EI Maternity and Parental Benefits - After you've applied

6. After you've applied

Now that you have submitted your EI application, we need to receive your Records of Employment (ROEs) before we can process it.

  • If your employers issue ROEs in paper format, you must Request copies of all ROEs issued to you during the last 52 weeks. You will need to provide us with these paper ROEs – we cannot finalize your application until we receive them. You must either drop off your paper ROEs in person at any Service Canada Centre or mail them to us. The mailing address of the appropriate Service Canada Centre will be provided to you when you complete your online application.
  • If your employers submit ROEs electronically to Service Canada, you do not need to request copies of your Records of Employment from your employers.

If you are entitled to receive benefits, you should receive your first payment within 28 days of the date we receive your claim and all required documents. Before you start receiving EI benefits, there may be two weeks for which you will not be paid. This is what we call the "waiting period." The waiting period is like the deductible that you must pay for other types of insurance.

If you are not entitled to receive benefits, we will notify you by letter or by telephone to explain why. If you disagree with our decision, you have the right to request a reconsideration.

Shortly after you submit your EI application, we will mail you an EI benefit statement. This does not mean that your application has been approved. This statement simply provides you with your EI access code, instructions on how to use the code, and other relevant EI information.

Your access code is the four-digit code printed in the shaded area of your benefit statement. You need to have it with you whenever you want to obtain information about your benefit claim and when you submit your reports. Your access code is used to identify you and ensure confidentiality of the information you provide. Store your access code in a safe place, separately from your Social Insurance Number.

You do not have to submit EI reports while you are receiving maternity and parental benefits, unless you are working. In that case, you must let us know by contacting the Service Canada Centre in your area. You will then have to complete EI reports.

There are two ways to receive your EI benefits:

  • we can deposit them directly into your bank account; or
  • we can mail them to you.

Receiving benefits by direct deposit

Direct deposit ensures that you will get your payment as quickly as possible and is reliable, convenient, and easy to set up. When you use direct deposit, your EI payments are deposited automatically into your bank account.

You can sign up for direct deposit when you apply for EI. You can also sign up for direct deposit online, by phone, in person, or by mail.

You will stop receiving EI benefits in any of the following cases, whichever comes first:

  • you have received all the weeks of benefits to which you were entitled; or
  • the maximum benefit period of 52 weeks has been reached; or
  • the payment timeframe during which you can receive benefits has ended, as follows:
    • EI maternity benefits must end 17 weeks after the week you were expected to give birth or the week you actually give birth, whichever is later; or
    • EI parental benefits must end 52 weeks after the week your child was born or was placed with you for adoption.

To get more information about your EI claim, you can visit our website or call us.

Online

To get information about your claim online, you first need to register with My Service Canada Account on our website.

By telephone

You can also get information about your benefit claim by using the EI Telephone Information Service. Call 1-800-206-7218 (TTY: 1-800-529-3742) and choose option "1." Be sure to have your Social Insurance Number and your EI access code on hand when you call.

When requesting Maternity or Parental benefits you must:

  • provide all required information and documents;
  • provide our office with your child's actual date of birth;
  • in the case of an adoption, provide the date of the child's placement with you, the name and address of the adoption authority;
  • report if you stop providing care for your child;
  • report all employment, whether you work for someone else or for yourself;
  • accurately report all employment earnings before deductions in the week(s) in which they were earned, as well as any other monies you may receive.
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