EI Online Reporting: How To Fill Your EI Report Online

The Employment Insurance (EI) benefit supports working Canadians when they lose their jobs through a no-fault of theirs for up to 52 weeks of unemployment.

After you have passed your eligibility and you’re approved for employment insurance benefits, you must continue to submit your biweekly reports to show that you are still eligible to receive the employment insurance benefit.

You may submit a paper report at any Service Canada office, use the phone reporting system, or use the employment insurance internet reporting portal. Still, you should know that the employment insurance reporting service is the most popular and by far the most convenient way of filling your EI report.

This article will answer all your questions regarding the EI online reporting service and teach you how to fill out your EI report online.

How The Employment Insurance Canada Online Reporting Works

Employment Insurance (EI) is Canada’s biggest income replacement program that aims to help Canadians who lost their jobs because of no fault of theirs by providing them with financial support while they are out of work for up to 52 weeks.

To access the benefits provided by the Employment Insurance Program, you may choose to apply for EI online by completing an online application through Service Canada.

This includes telling Service Canada about your employment history, training, education, and other factors that may help you qualify for EI benefits.

There is a waiting period of two weeks before you can get your first benefit.

Subsequently, you need to continue filing your employment insurance report every two weeks to inform Service Canada your employment condition hasn’t changed and that you are still eligible to receive future benefits.

If you worked during the two weeks you are filing for, you must state the hours you worked and the total amount you got or would get before deductions.

What You Need To Report

While receiving the EI benefits, you must complete your report every two weeks to prove you are still eligible to continue receiving benefits. For each report, you need to:

• Indicate dates and hours you have worked and earned income before deductions, even if you will be paid later
• Provide the contact details of your employers
• Indicate hours spent at school or training program, and any allowance you received
• Indicate whether you are available for work
• Report any other money, even if you will receive it later

Note: There is a reporting calendar that can help you keep track of hours and earnings to make it easier to fill your report. You must report hours and earnings from any job, including self-employment.

How To Submit Your Report

During your application for EI benefits, Service Canada mailed you a benefit statement with a 4-digit access code. You will submit reports using this code and your Social Insurance Number (SIN).

You can submit your reports by internet its telephone. Internet Reporting Service is faster, simpler, more convenient, and more secure.

However, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can use the Telephone Reporting Service. Call 1-800-531-7555 to process your report.

Also, if you cannot submit your report online or by telephone, you can mail a paper report to Service Canada.

If you made a mistake on a report you have already submitted, you could quickly modify your report before submitting it when you send it by telephone or the internet. Call Service Canada as soon as possible so you don’t risk being overpaid and having to repay benefits.

When To Submit Your Next Report

When you submit your report, you will immediately be given the date for your next report. Mark this date on your calendar.

You cannot submit your report before this due date, but you have three weeks from this due date to submit your next report.

Ask For An Exemption From Reporting

As an EI beneficiary, you can choose to be exempted from reporting if you meet certain conditions.

You can request an exemption at any time during your benefit period or cancel it at any time.

During the benefits application process, you can agree to this exemption. You can choose to be exempted if:

• you are enrolled in a training program for apprentices
• paternal, maternity, or caregiver benefits are being paid to you
• a work-sharing contract applies to you

However, if you’re exempt and your circumstances change, you must immediately inform the EI program by completing the report.

If you don’t report, you may not receive your benefits until a review is done. This means there will be a delay before you receive your money again.

If a review shows that you were not eligible to be exempt, you may have to repay some of the benefits you received.

What You Need to Apply for Employment Insurance Online

To fill out your EI report online, you will need the following:

• a reliable internet connection
• your social insurance number
• Your access code. You will need to get your Access code via mail, not online. If you lose your access code, you will need to contact Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218 or visit one of its offices
• your province of residence information
• your banking information if you elect to receive your benefits through direct deposit
• your address and your postal code if it has changed since the last report
• details of extra allowances, tips, commissions, and income
• you may also register for your My Service Canada Account

How to Fill Your EI Report Online (A Step-by-Step Guide)

If you are an employment insurance claimant, you must complete an EI report every two weeks. The report confirms your job search for the past two weeks. The reports are used to calculate how much money you will receive every two weeks.

Filing your EI report online is relatively straightforward if you have all the necessary information. The following steps will guide you through the process:

Step 1: Signup or Login to the EI Internet Reporting Portal

To file your EI report online, you first need to signup or login into the EI Internet reporting portal.

The reporting portal is a web-based application that allows you to complete, submit and view the result of your EI report online.

You’ll need to enter your SIN, access code, and province of residence; then, you go ahead to log in.

Step 2: Go Through The Acceptance Statement

After logging in, you’ll be taken to a page with all the information you need to complete the report.

Analyze the data, double-check the dates and frequency of filing, and then click the “I accept” option.

Before continuing, it is essential that you read over all of the information presented.

Step 3: Update The Postal and Direct Deposit Information

The postage and direct deposit page will open after clicking the ‘I accept’ button. Remember that choosing direct deposit is the right choice, as you will get your funds within two business days after the mandatory waiting period of 2 weeks.

Click No or Yes as it applies to you concerning your address. Click “No” if you’ve not changed your address and kept the direct deposit details they used to pay you the last payment. Click “Yes” to enter your new address.

You must always update your account and supply Service Canada with the most up-to-date information to ensure your next EI payment arrives without delay.

Before proceeding to the next step, you must confirm your decision by clicking “I Accept.”

Step 4: Provide Information About You Leaving The Country

This page will ask you to provide information about your leave of absence from the country.

If you leave the country during the period you are entitled to benefits, the government will not pay for those days.

You may face criminal charges if you lie, so be honest about where you were. Be sure to click ‘continue’ after filling out this information.

Step 5: Update Work and Wages Information If You Are Self-Employed

On this page, you will be required to answer these two questions:

1. Do you have your own business?
2. During the reporting period, did you work or earn any income? This covers paid and unpaid labor and self-employment, such as farming.

Click “Yes” or “No,” as it applies to you.

In the case of self-employment, you will have to provide relevant payment and work details.

Income from self-employment, including home-based gigs, part-time work, and side hustles, will impact the benefits you will receive.

When reporting income, it’s critical to remember to include the pre-tax earnings approximated to the latest dollar number.

If you’ve just started a new job and haven’t yet been paid, add your hourly rate by the total hours you’ve worked.

Step 6: Provide Information On School or Training Attendance

On this page, you will be required to provide two pieces of information:

Please click “Yes” if you attended or completed a school, trade school, or training program to provide the following information:

• The number of hours you spent training or attending school
• Your compensation, excluding commute costs, relocation expenses, and dependent allowances

Step 7: Demonstrate Your Availability To Work

The government will only pay you for a legitimate cause. You must demonstrate you are willing, competent, and available to work but cannot find employment.

By selecting ‘Yes,’ you assure the government that you were ready to work throughout the reporting period. That proves you weren’t at fault for being unemployed.

Also, you should update the availability tab of your schedule if you were not available during a working day because of caregiving or illness.

Step 8: Declaration of Monies from Other Sources

Please be truthful with the government about any additional money you received during the reporting period.

If you received any additional money throughout the week that is relevant to your job and you forgot or neglected to indicate it earlier, you must include it here.

These earnings may include Group wage-loss insurance, social income assistance, and worker’s compensation benefits.

You can choose “No” and continue if you haven’t received any qualifying income. If you have, you must supply information about the income, including the sum, the payer, and the kind of payment.

Step 9: Final Confirmation Statement

Once you have answered this question, you will have the opportunity to review all your answers before clicking ‘I accept’ to confirm they are accurate.

When you click “I accept,” you won’t be able to change anything once your report has been submitted, so please take your time on this page.

Then once you accept, you’ll receive an email confirming your report and the date of your subsequent reporting.

Final Thoughts on EI Online Reporting

In closing, using the EI Internet Reporting service to file your EI report is not that difficult, especially if you have all the correct information beforehand.

I hope this article has consolidated all the information on this subject matter and provided you with all the important information on EI Online reporting. Now you can complete your reports on time and avoid payment delays.

Use these tips, and have confidence as you navigate the process of filling your next EI report.

If you are still confused about using the EI Online reporting system, you can contact Service Canada to learn more about this.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Income Protection Insurance in Canada

Disability Insurance for Self-Employed Canadians

EI Online Reporting FAQs

How Often Should I Fill out my employment insurance online report?

Every two weeks. As soon as you receive your first EI benefit payment, you have to file your EI report every fortnight until you get a new job.

You must complete your report for each benefit period as quickly as possible. As soon as you complete a report, the system will tell you when to submit the next one.

If you forget to complete and submit your EI report form on time, it’s essential that you file it as soon as possible.

You may not receive payment for a reporting period if you miss the deadline to submit your report.

To check the status of your claim, you can log in to your Service Canada Account.

What Should I do if the EI Internet Reporting System is Down?

Use the EI reporting phone number: 1-800-531-7555.

The EI Online Reporting website is available 24 hours, seven days a week. However, routine maintenance may cause the system to go down from time to time. You can check the EI website, or the @CitImmCanada on Twitter for notices and updates on when the system will be inaccessible.

You can also try to log into the EI Internet Reporting System at a different time to determine if it is an intermittent problem with your internet connection.

Can I Be Denied EI Benefit After I Was Approved?

Yes! It is possible you are denied EI benefit even though you may have been initially approved and have made a claim successfully in the past few weeks.

EI Eligibility is reassessed continually, and you need to always demonstrate your eligibility before you can benefit from the EI program.

One of the reasons you may be denied EI is if it can be proven that you are not actively seeking employment, or if you left your part-time employment for no good reason.

You may also be denied EI if you made a lot of money from your side gigs or hustles. However, this may be temporary, since side gigs earnings are not permanent in nature. So, you may have a successful claim in the coming weeks.