Employment Insurance Regulations - Amendments
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AMENDMENTS TO THE EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REGULATIONS
SOR /2000-393
20 October, 2000
REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT
(This statement is not part of the Regulations)
DESCRIPTION
The changes are to the Employment Insurance Regulations (EI), sections 55 (claimants outside Canada) and 93 (payment of special benefits to new entrants and re-entrants to the labour force). They are consequential to changes to the Employment Insurance Act (the EI Act) and are to become effective on December 31, 2000, the same time as the EI Act changes related to parental benefits.
Currently, the EI Act provides for 15 weeks of maternity benefits plus 10 weeks of parental benefits (plus 5 weeks extra in some cases). The Government of Canada will increase the duration of parental benefits from 10 to 35 weeks for biological and adoptive parents. At the same time, the maximum entitlement will increase from 30 to 50 weeks of combined maternity, parental and sickness benefits.
Presently, claimants must accumulate 700 hours of insured employment to receive special benefits (sickness, maternity and parental benefits). The Government of Canada will reduce this requirement to 600 hours of insurable employment for parents of a child born or placed in their care for adoption on or after December 31, 2000. In the case of sickness benefits, the move to 600 hours will apply to those who become unable to work as a result of illness, injury or quarantine on or after December 31, 2000.
The change to paragraph 55 (7) (a) and subsection 55 (10) of these Regulations relate to the payment of benefits outside Canada. These subsections currently refer to subsections 12 (3), (4) (5) and (7) of the EI Act. Section 12 of the EI Act will be amended and will have only six subsections. This regulatory amendment is to match the new numbering in section 55 of the Regulations to the new numbering in section 12 of the EI Act. It will ensure that claimants outside Canada will be able to benefit from the same flexibility, access and duration to special benefits as other claimants.
The amendment to paragraph 93 (1) (c) of the Regulations refers to the payment of special benefits to new entrants and re-entrants to the labour force. This paragraph presently says that 700 hours are required for special benefits. This needs to be changed to refer to 600 hours to be consistent with the change being made to section 153.1 of the EI Act.
Alternatives
No other alternatives were considered as these changes are necessary to implement the changes to the EI Act under Bill C-32.
Benefits and Costs
The changes will ensure that claimants outside Canada and new entrants or re-entrants to the labour force will benefit from the changes to the EI Act extending entitlement to special benefits.
Consultation
Since the October 1999 Speech from the Throne, the Government has undertaken intergovernmental consultation on the proposed changes to EI parental benefits. There were additional consultations as the legislative changes in Bill C-32 went through the parliamentary approval process.
The draft Regulations were pre-published for 30 days in the Canada Gazette, Part I on August 12, 2000 (Vol. 134, No. 33). No comments were received.
Compliance and Enforcement
There will be a formal analysis of enhancements planned for special benefits.
Contact
Jim Little
Human Resources Development Canada
Policy and Legislation Development
Insurance Policy
140 Promenade du Portage
9th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0J9
(819) 997-8628 (telephone)
(819) 953-9381 (fax)
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