[Великая Эпоха, 14 ноября 2023 г.](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Wang Lan from Toronto)CanadaUnemployment insurance (EI) payments have been too slow, causing many unemployed Canadians to spend nearly all their savings.
Montreal resident Teffal Mohamed Amin has given up hope of buying a house, telling CTV News: “I’ve used up my savings that I could have used to buy a house, and sometimes I have to live frugally because I don’t have enough money. especially lately.”
Amin was a software engineer who was laid off in December 2022. “I was on probation at the time and a lot of people, including me, were laid off due to budget shortfalls at the company,” he explained. He added that he has been waiting to receive EI since then, but has yet to receive a penny.
“It’s been almost seven months since I was supposed to get what I was owed,” he lamented. “It’s very frustrating. I did everything I could to get the money as soon as possible. For a man who doesn’t have a job , this is unacceptable”. “Detain.”
Amin said he called many timesCanadaThe service department asked if they could speed up the processing of the application, but never received a firm answer from the staff.
Not an isolated case
Gabriel Pelletier, a lawyer for the Montreal Commerce Committee, which defends the rights of the unemployed, said Amin’s experience is not unique.
“It’s funny because when you apply for EI, you’re applying for a program that you pay out of every paycheck,” he said. “That’s what you’re entitled to.”
Pelletier said two-thirds of the paperwork on his desk is currently due to inordinate delays in government services, and some of his clients have even gone to extreme measures to continue making ends meet.
“If they have a mortgage, they’ll remortgage. If they don’t have a mortgage, they’ll open a new credit card, get some credit gain and top up their existing credit card,” Pelletier said. they had to turn to friends and family for help.”
Others have turned to welfare, he said. “They call Social Security and they say, ‘Have you applied for EI? Are you eligible for EI?” he said. “They’ll say, ‘Yes, but I didn’t apply for EI.’ EI for months. I’m not getting any money. I’m out of money. I can’t get another mortgage. I can’t get a loan.” So in this case, the social security authorities sometimes accept[заявления]… but that’s not what the system is about, and it’s really funny.”
Why put it off?
Employment and Social Development Canada says its standard is for 80 per cent of EI applications to be completed within 28 days of receipt. The department noted that the average number of days to receive a first EI benefit payment this year is 19 days, compared with an average of 26 days for the same period in 2022-23.
Samuel Carbonneau, media relations specialist at Employment and Social Development Canada, said some applications take longer to process for three main reasons:
- Missing information or documents;
- Files are submitted for authentication due to the following reasons: inactive SIN, potential fraud, verification failure, conflicting information;
- In more complex cases, additional fact-finding may be required to reach a decision.
The EI program receives 40,000 claims per week, with that number doubling again during peak summer and winter periods, according to the Department of Labor.
“This increase in claims is normal and is associated with claimants who work primarily in school-related industries and/or have seasonal work,” Carbonneau explained. “During this period, some customers may experience longer delays and wait times in customer service.” the center could be even longer.”
As of October 28, Employment and Social Development Canada reported that it had received 1,641,209 new and updated EI applications and processed 1,642,311 applications.
The department said: “Creditors facing severe financial difficulties and emergency needs should contact the EI call center for assistance in reviewing their situation.”
Anyone who needs help can view: Information about EI benefits and leave. Connection:https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html
New EI applicants should create a My Services Canada (MSCA) account to:
●View and update information about EI and other service benefits in Canada;
●Check EI tax forms (T4E) and itemized reports;
●Check the status of your application.
The department said anyone waiting longer should ensure they provide all required information and documentation and receive an access code to complete the biweekly report.
Responsible Editor: Yang Feng