Open ProvincesEI sickness, maternity and parental benefits: weeks, hours and how to apply
The 600-hour test, how many weeks each benefit pays, and why to apply within four weeks.
Apply online as soon as you stop working: if you wait more than 4 weeks after your last day of work you risk losing benefits. The online application takes about an hour. There is usually a one-week waiting period before payments start (with exceptions, for example paid sick leave from your employer).
The test
For these special benefits you need 600 hours of insurable work in the qualifying period (the shorter of the 52 weeks before your claim starts or the time since a previous claim began). Each parent who claims parental benefits needs their own 600 hours. For sickness you must be unable to work for medical reasons and your regular weekly earnings must have dropped by more than 40% for at least one week.
How many weeks
- Sickness: up to 26 weeks for claims starting on or after December 18, 2022 (15 weeks before).
- Maternity: up to 15 weeks, starting as early as 12 weeks before the expected birth and ending as late as 17 weeks after it.
- Parental, standard option: up to 35 weeks, within 52 weeks after the birth or placement.
- Parental, extended option: up to 61 weeks at a lower weekly rate, within 78 weeks. Parents can share the weeks; both choose the same option and each submits their own application.
Have ready your child's birth or placement date, the other parent's SIN if sharing, and details of your employers and your highest-earning weeks. In Quebec, parental benefits are paid by the QPIP (RQAP): see atlasquebec.ca.
EI maternity and parental benefits: eligibility ↗ · EI sickness benefits: do you qualify ↗
Sources and limits
Read on November 14, 2026 on Canada.ca. Weekly benefit amounts are not listed.
General information based on federal and national rules; provincial rules may differ. Confirm with the official body before acting. Last reviewed : 2026-11-14.