Page 35 - A Canuck's Guide to Financial Literacy 2020
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               Maternity & Parental Benefits


               Becoming a parent begins before your child arrives. You have to plan the nursery, buy
               clothes, buy diapers but most importantly, apply for maternity & parental benefits. In
               Canada, parents are allowed to take maternity and parental leave to spend more time
               raising their child. Employment Insurance offers temporary income to biological or surrogate
               mothers who are pregnant or have just given birth to take 15 weeks of maternity leave
               followed by 35 weeks of parental leave. Quebec citizens are not eligible for these benefits
               and must apply for the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.

               Qualifying


               To qualify in receiving benefits, either maternity or parental, you must meet the following
               criteria below. Keep in mind that maternity benefits are for mothers and parental benefits
               are for both, mothers and fathers.


                  ▪  You’re pregnant or a new mother who has recently given birth
                  ▪  You’ll be caring for your newborn or newly adopted child
                  ▪  Provide proof that your weekly earnings will go down by 40% or more
                  ▪  You’ve worked 600+ insurable hours during the last 52 weeks or since your last claim,
                     whichever is shorter.

               Be aware that if you’ve had an EI claim within the last year, the number of weeks that you
               could receive for maternity or parental benefits may be limited.

               Amount of Benefits


               The amount that you will receive depends on your insurable earnings. The benefit amount is
               roughly 55% of your average weekly earnings. For 2020, the maximum amount is $573 per
               week.


               If you’re thinking of taking extended parental leave which is 18 months, the benefit amount
               is 33% of your weekly earnings. Extended Parental Leave was introduced in 2017 in order
               to give parents more time to spend with their children. For 2020, this maximum is $344 a
               week.

               Applying for the Benefits


               When you apply for the benefits, keep in mind that there is a 1-week waiting period before
               benefits start.


               Maternity Benefits

               Applying for maternity benefits can be done online. Women are urged to apply for the
               benefit as soon as they stop working in order to not lose the benefit or cause any delays in
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