{"id":46532,"date":"2015-06-17T18:14:18","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T22:14:18","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-05-14T17:00:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T21:00:50","slug":"how-do-i-apply-ei-benefits","status":"publish","type":"publications-page","link":"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications-page\/how-do-i-apply-ei-benefits","title":{"rendered":"How do I apply for EI benefits?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You need to fill out an application online. Or apply at a Service Canada Centre.<\/p>\n<p>To find the form, go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/services\/benefits\/apply-privacy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">canada.ca\/en\/services\/benefits\/apply-privacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re not able to apply online or have trouble with the online form, contact Service Canada at <strong>1-800-622-6232<\/strong>. For TTY, call <strong>1-800-926-9105<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>When you apply, you need the following information for all of your jobs in the last 52 weeks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>names and addresses of your employers<\/li>\n<li>dates you worked for them<\/li>\n<li>detailed reasons for why you left<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You also need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>your Social Insurance Number and another piece of identification, with your photo if possible,<\/li>\n<li>your banking information so your EI payments can go into your bank account,<\/li>\n<li>your mailing address, and<\/li>\n<li>the dates and what you were paid for each of your highest-paid weeks in your qualifying period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"box-teal\">\n<p>CLEO&#8217;s resource <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications\/emplns\">Employment Insurance<\/a> has more about this in the section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications\/emplns\/how-much-will-i-get\">How much will I get?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You must sign a statement that says when your baby is due or was born.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re adopting, the statement must say when the child came to live with you or is coming to live with you. And it must say the name of the adoption agency.<\/p>\n<p>The full list of what you need is part of the online EI application form.<\/p>\n<h2>Do I need my Record of Employment?<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s easier to apply for EI if you have your Record of Employment (ROE). You will need an ROE for every employer you worked for in the past 12 months.<\/p>\n<p>Your employer must send the ROE. They can give you a paper copy, or send an online copy to Service Canada directly.<\/p>\n<p>If your employer sends your ROE directly to Service Canada:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>they do not have to give you a copy, and<\/li>\n<li>you do not need a copy to apply for EI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But you can get a copy from Service Canada if you want one.<\/p>\n<p>To see your ROE online, you need to have a MyServiceCanada account. You can access your account or set one up at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/corporate\/portfolio\/service-canada.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">servicecanada.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you do not have your ROE yet, you should <strong>apply for EI as soon as you stop working<\/strong>. You need proof of your employment, such as pay stubs and T4 slips.<\/p>\n<p>If you do not apply within 4 weeks after you start your leave, you will probably get fewer EI payments.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re having problems getting your ROE, you can ask Service Canada for help.<\/p>\n<p>Call the Employment Insurance Telephone Information Service at <strong>1-800-206-7218<\/strong>. For TTY, call <strong>1-800-529-3742<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Or visit Service Canada in person and let them know that your employer is not sending your ROE.<\/p>\n<div class=\"box-teal\">\n<p>CLEO has a tool that creates a letter you can send to your employer asking for your ROE. Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/resource\/write-a-letter-to-get-your-roe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stepstojustice.ca\/asking-for-roe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-46532","publications-page","type-publications-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How do I apply for EI benefits? - CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario \/ \u00c9ducation juridique communautaire Ontario)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\/publications-page\/how-do-i-apply-ei-benefits\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How do I apply for EI benefits? - CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario \/ \u00c9ducation juridique communautaire Ontario)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You need to fill out an application online. 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