EI approved even though I received severance

[Sgniwe777]

Hello there, I left my place of employment in October 2020 and received a handsome severance package which was actually called a retirement allowance. I received approximately eight months worth of salary. At the beginning of January I applied for employment insurance just so my claim would be in the system. All of the correct information was on my record of employment including my large retirement allowance sum. Everything that I was asked when I applied, I answered truthfully, including the reason I left my place of employment, which was my choice. I received my first EI payment yesterday and I’m not sure that I should have received it because my severance has not “run out”. Any idea why I am getting EI and whether or not they will come to me a year from now and try and claw it back? Thank you for your feedback

 

[canuck78]

Hello there, I left my place of employment in October 2020 and received a handsome severance package which was actually called a retirement allowance. I received approximately eight months worth of salary. At the beginning of January I applied for employment insurance just so my claim would be in the system. All of the correct information was on my record of employment including my large retirement allowance sum. Everything that I was asked when I applied, I answered truthfully, including the reason I left my place of employment, which was my choice. I received my first EI payment yesterday and I’m not sure that I should have received it because my severance has not “run out”. Any idea why I am getting EI and whether or not they will come to me a year from now and try and claw it back? Thank you for your feedback

If you left your and we’re not laid off or fired then you never qualified for EI and shouldn’t have applied for it. You need to contact the office because there have been a few processing errors made in your case including the fact that you are still receiving severance.

 

[Sgniwe777]

That’s not entirely true. There are several circumstances in which individuals are paid EI and have left their work but have not been Terminated or laid off. I had to fill out all of the information around the circumstances as to why I left my work and service Canada has that information and processed my claim with that information

 

[roy1947]

what are the reasons for which you can leave job and qualify for EI ?

 

[canuck78]

That’s not entirely true. There are several circumstances in which individuals are paid EI and have left their work but have not been Terminated or laid off. I had to fill out all of the information around the circumstances as to why I left my work and service Canada has that information and processed my claim with that information

You specified that your severance was classified as a retirement allowance so would assume leaving the company would be classified as retirement. You also chose to leave the company which also usually means that you are not entitled to EI. Much easier to doublecheck that you are actually entitled to the EI versus having to pay it back much later on. If you posted here you are clearly also concerned that an error has been made. With the volume they are processing it seems like the motto has been pay now, verify later.