In fact, we see this more and more.
I have been with the Mouvement action-chômage de Montréal since 1994. The objective to reply within 28 days has always existed. So the administrative machine feels it is reasonable to provide a reply within four weeks, apparently. However, for some years now, these reports have stated that the objective is not being reached, and that the time it takes to reply is getting longer every year.
The explanation is simple. There have been many cuts to the public service in the employment insurance sector. Public servants tell us that the resources are just not there anymore.
There is also a new way of doing things. I am not an expert on processes, but I can say that in the past, when someone applied for benefits, an agent received the application and dealt with it to the end. He knew the file, he knew the employer, he could process the application quickly. Now, the application is received and processed in cyberspace, according to what public servants tell us. When you apply for benefits, your application goes into the Web. After that, an officer in Rimouski begins to process it. He must go through two or three steps...