Updated July 2026. Three temporary Employment Insurance measures introduced to support workers during a period of economic disruption expired as scheduled on April 11, 2026. If you’re filing a new EI claim now, standard rules apply again — here’s exactly what changed and when each measure was in effect.
1. The One-Week Waiting Period Waiver (Ended April 11, 2026)
Normally, EI has a one-week unpaid waiting period before benefits begin. For new claims starting between March 30, 2025 and April 11, 2026, that waiting period was waived under Employment Insurance Regulations section provisions covering the temporary measure. One notable exception during that window: some claimants chose to serve the waiting period anyway if doing so worked better alongside a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) top-up plan from their employer.
2. Severance and Separation Payments Weren’t Deducted (Ended April 11, 2026)
Under standard EI rules, payments tied to job separation — severance, vacation pay, pay in lieu of notice — normally count as earnings and get allocated against your benefits, which can delay when payments start. For claims starting (or allocations beginning) between March 30, 2025 and April 11, 2026, these separation payments didn’t count as earnings for EI purposes, under Employment Insurance Regulations section 77.997.
3. Up to 65 Weeks for Long-Tenured Workers (Ended April 11, 2026)
A separate temporary measure allowed eligible “long-tenured workers” to receive up to 20 extra weeks of regular EI benefits — bringing their maximum to 65 weeks — for claims starting between June 15, 2025 and April 11, 2026.
What This Means Now
If your EI claim started before April 11, 2026 under any of these measures, the temporary rules applied to your claim for its duration, even if you’re still receiving benefits now. If you’re filing a new claim after that date, expect the standard one-week waiting period, standard treatment of severance and separation payments as earnings, and the standard maximum benefit duration — these temporary accommodations are no longer in effect unless the government introduces a new measure in response to future economic conditions.
Source: Government of Canada, Temporary Employment Insurance measures for major economic conditions.
