POLICY BRIEF - Access to Parental Benefits in Canada - A 50-year review of access

Access to Parental Benefits in Canada POLICY BRIEF Access to Parental Benefits in Canada Sophie Mathieu, PhD A 50-year review of access to parental benefits in Canada FEBRUARY 2023 POLICY BRIEF Access to Parental Benefits in Canada Sophie Mathieu, PhD A review of parental benefits in Canada over the past 50 years shows that eligibility criteria have a determining effect on the uptake of benefits. [...] In 1998, the proportion of mothers In 1996, the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program of newborns receiving maternity benefits was 49%, was replaced by the Employment Insurance (EI) the same as in 1989.3 In light of the new EI eligibility program. [...] As was the case during estimated that 10,000 fewer women were able to the previous two decades, access to benefits access maternity benefits because of the increased continued to be tied to employment status. [...] An earlier increased from 54% in 2000 to 61% in 2001.5 study also showed that the use of benefits by fathers is also much higher in Quebec than in the other three The latest meaningful change (prior to the COVID-19 largest provinces.10 pandemic) regarding access was reducing the waiting period from two weeks to one week in 2017. [...] Access to EI benefits during the early What about Quebec? months of the COVID-19 pandemic While the federal government was tightening In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, eligibility criteria for EI, the Quebec government the federal government temporarily introduced the took a position in 1996 in favour of creating its own Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to provide parent.