Service Canada, which is part of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), administers the Employment Insurance (EI) program.

Service Canada collects personal information you put in an EI benefit application to decide whether you qualify for EI benefits.

Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) is collected and used to identify your file with Service Canada and to confirm your identity by comparing the information you give us with the information found in your SIN record.

The Employment Insurance Act and the Directive on the Social Insurance Number allow Service Canada to collect your information.

Your privacy is important to us. You have the right to the protection of, access to, and correction of your personal information.

Your personal information is administered in keeping with:

• the Employment Insurance Act
• the Privacy Act
• any other applicable privacy laws governing the protection of personal information under the control of Service Canada

The personal information we collect is described in the following personal information banks:

• Employment Insurance Claim Files (ESDC PPU 151)
• Employment Benefits and Support Measures (ESDC PPU 293)

Your personal information will be used and disclosed in keeping with the conditions listed in each bank. It will be kept as long as is required by the Employment Insurance Act.

You can learn more about these personal information banks including how to submit an Access to Information request in Info Source (Information about Programs and Information Holdings).

If you don't agree with the way Service Canada handles your personal information, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to report a concern.

If you've registered with the self-employed program, Service Canada may share your information with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the administration of the Income Tax Act.

CRA may provide Service Canada with information about your net self-employment earnings and your income information for this year and the past 2 years.

Service Canada will use this information to decide whether you qualify for benefits, to confirm the income information on your claim, and to determine or amend your EI weekly benefit rate.

If you've registered with the self-employed program, your information is described in the Registration for the Employment Insurance Measure for Self-Employed People (ESDC PPU 323) personal information bank.

Service Canada may use or share the information you provide:

• within ESDC for policy analysis, research and/or evaluation activities. These uses or activities won't affect any administrative decisions made about you
• with third parties such as academics, research groups, or private-sector firms under specific contract to the Department, or to other government or contracted agencies

• with federal government institutions according to legislation and/or signed information-sharing agreements
• with provincial, territorial, municipal, and aboriginal governments and their authorized third-party service providers according to formal agreements and memoranda of understanding to administer employment benefits and support measures, including training
• with the Province of Quebec for the administration of the Employment Insurance Act and the Québec Parental Insurance Plan

You can learn more about how Service Canada may use or share your personal information in Employment Insurance Claim Files (ESDC PPU 151).

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You choose whether to apply for EI benefits. We use your information to decide whether you qualify for EI benefits, the Family Supplement, employment programs and support measures, including training.

If you don't provide your personal information in your application, you can't be considered for benefits.