Employment Insurance (EI) pays part of your wages while you are out of work through no fault of your own, or off work to recover from illness, have a baby or care for someone. There is no fixed EI payment day. You send Service Canada a report every two weeks, and with direct deposit your payment usually arrives 2 to 3 business days after each report.
When EI is paid
EI works on a two-week cycle that starts when you apply:
- You apply. Service Canada aims to decide within 28 days. If you are eligible and sent everything needed, your first payment comes about 28 days after you apply.
- You get an access code by mail. It comes with your benefit statement. You need it, with your social insurance number, to do your reports.
- You report every two weeks. After each report, Service Canada tells you when the next one is due. You can’t send it early, but you have 3 weeks from that date to send it.
- You get paid. Payments are only issued after a report is processed. With direct deposit, the money arrives 2 to 3 business days after you finish your report. Cheques take longer.
Your payment day depends on when you applied and when you report, so the calendar at the top of this page can’t show one date for everyone.
How much you’ll get
For most people, EI pays 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum.
| Figure | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Benefit rate | 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings |
| Maximum weekly benefit | $729 |
| Maximum insurable earnings | $68,900 a year |
| Regular benefits last | 14 to 45 weeks, depending on your hours and your region |
Service Canada works out your average from your best-paid weeks. In areas with high unemployment it uses your best 14 weeks. In areas with low unemployment it uses your best 22 weeks. Once your weekly rate is set, it stays the same for the whole claim.
Example 1: your best weeks averaged $1,000. You get 55% of that, or $550 a week before tax.
Example 2: your best weeks averaged $1,600. 55% would be $880, so you get the 2026 maximum of $729.
Low-income families can get more. If your net family income is $25,921 or less, you have children, and you or your spouse get the Canada Child Benefit, the EI family supplement can raise your rate up to 80% of your earnings.
EI is taxable. Federal and provincial tax is taken off each payment.
Who qualifies for regular benefits
- You worked in a job that paid into EI.
- You lost your job through no fault of your own, for example a layoff or shortage of work.
- You have been without work and pay for at least 7 days in a row.
- You worked 420 to 700 insurable hours in the last 52 weeks, or since your last claim. The number depends on the unemployment rate where you live.
- You are ready, willing and able to work each day, and you are looking for work. Keep a written list of the employers you contact.
You usually can’t get regular benefits if you quit without a good reason, were fired for misconduct, or are out of work because you’re taking part in a strike or lockout.
How to apply
- Apply online as soon as you stop working. If you wait more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits.
- Don’t wait for your Record of Employment (ROE). Your employer should issue it within 5 calendar days after your last pay period, and you can check it in My Service Canada Account.
- Have this ready: your social insurance number, your addresses, your bank details for direct deposit, and the names, dates and reason for leaving for every job in the last 52 weeks.
- Send your reports every two weeks online, or by phone at 1-800-531-7555.
If Service Canada turns down your claim, you can ask for a reconsideration within 30 days of the decision.
Working while on EI
You can take part-time or short-term work and keep some of your EI. You keep 50 cents of EI for every dollar you earn, up to 90% of the weekly earnings used to set your benefit. Above that, your EI is cut dollar for dollar.
Example: your EI is $550 a week, based on $1,000 weekly earnings. You earn $300 in a week. Your EI drops by $150, to $400, so you have $700 that week.
Always report the money you earn. If you don’t, you may be overpaid and have to pay it back.
Paying back EI at tax time
If your 2026 net income is over $86,125 and you got regular benefits, you repay 30% of whichever is smaller: your income over $86,125, or the regular benefits you got. You don’t repay anything if you got no regular benefits in the 10 years before 2026, or if you only got special benefits such as sickness or parental benefits.
Other types of EI
Sickness, maternity and standard parental benefits pay 55% of your earnings, up to $729 a week in 2026:
- Sickness: up to 26 weeks if you can’t work for medical reasons.
- Maternity: up to 15 weeks.
- Standard parental: up to 40 weeks shared between parents, with no more than 35 for one parent.
- Extended parental: up to 69 weeks shared, with no more than 61 for one parent, at 33% of earnings (up to $437 a week).
- Caregiving: up to 35 weeks to care for a critically ill or injured child, up to 15 weeks for an adult, and up to 26 weeks of compassionate care for someone at the end of life.
What changed in 2026
- The maximum insurable earnings rose to $68,900 on January 1, 2026, so the top weekly benefit rose to $729.
- No unpaid first week for many claims. Normally the first week of a claim is an unpaid waiting period. Under a temporary measure, it is waived for new claims that start between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026.
- Severance and vacation pay. For claims that start in the same period, money paid when you left your job is not taken off your EI.
- More weeks for long-time workers. Some long-tenured workers whose claims start between June 15, 2025 and October 10, 2026 can get 20 extra weeks, up to 65 weeks in total.
- Extensions announced. In August 2026, the government announced it will extend the waiting-period and severance measures by one year and the extra weeks by 8 months. It also announced a one-year measure so people who quit a job in recent months aren’t penalized, as long as their most recent job loss was not their fault. Check Service Canada’s temporary measures page for the new dates before you count on them.
Payment late, missing or different?
First, check your claim and payments in My Service Canada Account. It shows your latest processed report, your weekly rate and any deductions.
If you still have questions, call the EI line at 1-800-206-7218. The automated service is open 24 hours a day for information about your claim. To reach an officer, choose “0”, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. TTY users can call 1-800-529-3742. From outside Canada and the US, call 1-877-486-1650.
Common reasons a payment is late, smaller or missing:
- You haven’t sent your report, or it hasn’t been processed yet. No report means no payment.
- Your application is still being reviewed, for example because an ROE or document is missing.
- You reported earnings, so part of your EI was deducted.
- You changed your bank account or address and didn’t update it.
Watch for scams. Service Canada never asks for fees, gift cards, cryptocurrency or passwords by text or email. If someone contacts you about your claim, hang up and call the number above yourself.
Other help you might be missing
- Canada Child Benefit: a monthly tax-free payment if you have children under 18. File your taxes on time to keep it coming.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: a tax-free quarterly payment for low and modest incomes.
- Canada Workers Benefit: if you go back to work on a low income.
- Provincial assistance: if EI isn’t enough or runs out, look at Ontario Works, BC Income Assistance or Alberta Income Support.
- CPP disability: if a severe, long-term illness or disability keeps you from working.
Common questions
How long does EI take to deposit after my report?
With direct deposit, 2 to 3 business days after you finish your report. Cheques take longer.
What day of the week does EI pay?
There’s no set day. Your payment depends on when you send your report and when it’s processed. The next report date Service Canada gives you is your best guide.
How long until my first EI payment?
About 28 days after you apply, if you are eligible and sent everything Service Canada needs.
Do I get paid for the first week of EI?
Normally the first week is an unpaid waiting period. It’s waived for new claims that start between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026, and the government has announced a one-year extension.
Can I work part time on EI?
Yes. You keep 50 cents of EI for every dollar you earn, up to 90% of the earnings your benefit is based on. Report all your earnings.
Is EI taxable?
Yes. Tax is taken off each payment, and you get a T4E slip for your tax return.
