Claire has a difficult pregnancy and her baby comes early

Claire plans for sickness benefits

Claire is pregnant and gets advice from her doctor to start bed rest immediately. She is 8 weeks away from her due date. During this time, she uses the Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits because she is unable to work. Once her baby is born, she plans to start her full 15 weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) maternity benefits. To help plan her benefits, she uses the Employment Insurance Benefits Estimator.

She gives birth 4 weeks early

Claire plans to use 8 weeks of sickness benefits, but she is surprised when her baby arrives 4 weeks early. She contacts Service Canada because her situation changed. She does not use the last 4 weeks of sickness benefits. Instead, she receives 2 weeks of family caregiver benefits while her baby spends time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). After her baby leaves the NICU, she claims the full 15 weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) maternity benefits.

Claire compares options for parental benefits

Claire wants to spend as much time at home as possible. She compares the number of weeks and amounts between the Employment Insurance (EI) standard and extended parental benefits.

Conclusion

Claire is a single woman expecting her first baby. She faces many challenges, both expected and unexpected, as she prepares for life as a parent. To support herself during and after her pregnancy, she uses 4 types of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. This support gives her important financial stability and helps her manage the ups and downs of becoming a mom.

Smart tips

• If you live in Quebec, visit the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan for more information about maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits.

• When planning your leave, it’s important to consider the waiting period for Employment Insurance (EI) maternity benefits. This one-week waiting period isn’t included in the total number of weeks of benefits, so to receive the full 15 weeks, you’ll need at least 16 weeks off work. You only need to serve one waiting period if you apply for both EI maternity and parental benefits.

  Exceptions for not having the waiting period:

  • If you receive paid sick leave from your employer after stopping work
  • If benefits have been paid under a provincial plan, such as the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan

  You can find more details on Employment Insurance (EI) waiting period (WP).

• You can apply online for the Employment Insurance (EI) sickness, caregiver, maternity and parental benefits. You need to provide your:

  • Social Insurance Number
  • Banking information to sign up for direct deposit
  • Child's expected or actual date of birth

  You may need to mail or drop off documents at a Service Canada Centre for your:

  • Paper record of employment if your employer doesn't issue electronic ones
  • Medical certificate if it is requested after you apply
  • Authorization to release a medical certificate for Employment Insurance family caregiver benefits
  • Medical certificate for Employment Insurance family caregiver benefits

• You can use the Employment Insurance Benefits Estimator to determine which type of EI benefit might be right for you, and to get an estimate of the potential weekly benefit rate and maximum number of weeks. It will also suggest next steps to apply.