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 EI benefits, you must continue to submit your biweekly reports to show that you are still eligible to receive the EI benefit.
You may choose to submit a paper report, use the phone reporting system, or use the EI Internet Reporting service, but you should know that the EI Internet 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 Internet Reporting service, and teach you how to fill out your EI report online.
How The EI Online Reporting System Works
Employment Insurance (EI) is the biggest income replacement program in Canada 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 EI report every two weeks to inform Service Canada your employment condition hasn’t changed, and you are still eligible to receive future benefits.
If you worked during the two weeks you are filing for; you must state the precise number of hours you worked and the total amount you got or would get before deductions.
What You Need to Fill out Your EI Report 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
Step By Step Process on How To Fill Your EI Report Online
If you are an EI claimant, you need to fill out 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.
If you have all the necessary information on hand, filing your EI report online is relatively straightforward.
The following steps will guide you through the process:
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 the province of residence, then you go ahead to log in.
2. Go Though 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.
3. Update The Postal and Direct Deposit Information
The postage and direct deposit page will open after clicking the ‘I accept’ button. Keep in mind 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 have kept the same direct deposit details they used to pay you the last payment. Click “Yes”, to enter your new address.
It is important you always update your account and supply Service Canada with the most up-to-date information to ensure that your next EI payment arrives without delay.
Before proceeding to the next step, you must confirm your decision by clicking “I Accept.”
4. Provide Information About You Leaving The Country
You will be asked to provide information about your leave of absence from the country on this page.
If you leave the country during the period you are entitled to benefits, the government will not pay for those days.
If you lie, you may face criminal charges, so be honest about where you were. Be sure to click ‘continue’ after filling out this information.
5. Update Work and Wages Information If You Are Self-Employed
On this page, you will be required to answer these two questions:
- Do you have your own business?
- 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Then once you accept, you’ll receive an email confirming your report and the date of your subsequent reporting.
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.
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 in a timely matter, and avoid payment delays.
Use these tips, and have confidence as you navigate your way through 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 know more about this.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Income Protection Insurance in Canada
Disability Insurance for Self-Employed Canadians
EI Internet Reporting FAQs
How Often Should I Fill my EI 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 Exempted From Filling EI Report?
Yes. As a beneficiary, you can choose to be exempted from reporting if you meet certain conditions.
You can request an exemption any time during your benefit period or cancel it at any time.
During the benefits application process, you have the option of agreeing 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 let the EI program know 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.
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.
