EI relief extended: eligible workers can receive 20 extra weeks—but claim deadlines matter

What is the news?

Canada has extended temporary Employment Insurance (EI) relief for workers facing job loss. The measures preserve severance-pay relief, waive the usual unpaid waiting week and offer qualifying long-tenured workers an additional 20 weeks of regular benefits.

The latest regulations took effect on October 11, 2026, continuing measures already in place. A new measure also means only the most recent reason for job separation is reviewed for claims starting from October 11, 2026 through October 9, 2027. Where that job loss was through no fault of the worker, insurable hours and earnings from earlier jobs within the qualifying period can also count.

Source: Canada Gazette, EI Pilot Project No. 25

Two deadlines to know

The waiting-period waiver and separation-pay relief cover qualifying starts from March 30, 2025. Under the separation-pay measure, qualifying payments from an employer—including severance, vacation payouts and pay instead of notice—are not deducted from EI. Waiving the unpaid waiting week does not eliminate claim-processing time or add a week beyond your maximum entitlement.

Source: Service Canada’s temporary EI measures

Who qualifies for the extra 20 weeks?

Along with meeting regular EI eligibility requirements, a worker must:

• Have an EI claim beginning between June 15, 2025, and June 12, 2027.
• Have collected at least one week of regular EI on that claim.
• Have collected less than 36 weeks of regular or fishing EI during the preceding three years.
• Have contributed at least 30% of the yearly maximum EI premium in seven or more of the ten years preceding the claim-start year.

Service Canada automatically adds the extra weeks for qualifying workers. There is no requirement to be over 50 or to have worked for the same employer throughout those years.

Source: eligibility for the extension

Does everyone qualifying receive 65 weeks?

No. Your ordinary entitlement depends on your insurable work hours and the unemployment rate in your EI region. The extension adds 20 weeks to that entitlement, subject to a 65-week maximum.

Receiving the full entitlement also requires continued eligibility throughout the claim.

Source: EI entitlement rules

What happens after June 12, 2027?

An eligible claim starting within the qualifying window can continue paying benefits beyond the cutoff. June 12 is the deadline for the claim to begin, not the day all extended payments stop.

The relevant date is the benefit-period start date determined by Service Canada, not simply the date you receive a layoff notice or the date your claim is approved.

Source: EI regulation · EI Act: benefit-period start date

What this means if you are approaching retirement

EI can provide support while you search for another job, but recipients must remain available and capable of working, actively seek employment and submit regular reports. Accepting a retirement package does not automatically establish eligibility.

Apply as soon as you stop working and let Service Canada assess your circumstances. You still need an eligible job loss, sufficient insurable hours and an interruption of earnings.

Source: regular EI eligibility · Apply for regular EI