on September 20, 2021. He has served as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Don Valley East since 2011. During his time in the Ontario government, his ministerial roles include: Minister of Children and Youth Services; Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism; Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport; Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games; and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Prior to entering the provincial government, Michael was elected as a school board trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2003, 2006 and 2010. As a trustee, Michael advocated for student nutrition, community use of space and the use of educational technology. He initiated the ‘Community Use of Schools’ motion that drastically cut user fees and made schools more accessible to groups that offer programs for children. He helped introduce nutritional changes in schools that supported healthy food programs and increased awareness of student hunger.

Michael worked as an ESL instructor and curriculum developer before becoming a community organizer for a United Way agency in Scarborough. He was also the Marketing Manager for ABC Life Literacy, where he was responsible for the organizing of the Family Literacy Day across Canada, and was Executive Director of Alpha Plus, a national literacy organization mandated to support adult education through the use of technology.

Michael grew up in Don Valley East and attended Don Mills Middle School and Victoria Park Collegiate Institute. He holds a degree from Carleton University in Political Science and Canadian History. He and his wife Lori live in Toronto with their 2 daughters, Maren and Myla.

Wayne Long Liberal Party Saint John — Rothesay - New Brunswick

Brief biography

Wayne Long was first elected to the House of Commons for Saint John — Rothesay in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. He is a member of the Saint John community with national and international business experience. Wayne currently serves as President of the Saint John Sea Dogs, and his efforts have helped turn the team into one of Canada’s most successful CHL hockey franchises winning the cherished Memorial Cup in 2011. That same year, Wayne was recognized with the John Horman Trophy, awarded to the Top Executive in the QMJHL.

Prior to his work with the Sea Dogs, Wayne was President of Scotiaview Seafood Inc. He was also a successful large-scale product manager with Stolt Sea Farm Inc. Wayne’s work has seen him travel across North America, negotiating contracts with national restaurant distributors, restaurant chains, and retail chains. He earned the North American Excellence in Sales and Marketing award twice. Wayne is a former Board Member for Destination Marketing and Salmon Marketing.

Wayne was born in the riding, and currently calls the area home alongside his wife, Denise, and their 2 children, Khristian and Konnor.

Of note:

  • has been a member of HUMA since the beginning of the 42nd Parliament (2015).
  • key issues of interest:
    • poverty
    • mental health
    • outspoken support of the Energy East oil pipeline project
    • previously broken ranks with party (Energy East, tax policy, SNC-Lavalin) which resulted in being kicked off House committees as punishment
    • frequently makes sports parallel (hockey)
    • government programs and support that benefit his constituents

Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Party PS for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing) Hochelaga - Québec

Brief biography

Soraya Martinez Ferrada was first elected to the House of Commons for Hochelaga in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in 20219 and became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport in 2021. She has also served on the Standing Committee on Official Languages in the last Parliament.

She is a proud resident of the east end of Montréal. Originally from Chile, her family settled in the area in the 1980s. Soraya has deep roots in the community where she currently resides with her son and daughter.

Before being elected, Soraya worked for more than 20 years in the community where she specialized in communications and developed multiple cultural and political projects. Among her achievements, she created the very first cultural and socio-professional integration program at TOHU, a unique example of sustainable development in Montréal.

In 2005, she was elected as a city councillor and appointed by the mayor to the position of Associate Advisor for Culture on the City’s Executive Committee. In 2009, she became Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Official Opposition at Montréal City Hall. She transitioned to the federal government in 2015 as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

She created the Vedette d’Hochelaga video clips in which she highlights the commitment of citizens, community organizations, and entrepreneurs in the riding of Hochelaga. She has also set up virtual roundtables and regular newsletters that present federal programs directly serving the people of her riding.

Robert (Bobby) J. Morrissey Liberal Party Egmont Prince Edward Island

Brief biography

In 2015, Bobby was elected to the House of Commons and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. He served as a Member on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, as well as the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Previously, he was elected to the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly in 1982 and has dedicated his career and volunteer life to serving the residents of PEI.

Having served as MLA for nearly 20 years, Bobby has a deep understanding of his communities’ needs. He has held a number of high-profile roles within the Assembly, such as Minister of Transportation and Public Works, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, and Opposition House Leader. He was also responsible for the redevelopment of the Canadian Forces Base Summerside and the surrounding community following its closure by the federal government in 1989. Bobby left politics in 2000 to join the private sector as a consultant specializing in government relations, fisheries, and the labour market. Bobby has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of PEI. He was the founding member and former president of the Tignish Seniors Home Care Co-op, and Vice-Chair of Tignish Special Needs Housing.

Of note:

  • former member of HUMA in 2019 (briefly before the general election)

Tony Van Bynen Liberal Party Newmarket — Aurora - Ontario

Brief biography

Tony Van Bynen was first elected to the House of Commons for Newmarket-Aurora in 2019 and re-elected 2021. A resident of Newmarket for over 40 years, Tony and his wife Roxanne raised their 2 daughters there.

Community service, volunteerism, and helping those who need it most is what drives Tony every day. He and Roxanne have volunteered at the Southlake Hospital, and the Inn from the Cold, for over 10 years. They also deliver food for the Newmarket Food Bank, and Tony was instrumental in creating Belinda’s Place, which is a multi-purpose facility for homeless and at-risk women.

He also had the privilege of serving as the Mayor of Newmarket for 12 years. During that time, community building is what guided Tony on his mission to revitalize Main Street, renew the historic Old Town Hall, and build the Riverwalk Commons so families and friends can enjoy great public places.

Through his previous role as the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and his 30-year career in banking, Tony understands what local businesses need to thrive and grow. He’s delivered innovative solutions to help local business owners find success, including creating the Envi broadband network, so businesses in the community have ultra-high-speed connectivity, which has been particularly crucial during the pandemic.

Bob Benzen Conservative Party Calgary Heritage - Alberta

Brief biography

Bob Benzen was first elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary Heritage in a by-election held on April 3, 2017. He was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.

After founding and successfully building his own small business, Bob entered politics out of a desire to give back through public service. Bob wants to ensure that Canada remains the best place to live and raise a family, and to do this he believes in the principles of individual freedom, personal responsibility, and strong families. Those are the values that Bob advocates for on behalf of his constituents of Calgary Heritage in Canada's Parliament.

Bob is a proud father of 3, and a resident of Calgary Heritage for nearly 30 years. He currently lives in the community of Evergreen with his wife Sue.

Matt Jeneroux Conservative Party Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Critic Edmonton Riverbend - Alberta

Brief biography

Matt Jeneroux was first elected as Member of Parliament for Edmonton Riverbend in October 2015 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. A long-time resident of south Edmonton, Matt is the former Member of the Legislative Assembly and also the youngest government provincial politician prior to May 2015.

In spring 2013, 1 year after being elected in the Alberta Government, he introduced a private member’s bill entitled Compassionate Care Leave Legislation, the first of its kind in the history of Alberta. The legislation provides a leave of absence for an employee from his/her employer while taking care of a terminally ill loved one. Furthermore, he also had 2 of his motions pass unanimously in the Legislature Chamber. First, to provide support for playgrounds when new schools for young families are built in the province of Alberta. He also urged the provincial government to conduct a review of the childcare policy in the province. Matt has also chaired the Capital Region Government Caucus, Youth Secretariat, and was a member of the provincial Alberta Treasury Board. In addition, he’s chaired Alberta’s Results Based Budgeting for Environment and Resource Stewardship.

As a Member of Parliament, Matt announced an initiative to fight for unemployed Albertans called the Alberta Jobs Task Force. He co-chairs the non-partisan group that focuses on policy solutions that support everyday Albertans. Matt is also a member of 2 federal committees: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics and Public Accounts standing committee. In February 2017, Matt announced his motion in support of the geothermal industry in the cleanup of orphan wells. In addition, Matt is also on the Executive of the Canada-United Kingdom Parliamentary Association

Born and raised in Edmonton, Matt attended the University of Alberta, where he graduated in 2004. He raises his 2 daughters in Edmonton Riverbend.

Of note:

  • sponsored C-220, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (bereavement leave), which received unanimous support from both the House of Commons and the Senate, and received Royal Assent on June 29, 2021

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Party Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Critic Calgary Midnapore - Alberta

Brief biography

First elected as a federal Member of Parliament in 2017, Stephanie Kusie served as the Official Opposition Deputy Shadow Minister for Health. In September 2018, she took over the position of Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Democratic Institutions.

In 2018 Stephanie accepted invitations to become a member of both the Trilateral Commission and the board of CANZUK International. She was also elected to the Executive Committee of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas Interparliamentary Association and remains so to this day.

Following the fall 2019 general election, she served as the Shadow Minister for Families, Children, and Social Development, a role she held until September of 2020, when incoming Conservative Party Leader, Erin O’Toole, appointed her as the Shadow Minister for Transport in his new Shadow Cabinet.

Stephanie was born and raised in the community of Calgary Midnapore and attended the “Calgary School” within the University of Calgary, where she earned a degree in political science. Stephanie went on to obtain her Masters in Business Administration in Strategic Management from Rutgers University, where she won their Graduate School of Management Case Competition in 2000.

As a diplomat for the Canadian federal government, Stephanie served in the watch office from 2004 to 2005 assisting Canadians in distress; had a temporary duty in Argentina in 2006; was chargée d’affaires and Consul for Canada in El Salvador from 2006 to 2008; and Consul for Canada at the Consulate in Dallas, Texas from 2010 to 2013. She also served as policy advisor to the Honourable Minister Peter Kent during his time as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the Americas in the Harper Administration in 2009.

From 2014 to 2016, Stephanie served as the Executive Director of Common Sense Calgary, a non-profit organization dedicated to lowering civic taxes. She also served as the Alberta South Chair of Equal Voice, a national lobby organization focussed on electing more women to all levels of political office.

Stephanie has been published in the Calgary Sun, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal and the National Post.

Stephanie speaks English, French, and Spanish fluently, and enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband James and their son Edward.

Of note:

  • previously a member of HUMA and Families, Children, and Social Development critic from 2019 to 2020
  • key issues of interest during that time:
    • home equity tax
    • economic recovery plan in general but also for youth
    • negative impacts of Canada Emergency Response Benefit (fraud, youth initiatives, small businesses, etc.) and confusion between Employment Insurance and Canada Emergency Response Benefit
    • foreign workers and Foreign Credential Recognition
    • housing continuum, home ownership and homelessness
    • Canada Child Benefit for high income earners
    • labour force trends
    • income security, RRSP and mandatory RRIF withdrawal
    • long-term care homes for seniors
    • service Canada wait times and overall services to Canadians
  • in December 2021, Ms. Kusie co-signed a letter, along with CPC Raquel Dancho, Public Safety critic, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Public Services and Procurement critic, addressed to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Minister of Public Safety regarding a street gang in Montreal fraudulently obtained taxpayer dollars via the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to purchase illegal firearms

Alex Ruff Conservative Party Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound Ontario

Brief biography

Alex Ruff was first elected as Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound 2019 and was re-elected in 2021. He served on the Veterans Affairs Committee from 2019 to 2020 until being appointed as the Opposition Deputy Whip in September 2020. He grew up on a farm just outside Tara and understands the unique issues facing a rural riding. He attended Chesley District High School (CDHS) and spent his summers farming and lifeguarding at the Tara Pool.

With multiple postings across Canada, he has developed an appreciation for the vast diversity and challenges that face everyday Canadians. Alex has always maintained his deep connections to the local community through his involvement with the Tara Legion and local community events. He frequently speaks to schools across the region, attends local Remembrance Day events and has even opened the Desboro Fall Fair.

In 1997, Alex graduated from Royal Military College with an Honours Bachelors of Space Science degree, and subsequently went on to command troops as an infantry officer in The Royal Canadian Regiment. He has extensive experience with 6 operational deployments including the 1998 ice storm in Eastern Ontario and Quebec, 2 in Bosnia, 2 in Afghanistan and most recently in Iraq. From his 2007 combat deployment to Afghanistan, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross by the Governor General due to his "outstanding leadership...in defeating a determined enemy."

His final military posting was in Baghdad, Iraq, as a key leader in the international efforts to defeat ISIS terrorists in the region before he returned home in January 2019 to run for federal politics.

Alex believes that politicians represent the people who elected them, first and foremost.

Bonita Zarrillo New Democratic Party Disability Inclusion Critic Port Moody—Coquitlam British Columbia

Brief biography

Bonita Zarrillo was first elected as Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Coquitlam in 2021. She is known to be a voice for equality and drives systemic change that puts people first. She entered public service so she could advocate for working people and to support the needs of the most vulnerable in the community. She championed buy-local as a tool for small businesses to thrive and to enable them to hire locally, challenged pipeline corporations to pay their fair share, and completed a successful housing affordability strategy that generated the most rental housing starts in her region.

On Coquitlam Council, Bonita served on the following: Fraser Health Municipal Government Advisory Council, Multiculturism Advisory Committee, Metro Vancouver Indigenous Relations Committee, Universal Access Ability Advisory Committee, and past Board Member for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. She sat on the board of 2 local Not-For-Profits that advocate for gender equality and speaks regularly at The Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations.

Before being elected to municipal government, Bonita worked in consumer products as a Business Analyst for companies across North America and Europe. She has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Manitoba, a Human Resource Management Certificate from the University of Calgary and has a Computer Science Degree from CDI Montreal.

Louise Chabot Bloc Québecois Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Critic Thérèse-De Blainville - Quebec

Brief biography

Louise Chabot was first elected as Member of Parliament in 2019 and was re-elected in 2021. She was born in 1955 in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, Quebec, is a Quebec trade unionist and politician. She was president of the Centrale des Syndicates du Québec (CSQ) from 2012 to 2018. The organization initially represented nearly 200,000 members, including 130,000 in the education and early childhood sector. She coordinated a major unionization project that resulted in the consolidation of more than 15,000 family day care managers, a first in the union world in Canada.

Of note:

  • sponsored the Committee’s study on the Review of the Employment Insurance Program in 2021; critical of the Employment Insurance program in general and very outspoken about seasonal workers’ trou noir and inadequate sickness benefits
  • interested in seniors’ financial security and their purchasing power
  • seek to enact federal anti-scab legislation
  • supporter of labour unions – former president of Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)
  • member of the consultative committee for Quebec’s Pay Equity Commission
  • advocate for increase in health transfers
  • nurse by profession

Page details

Date modified: