How to get EI if you can’t work because of wildfire evacuations
Canadians who have been forced to evacuate due to wildfires and other natural disasters may still qualify for employment insurance benefits (EI) if they are unable to work.
If evacuation due to wildfires or other natural disasters leaves Canadians unable to work, they may still qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. Dozens of communities, including roughly 20,000 residents in Summerland, B.C., have fled their homes this year as wildfires approached. The government of Canada aims to help Canadians affected by hazardous weather and natural disasters.
To qualify for EI, applicants must demonstrate they were employed in insurable employment and lost their job through no fault of their own, including those affected by natural disasters. They also need to have been without work and pay for at least seven consecutive days in the past 52 weeks and be ready, willing and capable of working each day.
Applying for EI is conducted online, and applicants need their social insurance number and a mailing address for mail delivery. If approved, payments typically start arriving within 28 days. Recipients must also submit weekly reports declaring all income to ensure payment accuracy.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
