COVID-19 EI Emergency Benefit Rules

Summary#

Interim Order No. 2 Amending the Employment Insurance Act (Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit) changes who can get the special COVID-19 EI emergency benefit and allows small amounts of earned income without losing eligibility. The order is retroactive to 00:00:01 a.m., March 15, 2020 and was registered on April 16, 2020 and published on April 29, 2020.

What it does#

• Changes the definition of who counts as a claimant under the Employment Insurance Act so it clearly includes:
  • people who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, and
  • people who would have had an EI benefit period established on or after March 15, 2020 (that is, those who would otherwise have qualified for regular EI or sickness benefits).
• Aligns some technical terms with normal EI rules, including benefit period, benefits, and insurable earnings, so they work the same way for this emergency benefit.
• Allows a claimant to keep receiving the emergency benefit even if they earn up to $1,000 in total from employment or self‑employment over any four-week period covered by the benefit.
• Confirms that recipients of the emergency benefit can also receive the Family Supplement (additional amounts for low-income families).
• Says the interim order applies even if other parts of the EI rules would conflict with it.
• Makes the changes effective retroactively to 00:00:01 a.m., March 15, 2020.

Who's affected#

• Workers (employees and self-employed) who stopped working because of COVID-19.
• People who would have become eligible for regular EI or sickness benefits if their benefit period had started on or after March 15, 2020.
• Recipients who earn small amounts (up to $1,000 in a four-week period) and worried they might lose the emergency benefit.
• Low-income families receiving the emergency benefit, who may be eligible for the Family Supplement.

Why it matters#

• It makes the emergency EI benefit more accessible to people who lost work due to the pandemic, including those who still have small, occasional earnings.
• The retroactive effective date means people who lost income from March 15, 2020 onward may be covered now even if they already had a gap in benefits.
• Allowing the $1,000 earnings buffer helps people who do some work while trying to stay financially afloat without automatically losing their emergency support.
• The measure is temporary and was introduced to help mitigate the economic effects of COVID‑19.