EI Emergency Benefit Expanded to Fishers

Summary#

Interim Order No. 4 Amending the Employment Insurance Act (Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit) expands who can get the temporary EI emergency benefit during the COVID‑19 period. It specifically makes recently active, self‑employed fishers who exhausted their EI fishing benefits eligible if they cannot start work for COVID‑related reasons. The order is retroactive to March 15, 2020.

What it does#

• Adds an eligibility category for people who are unable to start working for reasons related to COVID‑19 and who, at any time between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020, had at least one fishing benefit paid or payable.
• Makes clear that, for this new category, the relevant payments are the benefits provided under the employment‑insurance scheme in Part VIII (the EI fishing benefits).
• States the order applies even if other parts of the Employment Insurance Act or its regulations would otherwise say otherwise.
• Comes into force retroactively at 00:00:03 a.m. on March 15, 2020, and is temporary — it will stop when it is repealed or expires.

Who's affected#

• Primarily self‑employed fishers who recently exhausted EI fishing benefits and cannot begin work because of COVID‑19 restrictions or impacts.
• Other EI applicants are not newly covered by this specific change; the order clarifies eligibility for the fishing group only.
• If it’s unclear whether an individual qualifies, they would need to check the details with Employment and Social Development Canada or the EI program.

Why it matters#

• It lets fishers who ran out of EI fishing benefits still access the emergency EI benefit if COVID‑19 prevents them from working.
• Because the order is retroactive to March 15, 2020, people affected earlier in the pandemic may be eligible for support going back to that date.
• This is a COVID‑19 emergency measure meant to fill a specific gap for a seasonal, self‑employed group that might otherwise be left without income.