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 or you think the amount is too low
- 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. You must 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 do I ask for a reconsideration?
You have to use a form called Request for Reconsideration. You can get this form online at ei.gc.ca. Or go to canada.ca and type ins5210 in the search box.
After you fill out and sign the form, you must take it to your local Service Canada Centre. Or you can mail it to a regional Service Canada Centre.
For Ontario, the mailing address is Service Canada, 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. You can give them any new information you have and explain why you think the decision should be changed.
Service Canada might also contact your employer. This is more likely to happen if the reason you did not get benefits was because you quit your job or were fired.
Read more about reconsiderations on ei.gc.ca.
Service Canada will tell you their decision in a letter. They could:
- keep the original decision
- change the decision completely
- make some changes to the decision
They will tell you their decision in a letter.
What if I do not agree with what Service Canada decides?
The next step is to appeal to the Social Security Tribunal (SST). You cannot appeal to the SST unless you have gone through the reconsideration process first.
On the SST website, there is a Notice of Appeal form and information about how to start an appeal.
You can also start an appeal by sending a letter. But it must have all the information that the form asks for.
Read more at sst-tss.gc.ca/en/your-appeal. If you have any questions, call the SST at 1-877-227-8577. For TTY, call 1-866-873-8381.
The SST must get your Notice of Appeal or letter no later than 30 days after you were told about the reconsideration decision.
Email the form to info.sst-tss@canada.gc.ca. Fax it to 1-855-814-4117. Or mail it to the Social Security Tribunal, P.O. Box 9812, Station T, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 6S3.
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