Chapter 4: Program administration and delivery

Launch of online applications for Social Insurance Numbers - eSIN portal

Due to the closure of Service Canada Centres during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new issue arose related to applications for Social Insurance Numbers. In order to overcome this challenge, an online Social Insurance Number application (eSIN) was developed to allow clients to apply and submit digital copies of their documents.

The eSIN application was launched on April 6, 2020. In FY2021, ESDC received 746,245 eSIN application requests.

Since the inception of eSIN, several key program updates have taken place:

• a complete review of the eSIN procedures and client-facing information was completed to provide recommendations for improvements to procedures and guidance
  • 10 system updates/releases improved the online client-facing platform as well as the frontline staff’s processing platform
• 6 improved letters were developed to replace previous versions of rejection letters, which were found to not provide enough information to clients on the reasons for the rejection of their application
  • letters include a drop-down menu that allows Citizen Service Officers (CSO) to select the most appropriate reason for the rejection of an application
• in order to reduce the number of rejected applications, additional guidance has been provided on Canada.ca and the intranet to advise clients and processing staff with regard to the proof of address requirements

Hosted Contact Centre Solution

In March 2020, just as the COVID-19 crisis was fully emerging in Canada and declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic, the EI Call Centre completed migration to the new platform, the Hosted Contact Centre Solution (HCCS).

The HCCS system was designed to fully handle historical annual EI call volume. However, the onset of the pandemic immediately resulted in a surge in calls which far exceeded any historical demand. This massive influx in volume, which initially overwhelmed telephone service providers, also overwhelmed the new platform.

Despite the unprecedented increase in call volume, the EI Call Centre was able to leverage the HCCS to increase capacity to meet the demand. HCCS facilitated critical elements of the EI Call Centre response to the pandemic, which would not have been possible with the former legacy system.

HCCS enabled Employment Insurance and Employer Contact Centre (ECC) agents to answer calls from any location using any phone, which was critical to ESDC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as it permitted agents to telework. The implementation also allowed call centres to increase the capacity of both the Interactive Voice Response and the queue to speak to an agent. This happened as the COVID-19 pandemic started to have an impact on Canadians. In FY2021, ESDC continued to increase HCCS capacity in response to increasing EI call volumes.

As a result of the implementation of the HCCS, the Department:

• quadrupled the system’s capacity for EI to handle calls in the Interactive Voice Response system and doubled the system’s capacity to handle calls in queue
• created targeted messaging for the EI Call Centre advising clients of wait times and of specific periods of high call volume and promoted the use of other channels that might support clients’ needs in a timelier manner (for example, self-service on-line) 
  • This strategy supported client expectations around services ensuring they were aware of the wait times should they choose to speak to an agent
• worked with Shared Services Canada to build functions into the system to manage the flow of calls that could enter the queue
  • These functions were used sparingly only to manage wait times and ensure equitable access to Call Centre agents across different geographical areas 
• initiated a massive recruitment strategy to increase the call centres capacity from approximately 1,100 agents to 3,000 agents by the end of March 2021

Simplification of the EI Program

In September 2020, to continue supporting Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic and to help process applications for benefits, targeted EI simplification measures were put in place until September 25, 2021. For more on these temporary EI simplification measures, consult section 2.0.

System improvements to support transition from EI Emergency Response Benefits to EI

In fall 2020, the EI ERB transitioned back to EI. At this time, ESDC introduced an automated application process to ensure a smooth transition for claimants who were still receiving and were eligible for EI. The implementation of this process enabled the delivery of benefits without interruption and reduced the burden on claimants. With these changes, the Department was able to continue to support claimants with fast service and timely payments (consult annex 4.2.2a).

Launch of a National Operating Model

In FY2021, to better serve Canadians from coast to coast, the processing network^{Footnote 1} began transitioning to a National Operating Model (NOM). This model will support the Department with making timely decisions in a more efficient manner. The NOM implies that regions are all accountable to meet national objectives and to ensure equal service to clients.

Launched in FY2021 , its key principles are:

• one workforce: uniform hiring and training of employees
• one process: standardizing processes and procedures
• one workload: assigning work to the next available officer

Introduction of Robotics Processing Automation

ESDC implemented the use of Robotics Process Automation (RPA), a software solution to complete repetitive and manual tasks, such as data entry, allowing officers to focus on tasks that are more complex. RPA empowers employees to focus on value-added work that requires human judgement and decision-making.

Since its introduction, the RPA initiative enabled the department to deploy a number of automated processes, including meeting its obligation of having all T4E (Statement of EI and Other Benefits) forms mailed by the last day in February. Every year, the EI systems cannot issue T4Es automatically for various reasons. In FY2021, the volume of manually processed T4Es was over 60 times higher than normal. Prior to fall 2020, the Work-Sharing benefit reports were all manually processed. Using RPA, the Department is now automating a portion of these reports. Since the launch of this enhancement, 73% of the reports were processed without any human intervention, providing faster payments to claimants.

Artificial Intelligence to review records of employment

When issuing records of employment (ROEs) for their employees, many employers add free text comments to provide additional information. EI systems cannot automate claims with such ROEs because officers need to review the information in the comments, resulting in longer processing times.

Since June 2020, ESDC has used artificial intelligence to support the review of information added by employers in the ROE comment section. This reduces the need for human intervention, increases claims automation and improves the speed of payment, while reducing workload for the officers. Artificial Intelligence has addressed over 1.25 million comments, successfully automating an additional 47.9% of ROEs.

Launch of Document Upload for EI clients

Every year, the EI program receives millions of paper documents by mail or in person at the Service Canada centers. These documents need to be manually sorted and entered into the systems.

On March 6, 2021, a new document upload functionality was introduced for EI clients, which allowed them to upload supporting medical documents directly into their files. This new feature lessens the burden on claimants and reduces the need for manual intervention from officers. In the following months, the document upload functionality will be enhanced and will allow clients to directly upload additional documents related to their EI claims.

Service Canada Centres

In-person Service Canada Centres (SCCs) are managed and staffed by Service Canada employees and offer general information and transactional services. They are open up to 5 days a week. SCCs may be stand-alone, consolidated with Passport Services or co-located with other organizations.

SCC employees provide general program information and application intake support to clients. They help clients complete the application online by walking them through the various steps. Although SCC employees do not process claims, they perform support functions for the EI program, such as:

• authenticating identity
• validating supporting documents
• verifying information for completeness, and
• non-complex transactions: change of address, direct deposit (consult annex 4.3.1a), temporary access code issuance, change of tax code, and extension of sickness benefits

In FY1920, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, access to employment assistance was provided via a combination of online, telephone and in-person delivery structures where in-person services was one of the preferred channels. Service Canada Centres (SCCs) closed temporarily in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted a key service delivery channel. During this time, clients were able to maintain access to essential Service Canada programs, services and benefits through eServiceCanada. The gradual reopening of the Service Canada Centres started in July 2020.

On March 31, 2021^{Footnote 2}, Canadians were able to access our services at 350^{Footnote 3} in-person points of service (consult annex 4.3.1b) across the country. These included:

• 310 SCCs
• 25 Service Canada Centre - Passport Service sites (provided in-person service by appointment)
• 15 Service Delivery Partner (SDP)^{Footnote 4} sites and Service Canada Community Offices

In FY2021, Service Canada in-person points of service staff completed over 700,000 service requests related to EI (consult annex 4.3.1c). This represents 35% of all service requests handled. The breakdown of the types of In-person services provided on the EI Program is as follows:

Chart 2 – Text description

Breakdown of In-Person services provided relating to the EI Program

In Person service	% Share	Total number
Follow-up assistance	55.4%	389,853
General information	35.9%	252,729
Help with applications	7.2%	50,464
Other	1.5%	10,841

eServiceCanada

Following the temporary suspension of in-person service delivery in March 2020 due to the pandemic, the Department established eServiceCanada. The goal of eServiceCanada was to mirror the services typically provided within SCCs during their temporary closures. EI clients would receive personalized support with their applications and questions. eServiceCanada allowed for continued delivery of critical services while protecting the health of clients and employees during the COVID-19 crisis (consult annex 4.3.1d). In FY2021, EI clients who made a request through this channel were contacted within 2 days 85% of the time. 

Image 4 – Text description

eServiceCanada

In FY2021, the eServiceCanada initiative allowed 2.2 million clients to keep accessing services that they would normally receive at in-person Service Canada Centres. Of these, over 60% or 1,332,595 were EI clients.

• A total of 1,332,595 EI clients submitted 1,602,537 eServiceCanada EI requests
• 666,094 EI clients made 703,887 EI requests in person

The breakdown of the types of eServiceCanada services requested on the EI program in FY2021 is as follows:

• help applying online - 424,811 or 26.5%
• submitting supporting documents - 232,330 or 14.5%
• updating Direct Deposit/Address - 231,755 or 14.5%
• amending an existing claimant report - 371,069 or 23.2%
• adding information to an existing file - 342,572 or 21.4%

Scheduled outreach sites

Scheduled outreach sites are points of service located outside an SCC but offer similar services. In general, Service Canada staff travel to a pre-determined location, typically in rural or remote areas that are otherwise underserved.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the outreach sites were closed in March 2020. These sites continued to remain closed throughout FY2021. Service Canada developed alternate service delivery mechanisms to reach and support Canadians that would have previously accessed services through the scheduled outreach sites. This included proactively reaching out to all scheduled outreach site partners to ensure and increase awareness of virtual services and alternate service channels.

Community Outreach and Liaison Service

The Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) builds relationships and provides support to increase access to programs and benefits for Indigenous communities and vulnerable clients who face barriers to service. In addition, COLS provides responsive outreach to employers and workers facing labour market adjustments. COLS provides support by offering EI application assistance, EI information sessions for those affected by mass layoffs, and program information for employers.

Between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, COLS conducted 27,401 outreach activities to 90,079 participants. Of these, 3,909 activities to 26,627 participants were related to EI. Service Canada outreach staff made proactive calls to employers at risk of conducting a layoff to promote other mitigation options. These options included the Work-Sharing or Work Force Reduction programs.

In Budget 2018, the Government granted the Department 3-year funding to expand outreach efforts to all on-reserve, remote, and northern Indigenous communities. Each year since 2018, COLS has contacted all northern, on-reserve and remote Indigenous communities and offered them an in-person visit to provide services. These visits have proven successful in increasing awareness of and access to programs, services and benefits. In FY2021, the Department secured permanent funding for this initiative.

When the pandemic forced the suspension of in-person outreach, the Department contacted all Indigenous communities to ensure they were aware of the emergency response benefits and the alternative service delivery mechanisms that had been put in place to access services. More than 4500 contacts were made with the 740 Indigenous communities to promote the availability of the new service options. As a result of these engagement efforts and the activities of the Outreach Support Centre, 687 Indigenous communities received virtual services in FY2021. This is the highest number of communities served since Service Canada began conducting Indigenous outreach in 2016.

In the event of a mass layoff, outreach staff work in partnership with provincial and territorial governments and with the employer to organize information sessions for employees. The purpose of these joint sessions is to help reduce the stress and worry of employees facing a job loss and to provide participants with important information on:

• when, how, and why they should apply for EI
• how benefits can be affected by other monies received due to termination (such as severance or pay in lieu of notice)
• other federal programs and services such as the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, the Job Bank, and My Service Canada Account

The provincial or territorial partner provided information on programs and services available to help participants find suitable employment. This included also information on re-training, resume writing, job search techniques and interview skills.

During FY2021, of the 3,909 EI-related outreach activities Service Canada delivered, 3469 were information sessions to 25773 participants:

• 826 EI information sessions to workers
  • 296 mass layoff sessions
  • 366 Work-Sharing sessions
  • 17,346 participants 
• 2274 EI information sessions to employers
  • 184 mass layoff sessions
  • 1,947 Work-Sharing sessions
  • 4,301 companies and organizations participating 
• 369 EI information sessions to other stakeholders
  • 58 mass layoff sessions
  • 17 Work-Sharing sessions
  • 4,126 stakeholder organizations participating. 

For more information on the Community Outreach and Liaison Service, consult annexes 4.3.1e-i.

Service Canada Outreach Support Centre

The Service Canada Outreach Support Centre was launched in April 2020. This Centre provided services to vulnerable clients, including clients with no reliable access to the internet or with other barriers to accessing services. Through this toll-free service, clients are immediately connected with a Service Canada representative to receive assistance, including for the EI program.

At the onset of this service, support for hearing-impaired clients was only available through the online eService option. The eService option required Service Canada to contact the client by phone, which did not work for hearing-impaired clients who were unable to communicate through regular telephone service.

The VOCALLS system was acquired for the Support Centre and offered clients the ability to communicate directly, and in real time, with Outreach Support Centre staff using a teletypewriter (TTY). This has proven to be a convenient and effective method for hearing-impaired clients to receive the support and assistance that they require.

1 800 O-Canada

EI clients frequently contact 1 800 O-Canada for general enquiries related to EI. For more complex and client-specific enquiries, the EI clients have the choice of calling the EI call centre, or logging into their My Service Canada Account.

In FY2021, the 1 800 O-Canada service supported the Government of Canada communication activities, both in regular times and in crises. 1 800 O-Canada officers provided up-to-date information on all COVID-19 special measures and their impact on Government of Canada programs and services, namely the availability of the CERB and how eligible EI applicants could apply.

During FY2021, the 1 800 O-Canada service provided timely service to Canadians answering more than 80% of calls within 18 seconds (or within 3 rings), during 8 months of the year. The exceptionally high call volumes experienced in April, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began, became more manageable by May, when wait times met service delivery targets once again. Pressure related to the pandemic returned from September to November. During these months, wait times were longer and monthly averages ranged from approximately 1 to 6 minutes.

As of March 31, 2021, 1 800 O-Canada agents had answered 2.051 million calls, which included 539,005 enquiries related to EI (consult annex 4.3.2a-b) .

Employment Insurance Call Centre

FY2021 was unparalleled in the way that the pandemic increased call volume and affected clients’ service delivery needs. Emergency benefit programs, such as the CERB, were partially delivered through the EI claim system and call centre.

In its normal role, the EI Call Centre network is the main point of contact for EI clients. The EI Call Centre spreads calls across the network based on availability of resources, regardless of from where in the country they are coming. The network increased from 1,100 employees at the beginning of the year to 3,000 employees by the end of the year (with an average of 2,300 full-time agents for FY2021).

EI call centre agents respond to questions about the application process for EI, eligibility for EI benefits, and enquiries specific to claimants’ EI files. They resolve enquiries by:

• providing claim-specific information
• updating information on the claimant’s file (for example, changing an address or direct deposit information)
• processing claimant reports for which a client requires an agent’s intervention in order to access the payment to which they are entitled
• adjudicating a wide variety of non-contentious issues (such as claim calculation and reason for separation)

Call volume

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented increase in volume of calls, investments were made to improve accessibility to clients. The EI Call Centre initiated an unprecedented onboarding strategy that nearly tripled capacity as of the end of March 2021.

Image 5 – Text description

Call volume 

The total EI call volume reached almost 53.3 million calls in FY2021, an increase of approximately 16.6 million calls from the previous year. This is more than double the 24.7 million in FY1819, the last full year before the pandemic, and the largest number recorded since call centres started networking nationally (FY0405). 21.1 million calls came in the month of April 2020. This shows the impact that the COVID-19 had on EI call volumes. Almost 40% of the calls from clients occurred within the first month of the fiscal year.

Employer Contact Centre

Another critical component of the call centre network is the Employer Contact Centre (ECC). Launched in June 2011, the ECC provides enhanced services to employers through an accessible, national, single point of contact. The ECC network is comprised of approximately 72 full time agents.

Employers contact the ECC to get information and help on a variety of service offerings.

Canada.ca

Detailed information on the EI program is available on the main website of the Government of Canada. 

To support and adapt to the pandemic, ESDC updated its web content to reflect temporary changes related to the EI ERB and simplification measures. The Department made every effort to quickly provide Canadians with timely and accurate information on the EI program.

In August 2020, ESDC updated the web pages for the EI benefits for self-employed people. The goal of the project was to improve the client experience and increase satisfaction with the quality of information. The changes included:

• simplifying content by using a client-centric approach and plain language
• adjusting the page layout for easier navigation

EI online information and services were among the most popular content on Canada.ca. In FY2021, there were 137.7 million visits across all EI web pages.

EI regular benefits pages

The EI regular benefits pages had 15.6 million visits in FY2021, which is 16% more visits than in FY1920. Many of the visits were concentrated in the first few months of the fiscal year, but the increased demand driven by the pandemic smoothed out over the course of the year.

Those EI regular benefits pages had a 45% task conversion rate^{Footnote 10}. Last year it was noted that the conversion rate for this service was unusually high at 56%. This trend continued in FY2021 indicating the continued contributions of the online channel to supporting EI claimants.

Maternity and parental benefits pages

Claimants have access to an estimator tool, which provides access to an interactive calculator that potential claimants can use to estimate how much they could receive when applying for maternity and parental benefits.

In FY2021 the data shows that:

• 234,782 clients used the Estimator tool, generating 606,230 estimates 
• there were 2.2 million visits to the EI Maternity and Parental benefits information pages and 7% of those visits went on to start applications for benefits
  • Last year this conversion rate was 19%. Even though this information was accessed 8% more in FY2021, the rate at which web visitors started claims reduced by nearly 3 times

EI sickness benefits pages

The EI sickness benefits pages had 3.3 million visits in FY2021, 36% fewer than in the previous year. About 6% of those visits went on to start applications. This is a more normal range for this benefit, which is indicative of the impact of redirecting clients impacted by COVID-19 to Canada Emergency Response Benefits.

Services

Clients use ESDC’s secure web applications to access information and make transactions. EI online tools are fundamental to the delivery of services.

With the numerous office closures caused by the pandemic, the availability of virtual tools has never been more essential to the delivery of EI benefits. This year, the Department’s ability to respond to the exceptional volume of requests is due in part to the availability of effective tools that already existed under the EI program.

AppliWeb

AppliWeb is the online tool EI claimants can use at any time to submit applications. Claimants can access AppliWeb from anywhere with internet access, including in Service Canada Centres (consult annex 4.3.3a). Information shared by claimants is automatically transferred to the EI systems and used to support claim processing automation.

Image 6 – Text description

4.3.3 - AppliWeb

In FY2021, 98.5 % of EI and EI Emergency Response Benefit (EI ERB) applications were submitted using AppliWeb 

To align with the Government of Canada’s ongoing commitment to offer inclusive services to all clients, improvements were made to AppliWeb in March 2021. The online questionnaire was updated to provide a more gender-inclusive client experience. Regardless of their gender identity, non-binary clients can now interact with the EI Program without having to identify themselves as a man or a woman.

In person

• Counter loops, which project sound directly to a client’s hearing aid, and Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) were made available in 145 Service Canada Centres (SCCs) and are being expanded to the remainders of the SCCs
• Wayfinding beacons, technology used to help enable indoor navigation, were installed in 7 sites, with plans to expand to an additional 55 SCCs in the next fiscal year
• “Talk through” microphones for Plexiglas barriers were installed in all offices to reduce communications barriers

By telephone

The EI Call Centre and the Employer Contact Centre both offer TTY (teletypewriter) service to support clients with hearing or speech disabilities. Additionally, call centre officers have procedures to support them in answering calls received through a relay service, in the event that a client leverages such a service to contact the call centre.

Online

ESDC has adopted Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 for Web accessibility and exceeded minimums in some areas, such as:

• introducing some top-level AAA features for Accessibility Standards Canada 
• working with the blind and visually impaired community for added improvements to the Job Bank Mobile app 

To better equip public servants to design and deliver accessible programs and services, ESDC developed several tools, such as: 

• guidance for front line staff on how to assist clients affected by the COVID-19 protective measures
• the AccessAbility Playbook for providing guidance to design an accessible service
• an accessibility checklist for assessing accessibility of services
• planned updates to the training curriculum to increase awareness and understanding for all employees, as well as specific skills for client-facing staff based on functions

Work was done across ESDC’s call centres to improve accessibility throughout, for example:

• voice-based services as an assistive technology were installed including:
  • chatbot pilots via Google Home and Alexa
  • publishing voice-ready content onto Canada.ca
  • search engine optimization for voice content

Record of employment

Records of employment (ROE) are electronic or paper forms issued by employers to provide information on an employee’s work history. ROEs are at the core of EI processing. When claimants submit EI applications, ROEs are used to:

• determine eligibility to benefits
• calculate the benefit rate
• calculate the number of weeks of entitlement to benefits

Employers play a crucial role in EI claim processing. In order to avoid delays in the payment of EI benefits, employers must complete ROEs in a timely and correct manner. Failing to issue ROEs, issuing incorrect ROEs, or delays in issuing ROEs can impact payments for eligible claimants. This is because fact-finding with employers or manual interventions may be necessary in order to process these claims.

In FY2021, nearly 12.8 million ROEs were issued. Of these, 95.6% were electronic ROEs compared to 94.6% in FY1920 (consult annex 4.4.1a)

Payment of Employment Insurance, including Emergency Response Benefits

• Our standard: For EI benefit payments or non-benefit notifications to be issued within 28 calendar days of filing
• Our target: ESDC aims to meet this standard 80% of the time
• Our performance in FY2021: ESDC met this standard 88.8%^{Footnote 12} of the time
• Consult speed of payment for further details

Employment Insurance requests for reconsideration

• Our standard: For EI requests for reconsideration decisions to be finalized within 30 days of the request being received
• Our target: ESDC aims to meet this standard 80% of the time
• Our performance in FY2021: ESDC met this standard 88.7% of the time
• Consult EI request for reconsideration for further details

Access to an Employment Insurance call centre agent

• Our standard: for agents to answer EI calls within 10 minutes (once a caller is in the queue to speak to an agent)
• Our target: ESDC aims to meet this standard 80% of the time
• Our performance in FY2021: ESDC met this standard 11.2% of the time.
• Consult Calls answered and Factors affecting call centres performance for further details

Although clients were not served as quickly as is targeted by the service standard, most clients were still able to wait to speak to an agent to resolve their issues, which would not have been possible without the technology enhancements and the unprecedented onboarding, nearly tripling the number of EI call centre agents within a year (consult section 4.1.5)

Context of the Client Experience Survey

The annual Client Experience (CX) Survey tracks clients’ ability to access the major ESDC programs, including EI. A public opinion research firm conducts the survey by telephone and assesses the ease, effectiveness, confidence and satisfaction with the client experience. This information comes from clients’ description of applying up to receiving an initial decision or benefit. It also assesses reported take-up of self-service and assistance. Clients are asked to provide attributes of their service experience using a scale of 1 to 5. Clients who rate their satisfaction as 4 or 5 out of 5 are reported as satisfied.

The FY2021 Survey results for EI clients reflect the service experience of claimants who received an initial decision between January 1 and March 31, 2021, inclusively. This wave is the fourth annual Service Canada-wide survey.

Client response

ESDC strives to meet Canadians’ expectations with respect to service delivery. The Department takes the pulse of clients via the CX Survey on an annual basis. This helps provide clients with the best services that are adapted to their needs.

EI sample, statistical information and statistical errors

For the current survey, ESDC selected a random sample of recent clients, organized by province and territory, from the EI administrative databases. The sample included new and repeat clients, whether granted or denied benefits including all benefit types^{Footnote 13, Footnote 14}. Clients living in remote areas and from Indigenous communities were sampled in sufficient numbers for analysis of service delivery issues across all ESDC programs.

Results (EI items)

Results from the Service Canada CX Survey 2020-21 found that 84% of EI clients were satisfied with the overall service experience. This survey was conducted with clients who had completed the process of applying for EI and had received a decision in the period of January to March 2021. This is a significant 7% increase compared to FY1920’s 77%.

The strongest drivers of satisfaction among EI clients in FY2021 were:

• helpfulness of Service Canada representatives on the phone
  • 83% of EI clients found specialized call centre agents to be helpful and 84% found the agents that called them back (after completing a form online) helpful
• timeliness
  • 80% of EI clients found the timeliness for going through the client journey^{Footnote 15} reasonable.
• ease of finding information timely either in person, by phone, or online,
  • 73% of EI clients found it easy to find information within a reasonable amount of time

EI clients’ satisfaction across various service channels also changed significantly (consult annex 4.5.2a):

• satisfaction with the specialized call centre increased to 70% in FY2021 from 59% in FY1920
• satisfaction with the online channel increased to 77% in FY2021 from 71% in FY1920
• satisfaction with the in-person channel decreased to 77% in FY2021 from 82% in FY1920

EI Payment Accuracy Review sample

Using a monetary unit sampling (MUS) methodology, the EI PAAR program estimates the accuracy of EI benefit payments. The Department reviews several files each year to identify undetected errors that result in possible mispayments^{Footnote 17}. This categorizes them as either an underpayment or an overpayment.

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Quality Programs were suspended in order to redeploy staff to focus on direct services for Canadians. The EI PAAR program resumed in August 2020. In consultation with the Office of the Auditor General and Chief Financial Officer Branch, it was determined that the EI PAAR program would review 334 files for FY2021, rather than the 500 normally reviewed.

EI Payment Accuracy Review results

ESDC has an established target accuracy rate of 95%^{Footnote 18} in benefit payments per year. This rate includes claimant, employer and Service Canada errors. Together, they have maintained an accuracy rate of approximately 95% over the last 15 years. However, it is important to note that the PAAR program activities occur after the claim is processed. Errors identified and corrected during the intake and processing of claims are not included in the accuracy results. During this reporting period, the overall accuracy rate reached 96%^{Footnote 19} (consult annex 4.6.1a). The Office of the Auditor General reports these results each year in the Public Accounts of Canada.

Disrupting wrongdoing^{Footnote 20}

During the early stages of the pandemic, Departmental activities and resources were realigned to support the timely delivery of emergency benefits. At the same time, to address the increased threats, the Department undertook strategic and targeted measures to identify and disrupt instances of possible fraud. Furthermore, the past year has seen a significant increase in identity fraud as Canadians’ use of online services has increased. Integrity resources, instrumental in maintaining the integrity of the EI ERB program and ensuring the sound stewardship of public funds, include:

• data analytics and partnerships with law enforcement and financial institutions were leveraged to detect and deter fraudulent activity in real time
• stop pays were imposed on over 30,000 potentially fraudulent EI ERB applications and approximately $42 million in fraud was prevented
• efforts to prevent future payments by blocking the auto-enrolment of high-risk claimants in the transition from EI ERB to EI

Additionally, the Department worked to stop “credential stuffing” attacks mounted on the GCKey service. GCKey is a credential service that allows Canadians to access online Government services, including My Service Canada Account and ROEs. ESDC revoked the access rights for affected accounts and put in place several measures, including the imposition of stop pays, and prioritized claimant identity verification. A multi-factor authentication process is now mandatory for clients using GCKey to access their My Service Canada Account.

Addressing wrongdoing

Pre-payment controls were in place to validate EI ERB applicants’ identity, but integrity efforts for the EI ERB program focus primarily on post-payment verification and investigation. Reviews and investigations of high-risk cases began in 2020. A multi-year plan is currently in place to conduct the bulk of EI ERB reviews and investigations from FY2122 through FY2425. ESDC and the CRA continue to work closely together to ensure alignment of integrity measures related to the emergency response benefits.

In addition to starting investigations of high risk EI ERB cases, Integrity actions (administrative reviews and investigations) on claims under the regular EI program mirrored those of previous years and encompassed the following:

• claimant investigations into error, fraud and abuse
• employer investigations
• missing ROEs
• accuracy of ROEs
• employer noncompliance or misrepresentation

Claimant Information Sessions

In addition to administrative reviews and investigations, integrity activities also include outreach and prevention activities. These include mandatory Claimant Information Sessions for recipients of regular EI benefits (consult annex 4.6.3a). The purpose of these sessions is to:

• provide claimants with information on programs and services available to help them find suitable employment
• inform claimants about their rights and obligations regarding the EI program requirements and the consequences of abusing the system, namely penalties and prosecutions

Should claimants not attend or fail to provide evidence of an active job search, their EI benefits may be suspended.

ESDC identifies and directs claimants to a session based on the local job demand in their previous occupation, and the availability of work. In line with COVID-19 public health protocols governing in-person measures, the Claimant Information Sessions were temporarily suspended in FY2021.

Integrity quality initiatives

The Department has a National Quality Management Program in place to ensure a high level of quality and consistency across investigative activities. This includes conducting in-depth quality monitoring activities to measure work performance as it relates to the handling of investigations. The results from these investigations determine the type of corrective measure(s) to be implemented. This involves:

• amending the training material
• national guidance
• policy and system enhancements

Quality initiatives and results are tracked and reported both nationally and regionally. They are used to indicate trends, patterns of errors and to identify best practices. Due to the realignment of resources in FY2021, Quality Monitoring activities have been temporarily suspended.

Identity management

The accuracy of the Social Insurance Register (SIR) is fundamental to all programs and services that use the Social Insurance Number (SIN) to identify clients accurately. The EI program is one such program that relies on the accuracy of SIR outputs to ensure program integrity. The SIN program maintains accuracy of the SIR following strict identity and quality management practices. These practices are designed to ensure that claimants applying for a SIN (or updating their SIN records), are properly identified and that SIN records are accurate. The SIN program electronically validates the applicant's identity information with the issuing source when performing most transactions. When validated, the risk of critical errors when processing SIN transactions is significantly reduced.

Online applications to the EI program are facilitated in part by the electronic validation of claimant identities with the SIR in real-time. This amounts to approximately 35 million validations annually. These efforts ensure not only an efficient application process but also that the individual requesting benefits is the correct Social Insurance Number holder.

Risk management

ESDC uses various risk-based strategies to improve the overall integrity of the EI program and to ensure resources are directed to higher-risk cases. Higher-risk cases have an increased probability of misrepresentation, abuse, payment errors, or fraud. Detecting and flagging potential issues with higher-risk cases in the early stages of the benefit life cycle allows the Department to allocate scarce integrity resources to higher risk cases, thereby prioritizing investigation activities.

Generally, the number of EI administrative reviews and investigations that are conducted annually is in line with the number of cases, which are considered high-risk. However, in any given year, the volume might vary slightly based on the changing nature and significance of identified risks.

ESDC also has a risk analysis function to quantitatively and qualitatively assess program integrity risks and to understand better the root cause of "mispayments". This activity includes developing appropriate mitigation strategies which may involve implementing more controls, where required, to address any identified vulnerabilities.

Social Security Tribunal – General Division, Employment Insurance section

After the CEIC makes a reconsideration decision, a client has 30 calendar days to appeal the decision to the SST - General Division, EI section. In FY2021 the SST received 1832 appeals and concluded 1954. This resulted in a decrease of inventory from 709 active appeals in March 2020 to 587 in March 2021 (consult annex 4.7.2a).

On behalf of the CEIC, Service Canada is responsible for providing the SST with the reconsideration file. The reconsideration file includes all relevant documents used in making the reconsideration decision and reviewing the initial decision. When requested, CEIC will answer questions or requests for more information from the SST and may attend appeal hearings.

Outcomes at the General Division, Employment Insurance

An appeal to the General Division, EI may be concluded by a written decision or a withdrawal. In FY2021, 34% of cases were allowed, 52% were dismissed, 6% were withdrawn and the remaining were summarily dismissed or concluded for other reasons.

Chart 5 – Text description

Outcomes of General Division-Employment Insurance decisions in FY2021

Outcome	Dismissed	Allowed	Withdrawal	Concession	Summary dismissals	Late appeal denied	Appeals concluded for other reasons
% Share	52%	34%	6%	5%	2%	1%	0%

dismissed – decision not in the claimant’s favour
allowed – decision is in the claimant’s favour
withdrawn/other – claimant either withdraws or abandons the appeal
concessions – Service Canada recommends that the Tribunal allows the appeal
summary dismissals – the Tribunal decides, based on the information in the file, that the appeal has no reasonable chance of success
late appeals denied – the Tribunal refuses the appeal filed beyond the 30‑day deadline

Social Security Tribunal – Appeal Division, Employment Insurance section

When a party to an appeal disagrees with the decision made by the General Division, it may dispute this decision at the Appeal Division. Apart from appeals summarily dismissed by the General Division, the first step at the Appeal Division is to file an application for leave to appeal. The Appeal Division will grant permission to appeal if there is an arguable case. The grounds of appeal to the Appeal Division are limited to certain errors of fact, law, jurisdiction or fair process. For more information, consult annex 4.7.2c.

Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Appeal Division

The Appeal Division has adopted a form of mediation on appeals, which helps expedite the appeal process and assist with various issues, such as:

• a potential Charter appeal
• clarifying the requested documentation
• clarifying the issue under appeal

This is called the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The SST uses ADR to consider whether an appeal could be resolved without going through the full appeal process.

ADR at the Appeal Division (AD) has allowed parties to connect sooner and complete files 26% sooner than regular appeals.

Image 9 – Text description

Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Appeal Division

This year, 15% of all AD cases were sent to ADR. 82% of these cases were resolved.

Outcomes at the Appeal Division

An appeal to the Appeal Division may be concluded by a written decision or a withdrawal. In FY2021, 11% of cases were allowed, 70% were dismissed, 13% leave to appeal was denied, 4% were withdrawn and the remaining were denied/concluded for other reasons.

Chart 6 – Text description

FY2021 Appeal Division decision outcomes (groups included)

Outcome	% Share
Dismissed	70%
Leave to appeal denied	13%
Allowed	11%
Withdrawal	4%
Late appeal denied	1%
Appeals concluded for other reasons	1%

FY2021 Appeal Division decision outcomes (groups excluded)

Outcome	% Share
Dismissed	20%
Leave to appeal denied	41%
Allowed	27%
Withdrawal	0%
Late appeal denied	5%
Appeals concluded for other reasons	7%
Other	3%

dismissed– decision unfavourable to the appellant
leave to appeal denied – the Appeal Division denies permission to appeal
allowed – decision is in the appellant’s favour
withdrawals – appellant withdraws the appeal
late appeal denied – the Appeal Division refuses the appeal filed beyond the 30-day deadline