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New Employment Insurance benefit for parents of critically ill children
The Government recognizes the emotional and financial challenges faced by parents when a child has a life-threatening illness or injury and the vital role parents play in a child’s recovery. Once implemented, this new EI special benefit will provide income support for up to 35 weeks to parents or legal guardians of minor children (under 18 years of age) with a life-threatening illness or injury.
As with other EI special benefits, applicants (parents or legal guardians) will need to have worked a minimum of 600 hours in the last year and take leave from their employment. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program will need to have earned income in the previous calendar year ($6,222 in 2012) to be eligible for the benefit. All applicants will also need to submit a medical certificate signed by a Canadian-certified pediatrician or medical specialist.
Benefits may be combined with other benefits, such as the compassionate care benefit and parental benefit, or shared between parents and may also be used at any time within a 52-week period. Benefits will end once the maximum of 35 weeks of benefits have been paid, the 52-week benefit period ends, once the child’s condition improves or in the unfortunate event that the child passes away.
For the purposes of this new special benefit, a critically ill child is defined as one who has a life-threatening illness or injury for which continued parental care or support is required.
The new EI special benefit for parents of critically ill children is expected to be available in June 2013 and will help an estimated 6,000 families per year.
Other Government support for parents
This new measure is part of the Government’s continued action to help parents balance work and family responsibilities. Other recently introduced measures to support parents are as follows:
- A new federal income support for parents of murdered or missing children will take effect January 1, 2013.
- Foster parents who commit to adopt the foster children in their care can now receive EI parental benefits sooner.
- Self-employed Canadians who opt into the EI program can now receive maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, in addition to the new EI special benefit.
- Military families now have improved access to EI parental benefits. Members of the Canadian Forces who are ordered to return to duty while on parental leave, or whose parental leave is deferred as a result of an imperative military requirement, now have a window of up to 104 weeks following their child’s birth or adoption in which to access part or all of their 35 weeks of EI parental benefits.
- Eligibility for the compassionate care benefit was extended to include additional family members and others considered as “family” by the person who is gravely ill.
- Assistance is also provided to parents through the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the Universal Child Care Benefit.
