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How much is Employment Insurance (EI)?
Employment Insurance (EI) usually gives you 55% of your previous income, up to a maximum of $668 per week, as of January 2024.
Employment Insurance payments are taxable, which means that the government will take taxes from your payment. Find detailed information about how the government calculates your EI payments.
If you are from a low-income family, you may qualify for more. Find more information about how you may get more from the family supplement.
How long do I get Employment Insurance (EI) for?
You can get regular benefits for 14-45 weeks. For special benefits, the time period depends on the type of benefit.
The amount of time you can get benefits depends on the unemployment rate in your region and how long you have worked in the last 52 weeks or since your last claim, whichever is shorter.
When you get regular benefits, you have the responsibility to:
- Be willing and able to work;
- Look for work;
- Go to your EI appointments;
- Report all the money you earn while you are getting EI;
- Report all the work you do while on EI (even if you haven't been paid yet); and
- Report if you will be out of your city or outside of Canada.
Special Benefits
The maximum time that you can get special benefits depends on the type of benefit:
You may be able to combine some types of benefits to extend the period of time that you can collect benefits. Also, there are some restrictions about when the period can start and end.
Find a full list of Benefits and Programs.
For More Information
Last updated:
January 11, 2024
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