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Very unique CERB/ EI question

jss117

Star Member
May 14, 2014
79
5
My wife took sickness leave from her work starting from Jan 20 and received EI benefits for 15 weeks. Now the benefits have been ended after 15 weeks. She is also 5 months pregnant and will not be going to work. Her company has also been closed for 3 weeks now and closed until May 4th.
She has worked over 6 months full time in the last year but she has not filed her tax since it’s her first job in Canada. I am confused If she is eligible for CERB or should she be applying for maternity leave.

I hope someone can help here.
I have read the CERB conditions and I am unable to figure.
 

canuck_in_uk

VIP Member
May 4, 2012
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My wife took sickness leave from her work starting from Jan 20 and received EI benefits for 15 weeks. Now the benefits have been ended after 15 weeks. She is also 5 months pregnant and will not be going to work. Her company has also been closed for 3 weeks now and closed until May 4th.
She has worked over 6 months full time in the last year but she has not filed her tax since it’s her first job in Canada. I am confused If she is eligible for CERB or should she be applying for maternity leave.

I hope someone can help here.
I have read the CERB conditions and I am unable to figure.
Given that it is a non-standard situation, you need to be contacting CRA directly to confirm if she is eligible.
 
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Copingwithlife

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Jul 29, 2018
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My wife took sickness leave from her work starting from Jan 20 and received EI benefits for 15 weeks. Now the benefits have been ended after 15 weeks. She is also 5 months pregnant and will not be going to work. Her company has also been closed for 3 weeks now and closed until May 4th.
She has worked over 6 months full time in the last year but she has not filed her tax since it’s her first job in Canada. I am confused If she is eligible for CERB or should she be applying for maternity leave.

I hope someone can help here.
I have read the CERB conditions and I am unable to figure.
Has she already applied for maternity-parental benefits? Maternity benefits are 15 weeks. I remember when I worked at a EI call centre there is a provision where one could bridge sickness benefits into maternity benefits , then onto parental benefits. There’s a chart they use on the maximum allowed benefits in a period and the conditions attached . She wants to call ESDC - Service Canada . These benefits aren’t automatically bridged , and more than likely she’ll need documentation from her Doctor that you’ll have to mail into Service Canada. She’ll need to give her estimated due date, and does she want to have regular benefits or the extended parental benefits put in last year
 
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canuck78

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Jun 18, 2017
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Still not clear if she is able to return to work. That makes a big difference when it comes to the answer. Some problems in pregnancy often resolve after first trimester or early second trimester for example if you’re lucky hyperemesis.
 
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canuck_in_uk

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May 4, 2012
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App. Filed.......
06/12
Has she already applied for maternity-parental benefits? Maternity benefits are 15 weeks. I remember when I worked at a EI call centre there is a provision where one could bridge sickness benefits into maternity benefits , then onto parental benefits. There’s a chart they use on the maximum allowed benefits in a period and the conditions attached . She wants to call ESDC - Service Canada . These benefits aren’t automatically bridged , and more than likely she’ll need documentation from her Doctor that you’ll have to mail into Service Canada. She’ll need to give her estimated due date, and does she want to have regular benefits or the extended parental benefits put in last year
It would have been 15 weeks of medical EI, not maternity, as the earliest maternity can start is 12 weeks before the expected due date and she isn't even that far along now.

If she is 5 months along now, then she is likely around 18 weeks from the expected due date, so still too early to apply for maternity. If her workplace does reopen in 3 weeks, she would be expected to return. If she doesn't, it would appear to be her choice to stay at home and not work, which would make her ineligible for CERB.

Medical EI can certainly be bridged into maternity and parental EI, for a total of 67 (using the standard one year instead of 18 months) weeks of benefits. However, from what I recall, when there is a gap between the claims, that 67 week count starts from when the medical EI started unless the person works 600 hours between the medical and maternity EI claims and therefore qualifies for a new claim. That would mean that if OP's spouse doesn't get another 600 hours of work between now and the start of maternity, she would only qualify to receive maternity/parental leave until May 2021, 67 weeks after the start of the medical EI claim.

I am NOT an expert on EI, so this is just my understanding of the benefits and may not be correct. OP really needs to contact CRA regarding CERB and ESDC regarding EI.
 
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jss117

Star Member
May 14, 2014
79
5
I called CRA and they said she is eligible. I think the reason is that she has completed her sick leave and whether she is ready to go to work or not she has no option except to stay at home because her company is closed. So may be she could at least get the CERB for one month if company reopens in a few weeks.
 

Copingwithlife

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Jul 29, 2018
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I called CRA and they said she is eligible. I think the reason is that she has completed her sick leave and whether she is ready to go to work or not she has no option except to stay at home because her company is closed. So may be she could at least get the CERB for one month if company reopens in a few weeks.
That’s fine, but you have to keep in mind . That all claims are being approved. If the spouse has lost her job, or there’s a interruption, the employer needs to complete a ROE. Just like they completed a ROE for sickness , the new ROE would be shortage of work . if claims are paid out and not eligible, repayment will be expected
 
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canuck78

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Jun 18, 2017
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I called CRA and they said she is eligible. I think the reason is that she has completed her sick leave and whether she is ready to go to work or not she has no option except to stay at home because her company is closed. So may be she could at least get the CERB for one month if company reopens in a few weeks.
Unfortunately you must take the advice given by CRA customer service with a grain of salt since they are often incorrect and do your own research. So she is ready to return to work and doesn’t need to be off for medical reasons. Hopefully your wife will be able to return to work since it looks like you may run into issues when it comes to mat leave after the birth.
 
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canuck_in_uk

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May 4, 2012
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I called CRA and they said she is eligible. I think the reason is that she has completed her sick leave and whether she is ready to go to work or not she has no option except to stay at home because her company is closed. So may be she could at least get the CERB for one month if company reopens in a few weeks.
Yes, I would say she would be eligible for CERB for the short time between coming of medical EI and her office reopening. If she chooses not to return to work when the office reopens, then she would no longer be eligible.
 
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jss117

Star Member
May 14, 2014
79
5
thank you all for your help and advice. I will surely update everything about her case here. I think I need to make another call to CRA and clear more confusions like the underlined bold red line:
For your first CERB application:

· You have stopped or will stop working due to reasons related to COVID-19

· For at least 14 days in a row, during the period you are applying for, you will not receive:

o employment income

o self-employment income

o provincial or federal benefits related to maternity or paternity leave.


Her sickness week started from Jan 22 and she has already received her 15 week sickness pay (EI).

Her company closed on March 20th and expecting to open on May 4th.

so confusing i knwo_O
 

Copingwithlife

VIP Member
Jul 29, 2018
3,864
1,865
Earth
thank you all for your help and advice. I will surely update everything about her case here. I think I need to make another call to CRA and clear more confusions like the underlined bold red line:
For your first CERB application:

· You have stopped or will stop working due to reasons related to COVID-19

· For at least 14 days in a row, during the period you are applying for, you will not receive:

o employment income

o self-employment income

o provincial or federal benefits related to maternity or paternity leave.


Her sickness week started from Jan 22 and she has already received her 15 week sickness pay (EI).

Her company closed on March 20th and expecting to open on May 4th.

so confusing i knwo_O
I found this link to contact Service Canada
.
Fill it in

https://sr-ds.powerappsportals.com/caseintakeen/
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,959
12,758
Unfortunately you must take the advice given by CRA customer service with a grain of salt since they are often incorrect and do your own research. So she is ready to return to work and doesn’t need to be off for medical reasons. Hopefully your wife will be able to return to work since it looks like you may run into issues when it comes to mat leave after the birth.
They just changed the rules today so that if you are trying to return to work after EI or may leave and there are no jobs available then you can apply for CERB.
 

jss117

Star Member
May 14, 2014
79
5
They just changed the rules today so that if you are trying to return to work after EI or may leave and there are no jobs available then you can apply for CERB.
Yes I was notified by my wife’s HR manager about this. She said there is strong chance the company will be closed for longer. Now the new rules also say :

The CERB will become available to Canadians who have exhausted their employment insurance (EI) benefits since Jan. 1, seasonal workers who can’t find work because of COVID-19, and those who earn up to $1,000 a month, the prime minister said.”

Again I am confused.