Unemployment benefits eligibility in Canada is similar to the eligibility requirements in the United States and other countries that offer unemployment benefits. Losing your job is a real worry for most people. Your job is the only source you have to ensure that you way of life is sustainable. When you lose your job, you are often left wondering what to do in order to ensure that your bills are paid, there is food on the table, and a roof over the heads of those you love.
Unemployment benefits are designed to protect you and help you get by until you can find another means of income. Unemployment benefits, however, are designed only for those who have had a job and lost it due to certain circumstances. Therefore, you must qualify and be deemed eligible in order to receive unemployment benefits.
General Requirements for Unemployment Benefits Eligibility in Canada
The general requirement in order to be considered for unemployment benefits eligibility in Canada is that you must not have lost your job due to something that was preventable. In other words, you cannot collect unemployment benefits if you are fired from your job for breaking rules or for doing acts that are otherwise inappropriate.
This means you are eligible for unemployment if you have lost your job due to no fault of your own. Possible reasons for job loss that are covered under unemployment benefits include the company not having enough work to sustain you as an employee or other similar situations.
Most people who are eligible for unemployment benefits in Canada receive these benefits under this general eligibility provision. Benefits provided under this program are known as the regular benefits of Canada's unemployment benefit program.
Sickness Benefits
Unemployment benefits eligibility in Canada can also be determined by the health of an employee. These types of benefits are provided to those who are able to work, but become temporarily disabled or sick. For instance, if you break your leg and work in a job where you are required to be on your feet for long periods of time, you would be unable to perform your regular job function temporarily until the bone heals. During the healing period you would be considered temporarily disabled and you would be eligible to receive temporary unemployment insurance benefits to make up for the pay you are missing from your regular job.
Maternity Benefits
Having a child also makes you eligible for unemployment benefits in Canada. This type of unemployment insurance ensures that you can sustain your income while taking time off to care for a newborn. This type of insurance can only be collected for a total of 15 weeks.
You can begin your maternity leave and be compensated for it through unemployment up to eight weeks before your expected due date, but this counts towards your 15 weeks. Therefore, it is essential to choose wisely when declaring your maternity leave time. It is also essential that you have all the proper documentation complete to document the pregnancy and the expected due date of the child.
Parental Benefits
Those who adopt or take care of a newborn are also eligible for another type of unemployment benefits. This type of unemployment can be collected for a maximum of 35 weeks. Insurance benefits under this program are paid out the birth parent or to the parent of a newly adopted child so the parent is able to stay home with the child during the adaptation period.
In the case of birth parents, unemployment insurance payments are made payable to them beginning on the date their child is born. For adoptive parents, the benefits are dispersed beginning from the date that the child is given to the adoptive couple.
Compassionate Care Benefits
Compassionate care benefits are offered to those employees who are required to stay home to take care of a close relative's medical needs. This type of unemployment can be collected for two different amounts of time. To care for someone that is temporarily ill and needs support, unemployment will sustain income for a maximum of six weeks. However, if you are staying home to provide support a member of the family who is dying, unemployment will sustain income for a duration of 26 weeks prior to that person passing away. You must also file two forms to claim this unemployment benefit; the person who is ill, and their personal physician, must fill out these forms.
Determining Eligibility
If you determine you are eligible under one of the programs offered through Canada's unemployment services, you can fill out an application and research requirements online at the Service Canada website. This website can provide you with complete details regarding proving your eligibility under one of these categories.
