Evidence of meeting #3 for Finance in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was businesses.
A video is available from Parliament.
Senior Director, Strategic Policy and Legislative Reform, Strategic Policy, Analysis and Workplace Information Directorate, Labour Program, Department of Employment and Social Development
We'd be happy to provide [Technical difficulty--Editor] a list.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Thank you very much.
I wanted to ask about the Canada worker lockdown benefit. Of course, we've talked a bit about the retroactivity of the benefit. Canadians will have 60 days to apply after the coming into force of Bill C-2, but my understanding so far—and I'm looking for confirmation from the department—is that there is no region in Canada that has met the requirements that would trigger the Canada worker lockdown benefit between the period starting on October 23 and now. Is that true?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Whether a region is a lockdown region for the purposes of the benefit will be a determination of the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the minister of ESDC once the legislation is passed. In the meantime, the department is monitoring situations across Canada.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
We're talking about the past, so for any of the period that has already happened up to today, are there any regions where the Canada worker lockdown benefit criteria would be met?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
This would need to be a recommendation by the minister and a decision of the Governor in Council.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Have there been any public health lockdowns as defined in the act since October 23 to date?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
That will need to be determined. This is something that we are tracking and this will need to be determined by a decision from the Governor—
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Let me rephrase the question. Is there any region in Canada where the department, based on the information available, would recommend to the Governor in Council that they deem the criteria of the legislation to have been met?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
This assessment is ongoing. Public health restrictions are being assessed, are being tracked, and this assessment, this tracking, is ongoing at the moment.
NDP
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
It is concerning to me that the government wouldn't have an idea already for the period from October 23 to now of whether the criteria it has laid out in its own legislation to trigger a benefit for $300 a week for workers who are in distress would have been met or not.
I mean, we know what the public health orders for the jurisdictions have been since October 23. There's no new information coming to be analyzed, so how is it that the department could have no idea? How would you even assess the cost of this program for October 23 to now if you have no idea whether the public health orders to date would be sufficient to trigger the legislation or not?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Thank you, Mr. Blaikie. That's your time.
We are moving to our second round of questions.
We'll go to the Conservatives and Mr. Poilievre for five minutes.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Thank you very much.
My questions relate to the sickness and caregiving benefits. Can the officials tell us what is the duration of the sickness benefit and what is the duration of the caregiving benefit?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Thank you for the question.
The current duration of the sickness benefit is a maximum of four weeks, and it is proposed that it be extended by an additional two weeks to six weeks in total. For the caregiving benefit, currently the maximum duration is 42 weeks, and the proposal is to extend it to 44 weeks.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Under the bill's proposal, the sickness benefit would go to six weeks. Do I have that right?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
That's correct—an additional two weeks.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Right. Okay, and it would be $500 a week. Do I have that right?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
The same parameters would apply. That is correct.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Okay.
What does someone have to do to prove they are sick and qualify for the sickness benefit?
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
The same eligibility requirements would apply. It is attestation based.
If you agree, I would like to ask my colleague, Benoit Cadieux, to provide the details on those requirements.
Benoit Cadieux Director, Special Benefits, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Thank you, Catherine.
Thank you for the question.
As Catherine mentioned, it is attestation-based. A claimant would have to see a reduction in the hours that they could work for a specific week by at least 50% in order to be eligible. If they meet that requirement, in addition to having a valid SIN, having the right age and everything, they would be eligible for the benefit.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
How would they prove that the reduction is the result of being sick?
Director, Special Benefits, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
It is entirely attestation-based.
Director, Special Benefits, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Correct.