Table 1 Eligibility requirements and coverage allotments of the maternity leave benefit and compassionate care benefit

Eligibility requirements

Eligibility requirements

- Demonstrate that your weekly earnings have been decreased by more than 40% (common eligibility requirement to all EI programs)

- Demonstrate that your weekly earnings have been decreased by more than 40% (common eligibility requirement to all EI programs)

- Have accumulated 600 insurable hours in the previous 52 weeks (qualifying period)

- Have accumulated 600 insurable hours in the previous 52 weeks (qualifying period)

- Provide the expected or actual date of birth of your child, if you are claiming the MLB;

- Have a doctor certificate documenting the care recipient is at risk of death within the next six months

- Provide your newborn's date of birth, or, when there is an adoption, your child's date of placement, if you are claiming Parental Leave Benefits. In the case of an adoption, you also need to provide the name and full address of the agency handling the adoption

- Be considered a family member, or “like” a family member

- Have documented demographic information about the care recipient

Benefit coverage

Benefit coverage

- Must serve a two-week unpaid waiting period

- Must serve a two-week unpaid waiting period

- Upwards of 50 weeks of Benefits available, given a combination of Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits are taken

- Six weeks of paid Benefits (total length of leave is thus eight weeks)

- You will receive 55% of your average insured earnings, to a maximum of $457/week

- You will receive 55% of your average insured earnings, to a maximum of $457/week

- Six weeks of leave can be split between multiple caregivers