Parental benefits
EI parental benefits are for biological parents, parents who adopt, and others who the law sees as parents.
You can choose to get standard or extended benefits.
Standard benefits
You can get parental benefits for up to 35 weeks. You will get 55% of what you earned before getting EI, up to $668 a week.
You can get these benefits for 52 weeks after the week:
- your child is born, or
- your adopted child comes to live with you.
But if your child is in the hospital during that time, you can get one extra week for each week they are in the hospital.
If all of the parents have worked enough hours to get EI parental benefits, they can share these benefits. If you share, you can get an extra 5 weeks of benefits.
You can share the 40 weeks any way you like, as long as no one takes more than 35 weeks. For example, the parents could divide the time in equal parts or one parent could take more.
Extended benefits
If you choose extended benefits, you can get parental benefits for up to 61 weeks. You will get 33% of what you earned before getting EI, up to $401 a week.
You can get these benefits for up to 78 weeks, which is about 18 months, after the week:
- your child is born, or
- your adopted child comes to live with you.
But if your child is in the hospital during that time, you can get one extra week for each week they are in the hospital.
If all of the parents have worked enough hours to get EI parental benefits, they can share up to 69 weeks of benefits.
You can share them any way you like, as long as no one takes more than 61 weeks. For example, the parents could divide the time in equal parts or one parent could take more.
What is the Family Supplement?
The Family Supplement is an extra amount you get if:
- you, or your spouse or common-law partner, get the Canada child benefit (CCB), and
- your annual family income is $25,921 or less.
This can increase your benefits to as much as 80% of what you earned before getting EI. But the most you can get is still $668 a week.
If you and your spouse or common-law partner both get EI benefits at the same time, only one of you can get the Family Supplement.
Usually, it is better if the one who gets less EI gets the Family Supplement.
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