Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Jan 26th 2016, 5:52 pm
#16
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2012
Location: Qc, Canada
Posts: 3,787
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Canadians don’t seem to have any shame when it comes to receiving unemployment benefits. In fact it seems quite acceptable to for healthy 20 and 30 something’s to go on the dole just because they can't be arsed to work full-time. Maybe they should tighten up on accepting claims so the money goes to the people who really need support rather than giving it out as de facto pocket money so these wastrels can go surfing or skiing for six months a year?
Why should anyone be ashamed to apply for/receive EI?
Jan 27th 2016, 12:59 am
#17
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Near the Northern Lights
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Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Canadians don’t seem to have any shame when it comes to receiving unemployment benefits. In fact it seems quite acceptable to for healthy 20 and 30 something’s to go on the dole just because they can't be arsed to work full-time. Maybe they should tighten up on accepting claims so the money goes to the people who really need support rather than giving it out as de facto pocket money so these wastrels can go surfing or skiing for six months a year?
Oink you sound kinda agitated today buddy. Don't know if have worked full time in Canada as an employee but like neill said workers here are made to pay in to Employment Insurance. So its really not that strange that people want the payback when they need it.
Jan 27th 2016, 1:09 am
#18
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
What I find galling is welfare cheats, who likley contributed nothing and taking money from folks who really need it.
Jan 27th 2016, 2:47 am
#19
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
However EI is not a benefit, it is an insurance. The employee and their employer contribute to it. Like any other insurance you file a claim when the situation arises that one was insured for.
What I find galling is welfare cheats, who likley contributed nothing and taking money from folks who really need it.
What I find galling is welfare cheats, who likley contributed nothing and taking money from folks who really need it.
Jan 27th 2016, 11:51 am
#20
Yo
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 24,474
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Are unemployed individuals able to claim EI indefinitely, as is the case in the UK, or is there a two year cut-off as in the USA? If it's UK style, it's similar to National Insurance which despite the moniker is a benefit.
Jan 27th 2016, 2:24 pm
#21
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
No,it is limit by how long they have contributed. There are qualifying hours required and I believe the max is about 1 year, again determined by how long they have cntributed.
Jan 27th 2016, 3:08 pm
#22
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: South of Calgary
Posts: 13,374
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Self employed don't pay it, and can't claim it either.
Jan 27th 2016, 3:48 pm
#24
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,821
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Only the income based (means tested) version of JSA is indefinite and there are a number of situations where conts based version is paid but not income based - working partners, capital that sort of stuff.
I imagine a lot of recipients will query the idea that even the income version is indefinite.
Not sure how Universal Credit - the fancy new name for the system - will affect this when it's eventually in place.
Jan 27th 2016, 4:37 pm
#25
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
As an example, I worked for 7 months before being made redundant (laid off) - I received EI for 15 weeks. Once that ends, you either have to be destitute to be able to claim Social Insurance payments or else you end up having to go into debt if you have a friendly bank who will allow you to have an overdraft.
It's nothing like the UK system.
Jan 27th 2016, 4:47 pm
#26
Yo
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 24,474
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
As Aviator mentioned, it's based on your insurable hours over the previous 52 weeks prior to your claim - and there are a minimum number of hours that you must have to be able to claim at all (you don't receive anything for the first two weeks). This varies dependent on where you live, as some areas have a higher ration of low employment. The maximum you can receive it for is 45 weeks.
As an example, I worked for 7 months before being made redundant (laid off) - I received EI for 15 weeks. Once that ends, you either have to be destitute to be able to claim Social Insurance payments or else you end up having to go into debt if you have a friendly bank who will allow you to have an overdraft.
It's nothing like the UK system.
As an example, I worked for 7 months before being made redundant (laid off) - I received EI for 15 weeks. Once that ends, you either have to be destitute to be able to claim Social Insurance payments or else you end up having to go into debt if you have a friendly bank who will allow you to have an overdraft.
It's nothing like the UK system.
Bristol, I believe the technical name for the new UK benefits scheme is Universal Shambles
Jan 27th 2016, 4:49 pm
#27
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
As Aviator mentioned, it's based on your insurable hours over the previous 52 weeks prior to your claim - and there are a minimum number of hours that you must have to be able to claim at all (you don't receive anything for the first two weeks). This varies dependent on where you live, as some areas have a higher ration of low employment. The maximum you can receive it for is 45 weeks.
Qualifying hours are higher for the first claim and subsequent claims varies by region and is base don the unemployment rate in that area. SC have a map online of each region and chart of qualifying hours.
There are also conditions, if you quit, or are fired for just cause, you cannot claim anything. If you quit and there were special circumstances one may still qualify.
Jan 27th 2016, 5:28 pm
#28
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 8,649
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Long story short, someone got laid off by their employer in 2014 and refused to accept the usual 2 weeks severance as he thought he was entitled to more than 2 weeks pay in severance. He applied for the EI while his lawyer started correspondence with his ex employer to ask for more money in severance. His EI application was accepted and he started getting EI which he declared on his tax returns for the year 2014.
In 2015 after a lot of correspondence back and forth with his ex employer they increased the severance pay and the case was settled out of court.
Now the EI people want all of the EI back that was paid in 2014 stating that he received money in settlement (which was probably reported by the ex employer) so he should repay the EI. So perhaps EI department has deemed that the money that was paid out to him in 2015 should go towards the time when he was out of work even though that severance was paid about 7 months after he was laid off, in the new tax year.
Question is that if he declared the EI he received in 2014 on his taxes and he is going to declare the severance received in the next year on his 2015 taxes, why should he return the money that was his right when he was out of work.
In 2015 after a lot of correspondence back and forth with his ex employer they increased the severance pay and the case was settled out of court.
Now the EI people want all of the EI back that was paid in 2014 stating that he received money in settlement (which was probably reported by the ex employer) so he should repay the EI. So perhaps EI department has deemed that the money that was paid out to him in 2015 should go towards the time when he was out of work even though that severance was paid about 7 months after he was laid off, in the new tax year.
Question is that if he declared the EI he received in 2014 on his taxes and he is going to declare the severance received in the next year on his 2015 taxes, why should he return the money that was his right when he was out of work.
He received severance relating to the period he also claimed EI.
Off course he should have to pay it back.
It is no different to working and claiming EI at the same time.
Jan 27th 2016, 6:06 pm
#29
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,821
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Social Assistance seems a tough nut to crack initially. Rules have historically been very tight. The whole thing seems to be far more demeaning than even National Assistance ever was in the UK.
There's some variation province to province but I believe claiming while living in your own property over a certain value isn't allowed.
Others in the household are involved in the means assessment. This isn't the only province that identifies an incredibly tight 'needs' level for the whole household, has regard to the income and bank accounts of others and then pays whatever might be due (if anything) to the person claiming.
No rent allowance as such, just a contribution if it's a disproportionate amount of the welfare level.
For those that think I've had a low income, take a look at Social Assistance levels.
Case in the paper only last week. Divorced woman in her 50s lives in her own mobile home in a shocking repair state, no electric or water, using an old wreck of a wood stove that's obviously a fire hazzard and sleeps in about three layers of clothes.
She's on the maximum $532 a month. That's what she'd get in a bedsit or in a rooming house.
Imagine a sibling falls into difficulty. You're willing to help out by putting them up but for them to have their own income - as low as it would be - you have to divulge all your financial details, sign stuff to agree they can check your details and after all that, if you're on an ordinary sort of wage, they won't be due anything.
So now you're providing everything for them or not.
For some, the debt might be easier.
Jan 27th 2016, 6:41 pm
#30
.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Re: Have you ever been asked to repay your EI?
Because healthy people, especially younger people with no dependents, shouldn't be claiming welfare but I see it all the time in Canada, its disgraceful. There are plenty of jobs in Canada and yes, it might mean you have to leave the sanctuary of that five mile radius of where you were born.