EI Sickness and Caregiver Benefits — Paid Leave Most Canadians Don’t Claim
What Is It?
Most people know Employment Insurance pays out when you lose a job. Far fewer know it also pays you when you need to stop working due to illness, or to care for a family member with a serious or critical health condition. These benefits — EI Sickness Benefits and EI Caregiving Benefits — are funded by the same premiums deducted from every Canadian paycheque and are available to most employed Canadians. Many people who qualify never apply.
The Four Benefits at a Glance
| Benefit | Who It’s For | Maximum Weeks | Weekly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| EI Sickness | You are sick, injured, or in quarantine | 26 weeks | 55% of insurable earnings |
| Compassionate Care | Family member with serious illness + risk of death within 26 weeks | 26 weeks (shareable) | 55% of insurable earnings |
| Family Caregiver — Child | Critically ill or injured child under 18 | 35 weeks (shareable) | 55% of insurable earnings |
| Family Caregiver — Adult | Critically ill or injured adult family member | 15 weeks (shareable) | 55% of insurable earnings |
The weekly maximum insurable amount for 2026 is $65,700/year — meaning the maximum weekly EI benefit is approximately $694/week. Benefits are taxable income.
Do I Qualify?
For EI Sickness Benefits:
- You have accumulated 600 insured hours of work in the past 52 weeks (or since your last EI claim)
- You are unable to work due to your own sickness, injury, quarantine, or pregnancy-related complications not covered by maternity benefits
- Your weekly earnings have decreased by more than 40%
For EI Compassionate Care Benefits:
- You have accumulated 600 insured hours in the past 52 weeks
- A family member has a serious illness with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks (medical certificate from a doctor or nurse practitioner required)
- You are caring for or supporting that family member (spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, or someone who considers you like family)
For EI Family Caregiver Benefits:
- You have accumulated 600 insured hours in the past 52 weeks
- You are caring for a critically ill or injured child under 18 (35 weeks available) or an adult family member (15 weeks available)
- A medical certificate confirms the condition is life-threatening
How to Apply
Step 1 — Get the medical certificate. For any caregiving benefit, your family member’s physician or nurse practitioner must complete the appropriate Service Canada medical certificate form. For Sickness benefits, your own doctor must sign a certificate if Service Canada requests one.
Step 2 — Apply online at canada.ca/ei or call Service Canada: 1-800-206-7218. Apply as soon as your hours are reduced — there is a one-week waiting period (waived for some claims through April 2026) and applying late reduces the number of weeks you can receive.
Step 3 — Gather required documents. You’ll need your Social Insurance Number, your Record of Employment (ROE) from your employer, banking information for direct deposit, and the medical certificate.
Step 4 — Multiple family members can share caregiving benefits. Compassionate Care and Family Caregiver benefits can be split among qualifying family members caring for the same person. If two siblings are sharing care, they can split the 26 weeks between them. Each person applies separately and designates the shared claim.
Step 5 — Continue to certify every two weeks. Once approved, you must complete a biweekly online report to continue receiving benefits. Missing a report stops payments.
What Most People Don’t Know
- The waiting period is waived through April 11, 2026 for all initial EI claims, regardless of benefit type. This means payments begin immediately — apply now if you qualify.
- Compassionate Care and Caregiver benefits don’t require the person to be dying imminently. The medical certificate asks for a significant risk of death within 26 weeks — this covers many serious illnesses, including cancer, organ failure, and severe accidents.
- You can receive multiple EI special benefits in a row. If you used sickness benefits and then need compassionate care, you can stack claims (subject to the 52-week benefit year rules).
- Self-employed Canadians can opt in to EI for access to special benefits (sickness and caregiving) — but must have been opted in for at least 12 months before applying. Check canada.ca/ei-self-employed.
- Most provinces also have job protection for illness leave independent of EI. EI pays the money; provincial employment standards protect your job. For federally regulated workers, the Canada Labour Code provides up to 27 weeks of job-protected leave for personal illness.
- The benefit is 55% of insurable earnings up to the maximum insurable amount — if you earn more than $65,700/year, the EI benefit calculation is still based on $65,700. Top-up plans through employers can supplement this.
Who Benefits Most?
Any employed Canadian (or recently employed) who needs to stop working because of their own illness or injury, or who must step away to care for a gravely ill or critically ill family member. Especially valuable for caregivers of aging parents, seriously ill spouses, or critically ill children.
Legal Basis
- Employment Insurance Act — SC 1996, c 23, ss. 12(3) (sickness), 23.1–23.3 (compassionate care), 23.2 (family caregiver — children), 23.3 (family caregiver — adults)
- EI Regulations — SOR/96-332
- Canada Labour Code — RSC 1985, c L-2, ss. 239–239.1 (job protection for federally regulated workers)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a doctor’s note to apply for EI Sickness Benefits?
Not upfront — you can apply immediately without a medical certificate. However, Service Canada may request one after you apply, and you must be able to provide a signed certificate from your physician confirming you are unable to work. Apply as soon as your earnings are reduced; do not wait to gather paperwork.
Can I receive EI Sickness Benefits if I’m self-employed?
Only if you voluntarily opted in to EI’s special benefits program through CRA My Account and have been registered for at least 12 months before your claim. Self-employed workers who did not opt in are not eligible. The opt-in covers sickness, maternity, parental, compassionate care, and family caregiver benefits.
What does the one-week waiting period mean and is it currently in effect?
The waiting period is the first week of your claim for which no benefits are paid — it functions like an insurance deductible. As of March 2026, the waiting period is waived for all initial EI claims through April 11, 2026, meaning benefits begin immediately. After that date, the standard one-week wait applies.
Can multiple family members claim Compassionate Care Benefits for the same person?
Yes. The 26-week Compassionate Care pool can be shared among multiple qualifying family members caring for the same gravely ill person. Each person applies separately and the weeks are allocated between them. For example, two siblings could each take 13 weeks. The same sharing rule applies to Family Caregiver benefits for children (35 weeks) and adults (15 weeks).
Does my job have legal protection while I’m on EI Sickness or Caregiver leave?
EI pays the benefits but does not itself protect your job. Job protection comes from provincial employment standards legislation and, for federally regulated workers, the Canada Labour Code (which provides up to 27 weeks of job-protected illness leave). Most provincial employment standards acts also provide leave entitlements for illness and caregiving — check your province’s rules separately.