EI maternity and parental benefits: How much you could receive
From: Employment and Social Development Canada
Note: The exact amount you receive will be determined once your application is processed.
The number of weeks of benefits you get depends on the benefit type you choose. The amount you receive depends on your insurable earnings* before taxes in the past 52 weeks or since the start of your last claim, whichever is shorter.
*Insurable earnings include most of the different types of compensation from employment, such as wages, tips, bonuses and commissions. The Canada Revenue Agency determines what types of earnings are insurable.
Some employers provide additional money to employees on maternity or parental leave. This is called a top-up. Check with your employer to find out if they offer a top-up.
If your weekly earnings vary or your income changes
To calculate your benefit amount, we use a specific number of your highest paid weeks of employment. We call these your best weeks. The number of best weeks we use is based on the unemployment rate where you live. It could be between 14 and 22 weeks.
If your weekly earnings vary or your income changes, your best weeks can impact your benefit amount.
Estimate your benefits
Answer the questions below to estimate your benefits, or find out what we use to calculate your benefits.
Find your economic region to learn how many best weeks are used to calculate your benefit amount. To complete your estimate, you need to know your average insurable earnings (before taxes) for those weeks. The Province of Quebec is responsible for providing maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits to its residents. Visit the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan for more information.
Estimated results:
This is just an estimate. It's based on the information you entered above. We can't tell exactly how much you'll receive until your application is processed.
Your maternity benefits:
- are estimated at $ a week
- will end after 15 weeks, around
Your parental benefits:
- will begin around , after your 15 weeks of maternity benefits end
- are estimated at $ a week
- will end after weeks, around
Because you indicated you want to share parental benefits, up to weeks are available for the other parent(s), for a total of weeks of parental benefits.
If you took parental benefits instead of parental benefits
Your parental benefits would:
- begin around , after your 15 weeks of maternity benefits end
- be estimated at $ a week
You can change your answers and recalculate to get updated results.
What's included in benefit calculations
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Basic rates
The basic rate used to calculate maternity and standard parental benefits is 55% of average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount. In 2020, the maximum amount is $573 a week.
For extended parental benefits, this rate is 33% of average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount. In 2020, the maximum amount is $344 a week.
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Benefit calculation
This is how we calculate your weekly benefit amount:
- We add your insurable weekly earnings from your best weeks based on information provided by you and your Record of Employment
- We divide that amount by the number of best weeks based on where you live
- We then multiply the result by 55% for maternity and standard parental benefits or by 33% for extended parental benefits
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If your family income is $25,921 or less
You may be eligible to receive the family supplement if:
- your annual net family income is $25,921 or less
- you have at least one child under 18
- you or your spouse receive the Canada Child Benefit
Service Canada automatically adds your family supplement to your weekly benefit payments. You don't need to take any action. Your total weekly amount cannot exceed $573.
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