Employment Insurance Pilot Project on the Best 14 weeks

What you should know
Economic regions included in pilot project
How we calculate the amount you will receive
Proof of best 14 weeks

What you should know

Some workers with sporadic work patterns, because of the very nature of their work, face situations where the amount of their EI benefits may be lower.

Since October 30, 2005, special measures have been taken to ensure workers living in participating economic regions have greater access to EI benefits. This pilot project has changed the method of calculating EI weekly benefit rates by using the highest or best 14 weeks of insurable earnings.

This pilot project was renewed until June 23, 2012 to workers living in participating economic regions. During this time, the Government will evaluate the effects on:

Pilot project participants;
The labour market; and
Current incentives to work.

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Economic regions included in pilot project from October 30, 2005 to October 25, 2008

The pilot project is being tested in 23 EI economic regions. Each EI economic region includes many municipalities and census subdivisions. Select a region in the province where you live to see if your municipality is included. You can also select the map beside the region to view the geographically area.

List of Economic regions included in the project

Central Quebec, QC (map of Central Quebec)
Chicoutimi-Jonquière, QC (map for Chicoutimi-Jonquière)
Eastern Nova Scotia (map of Eastern Nova Scotia)
Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC (map of Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine)
Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore, QC (map of Lower Saint Lawrence and North Shore)
Madawaska-Charlotte, NB (map of Madawaska-Charlotte)
Newfoundland and Labrador, (map of Newfoundland and Labrador)
Northern Alberta, (map of Northern Alberta)
Northern British Columbia, (map of Northern British Columbia)
Northern Manitoba, (map of Northern Manitoba)
Northern Ontario, (map of Northern Ontario)
Northern Saskatchewan, (map of Northern Saskatchewan)
Northwest Territories, (map of Northwest Territories)
North Western Quebec, (map of North Western Quebec)
Nunavut, (map of Nunavut)
Prince Edward Island, (map of Prince Edward Island)
Restigouche-Albert, NB (map of Restigouche-Albert)
St. John's, NL (map St. John's)
Southern Coastal British Columbia -excluding Greater Vancouver (map of Southern Coastal British Columbia -excluding Greater Vancouver)
Sudbury, (map of Sudbury)
Trois-Rivières, QC (map of Trois-Rivières)
Yukon, (map of Yukon)

Economic regions included in pilot project from October 26, 2008 to June 23, 2012

This pilot project is being tested in 25 EI economic regions. Each EI economic region includes many municipalities and census subdivisions. Select a region in the province where you live to see if your municipality is included. You can also select the map beside the region to view the geographically area.

Regions

You can also search the EI Economic regions by postal code. The search results will display a Best 14 Weeks Pilot column and will indicate "Yes" if the postal code is included in a participating region.

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How we calculate the amount you will receive

During the period of the pilot project, the amount of your weekly EI benefits will be based on your highest 14 weeks of insured earnings in your qualifying period. Therefore, if you accept additional weeks of work beyond the 14 week peak season at a lower salary, your EI benefits will not be lower, because the additional weeks at lower salary will not be taken into consideration in the calculation if your EI benefits — see example 1 on EI benefit rate under the pilot project and before.

This method of calculating the amount of EI benefits you will receive applies to you if you meet the following conditions:

Your claim for regular, maternity and parental, sickness or compassionate care benefits starts anytime between October 30, 2005 and October 25, 2008 and you reside in a participating economic region ; or
Your claim for regular, maternity and parental, sickness or compassionate care benefits starts anytime between October 26, 2008 and June 23, 2012 and you reside in a participating economic region
You are not applying for fishing benefits.

Important reminder:

All your insurable hours are still used to determine the duration of your claim, even if we only use your best 14 weeks to calculate the amount of your weekly EI benefits;
Your benefit rate will not exceed the maximum rate of $485;
You must continue to report all earnings. To know more about declaring Your Earnings while on Employment Insurance
This method of calculating the amount of EI benefits does not apply to fishing benefits;
If you have less than 15 weeks of insured earnings, all the insurable earnings in your qualifying period will be used with a minimum divisor of 14. See example 2 on less than 15 weeks of insurable employment.

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Example 1 — EI benefit rate under the pilot project and before

You file a claim and qualify for regular benefits. Your claim starts on October 30, 2005. You reside in one of the participating EI economic regions. In your qualifying period you worked:

14 full-time weeks for a total of $8,400 and
2 part-time weeks for $480

Since you meet all the conditions, the calculation of your EI benefit rate will be based on your "Best 14 weeks" and will not drop because your part-time weeks will be excluded in the calculation:

Total earnings considered $8,400 ÷ 14 full-time weeks = $600 x 55% = $330.

$330 is your benefit rate under the pilot project for the duration of your claim.

If you do not live in a participating region, all your insurable earnings would be considered in the calculation of your EI benefit rate:

Total earnings considered $8,400 + $480 = $8,880 ÷ 16 weeks = $555 x 55% = $305

$305 would have been your EI benefit rate before the pilot project for the duration of your claim.

Example 2 — Less than 15 weeks of insurable employment

You accumulated 13 weeks of insurable earnings in your qualifying period . You reside in one of the participating regions. You file and qualify for regular benefits. Your claim starts on October 30, 2005. In your qualifying period you worked:

11 full-time weeks for a total of $8,000 and
2 part-time weeks for $400

You meet all the conditions, but since you have less than 15 weeks of insurable earnings, all your insurable earnings are used with a flat divisor of 14 to calculate your EI benefit rate:

Total earnings considered $8,000 + $400 = $8,400 ÷ 14 weeks = $600 x 55% = $330

$330 is your benefit rate for the duration of your claim.

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Proof of best 14 weeks

You will be required to provide proof of your best 14 weeks of earnings with the form "Best 14 Questionnaire". Acceptable proof:

Record of Employment (ROE) detailing pay period amounts; or
Your pay stubs; or
Your bank statements showing direct deposits of employment earnings; or
Your personal record of work history.