What if I do not agree with a decision about EI?

You can appeal most decisions about your EI claim. The first step is to ask Service Canada for a “reconsideration” of the decision. This means that you ask them to review and change their decision. You can ask for a reconsideration if Service Canada:

• refuses to give you benefits
• gives you the wrong amount of benefits
• tells you to pay back some benefits
• gives you a penalty or sends you a warning letter

You must ask for the reconsideration in writing. Make sure Service Canada gets it within 30 days of when you got the decision.

If you miss this deadline, you can ask for an extension. But you must give a good reason for why you were late.

How to ask for a reconsideration?

You have to use a form called Request for Reconsideration. To get the form online, go to canada.ca. Type ins5210 in the search box. Or you can get a copy from a Service Canada Centre.

After you fill out and sign the form, take it to your local Service Canada Centre. Or mail it to Ontario’s regional Service Canada Centre at P.O. Box 2602, Mississauga, Ontario L4T 0B1.

What happens when I ask for a reconsideration?

Someone from Service Canada will contact you to talk about your EI claim. Give them any new information you have and explain why you think they should change the decision.

Service Canada might also contact your employer. This is more likely to happen if you did not get benefits because Service

Canada thinks you may have:

• quit your job, or
• been fired.

Read more about reconsiderations at canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-reconsideration.

What Service Canada can do

Service Canada will tell you their decision by phone or in a letter. They could:

• keep the original decision
• change the decision completely
• make some changes to the decision

What Service Canada cannot do

Service Canada cannot reconsider the number of your insurable hours or earnings.

If you’re not happy with the insurable hours or earnings, you can ask the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to decide. This is called a “CPP/EI ruling”.

The deadline to ask for a ruling is June 29 in the year after the year your question relates to.

For information about insurable hours and asking for a ruling, see pages 2 and 3.

What if I do not agree with what Service Canada decides?

If you do not agree with the reconsideration decision, you can appeal to the Employment Insurance Board of Appeal (EI BOA). The EI BOA is new and started April 1, 2026. This is the first level of appeal.

You cannot appeal to the EI BOA until you complete the reconsideration process with Service Canada.

When to appeal to the EI BOA

You might want to appeal Service Canada’s reconsideration decision if:

• Service Canada refused to give you EI benefits
• you have an overpayment or must repay benefits
• you got a warning letter
• you got a penalty but did not make a false declaration

Making a false declaration means that you reported something to Service Canada that:

• was not true,
• was misleading, or
• did not have the essential information.

And you did this on purpose.

The EI BOA is separate from Service Canada. It can make a different decision.

Make your appeal to the EI BOA

To file or make an appeal at the EI BOA, you must complete the Notice of Appeal form on paper or online.

Read more at eiboa-caae.service.canada.ca/en. If you have questions, call the EI BOA at 1-833-341-9399.

You have 30 calendar days from the date Service Canada told you their reconsideration decision to file your appeal. Calendar days are Monday through Sunday.

Appeals to SST – General Division

Before April 1, 2026, appeals were made to the Social Security Tribunal – General Division (SST – General Division). Any appeals that started before April 1, 2026, will continue at the SST – General Division.

What if I disagree with the appeal decisions?

Second level appeals go to the Social Security Tribunal – Appeal Division (SST – Appeal Division). If you disagree with the decision made by the EI BOA or SST – General Division, you can appeal some decisions to the SST – Appeal Division.

Make your appeal to the Appeal Division

To start an appeal at the SST – Appeal Division, you must complete the Notice of Appeal – Employment Insurance – Appeal Division form.

You can find the form at sst-tss.gc.ca/en/your-appeal/social-security-tribunal-forms#adei.

Help with your appeal

The SST offers help with the appeal process. This includes a contact centre and specialized staff that can help you if you do not have a professional representative like a lawyer.

The SST also has information about accessibility and interpretation, organizations that can help you, and how to get a representative.

You can represent yourself in your appeal. But it’s a good idea to contact your local community legal clinic for information and advice. Read about how to do this on page 36.

If you have questions, go to sst-tss.gc.ca or call the SST at 1-877-227-8577. For TTY, call 1-866-873-8381.

Send in your Notice of Appeal

You must send in the Notice of Appeal within 30 calendar days of getting the decision you’re appealing.

You can do this using the SST’s online document exchange portal. You must call the SST to get information on the portal at 1-877-227-8577. For TTY, call 1-866-873-8381.

You can also send the Notice of Appeal by email to info.sst-tss@canada.gc.ca.

Or you can send it by mail to the Social Security Tribunal of Canada, P.O. Box 9812, Station T, Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 6S3.

After you send the Notice of Appeal

The SST – Appeal Division will:

• tell you they got the Notice
• tell the Canada Employment Insurance Commission and the EI BOA that you’re appealing
• make sure you and other parties have all the documents
• assign your appeal to an SST member, who’s the person who will make a decision about your appeal

Parties is the term for others who are involved in your appeal. For example, this could be the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, or someone affected by the decision from the EI BOA or SST – General Division.

You must send your arguments, which explain:

● why the SST – Appeal Division should allow your appeal
● what mistakes you think the EI BOA or SST – General Division made
● how the SST – Appeal Division could fix any mistakes
● what specific result you’re looking for

You cannot send evidence to the SST – Appeal Division.

Usually, the SST – Appeal Division will send you a written Notice of Hearing after all parties have sent in their arguments.

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