OVERVIEW OF BENEFITS
Maternity benefits (as defined by EI)
Maternity benefits are payable to the birth mother for a maximum of 15 weeks.
To receive maternity benefits you are required to have worked for 600 hours
in the last 52 weeks or since your last claim. You need to prove your pregnancy
by signing a statement declaring the expected due or actual date of birth.
The mother can start collecting maternity benefits either up to 8 weeks before
she is expected to give birth or at the week she gives birth. Maternity benefits
can be collected within 17 weeks of the actual or expected week of birth,
whichever is later. Please note that the date you file your claim is very
important in order for you to receive the maximum maternity benefits you are
entitled to. If you are unsure about your most advantageous maternity period to
receive maximum benefits, please contact EI. If the actual date of birth is
different from the expected date of birth, it is very important that you provide
this date as soon as possible after the birth of your child. Please contact EI
at 1-800-206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a
representative. This way they will be able to determine the most advantageous
maternity period, in order to receive the maximum maternity benefits you are
entitled to.
Parental benefits (as defined by EI)
Parental benefits are payable either to the biological or adoptive parents while they are caring for a new-born or an adopted child, up to a maximum of 35 weeks. To receive parental benefits you are required to have worked for 600 hours in the last 52 weeks or since your last claim. You must sign a statement declaring the newborn's date of birth, or, when there is an adoption, the child's date of placement for the purpose of the adoption, and the name and address of the adoption authority.
Parental benefits can be claimed by one parent or shared between the two partners but will not exceed a combined maximum of 35 weeks. Claimants making application for parental benefits must provide the name and Social Insurance Number (SIN) of the other parent for cross-reference purposes.
Parental benefits for biological parents and their spouses are payable from the child's birth date and for adoptive parents and their spouses from the date the child is placed with you. Parental benefits are only available within the 52 weeks following the child's birth, or for adoptive parents, within the 52 weeks from the date the child is placed with you, unless your child is hospitalized.
The weekly EI payment and the number of weeks to be paid remain the same even if you give birth to more than one child or if you adopt at the same time.