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Cloverdale-Langley City MP announces changes to caregiver, parental benefits

New options intended to make coverage more flexibile, inclusive and easier to access
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Cloverdale-Langley City MP John Aldag at the Friday announcement. (Contributed)

Upcoming changes to Canada’s Employment Insurance program will benefit families and caregivers, according to an announcement made last Friday (Nov. 10) by Cloverdale–Langley City MP John Aldag.

The changes to the EI program will apply to new claims and will amend maternity and parental benefits that are currently provided.

In a press release, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos said the changes made coverage more “flexible, inclusive and easier to access,” and that it will help Canadians “better balance their work and life responsibilities” by providing more options.

Caregiver benefits

  • People caring for critically ill or injured adult family members will be able to access up to 15 weeks of benefits.
  • Immediate and extended family members of critically ill children will have access to 35 weeks of benefits, previously only available to parents. This will replace the Parents of Critically Ill Children benefit.
  • Both medical doctors and nurse practitioners can now sign off on medical certificates for both new and existing family caregiving benefits.

Maternity and parental benefits

  • Parents will be able to choose either standard parental benefits (taken over a period of 12 months) or extended benefits (taken over 18 months).
  • Eligible pregnant workers will be able to receive EI benefits earlier, as soon as 12 weeks before their due date.

The changes that will come into effect on Dec. 3. They will affect all Canadian residents who live outside of Quebec.

For more information on how the change to EI benefits may affect you, visit www.canada.ca. Employers can visit here for more information.



editor@cloverdalereporter.com

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