How (And When) Do You Apply For Maternity Leave?
To receive the EI maternity and parental leave benefits from the Government of Canada (standard or extended), you have to apply and meet a set of specific criteria, including accumulating at least 600 hours of insurable employment. Self-employed individuals who don’t pay for EI won’t qualify for this program.
You must complete an online application that takes about 60 minutes. Once you begin the application, you have 72 hours to complete it. It’s helpful to have the following information ready to submit:
- Details (names & addresses) of your employers in the 12 months, as well as the dates of employment
- Your address and social insurance number (SIN), plus any other parent if you’re sharing the benefits
- Your mother’s maiden name
- Bank details
- The expected child’s date of birth
- If you have a newly adopted child, the date of the child’s placement and the name of the agency handling the adoption
If you don’t want to apply online, you can also call Service Canada or visit a Service Canada Centre. If you do this, though, make sure that you have all of your documents with you. This can speed up the approval process. If you’re pregnant or have recently given birth, it’s important to know the process to get paid as soon as possible.
How Much You Can Get While On Maternity Leave
Your maternity and parental EI benefits will be key in planning your maternity leave finances. You can get up to 55% of your normal weekly earnings for paid maternity leave, with a weekly maximum of $729. The province of Quebec is more generous, and you can get up to 75% of your income there. In both cases, you will be expected to pay tax on any benefits received.
These percentages of your income depend on how long you take a leave of absence. The first part of your absence will be your maternity leave, which can last 15 weeks. Beyond those first 15 weeks, parental benefits are available and can last either the standard 35 weeks or be extended to 61 weeks. If you choose the standard length of 50 weeks, you receive 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings. If you take the full 76, you will receive 33% of your average weekly insurable earnings.
To give you some idea of how much monetary benefit you could receive from the government, consider that the maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $68,900 (as of January 1, 2026). That means you would get a max of $729 per week under the standard number of weeks, 35, for the parental benefit. Extended benefits would be $437 a week. Once you choose a duration, you cannot change mid-way.
| EI maternity benefits: | Can be paid for up to 15 weeks after the actual date of birth. |
| EI standard parental benefits: | Can be paid for a maximum of 35 weeks of standard parental benefits. |
| EI extended parental benefits: | Can be paid for a maximum of 61 weeks of extended parental benefits. |
Who Is Eligible For Maternity And Parental Benefits?
While maternity benefits are only available to biological mothers, surrogate mothers and adoptive mothers who cannot work because they have given birth, parental EI benefits are available to both legally recognized parents or just one parent, and, as a bonus, you can share weeks of parental benefits under sharing rules. You don’t have to be the parents of a newborn, either, for adoption.
For example, a mother and partner can split the 35 weeks between them. In other words, a mother can go back to work after 10 weeks of benefits, and the other parent can use the remaining 25 weeks. This applies to both standard benefits and extended benefits. Adoptive parents are just as eligible to receive parental benefits.
If you’re a surrogate in Canada, according to surrogacy leave rules, you can get up to 15 weeks of EI maternity leave benefits. That said, surrogates aren’t eligible for parental benefits since they aren’t the legal parents of the child.
Other Eligibility Requirements To Receive EI
Just like other forms of Employment Insurance (EI), those who are looking to collect maternity leave and claim parental benefits need to meet the eligibility requirements that are listed in the EI Act. These include having insurable employment, working minimum hours, and making contributions to EI.
In Canada, insurable employment is employment for which EI premiums are paid. Most forms of employment fall under this category; however, some casual work and even self-employment don’t fall under insurable employment.
On top of having insurable employment, you also need to have the minimum number of insurable hours. These vary, but they typically range from 420 to 700 hours (usually 600). Having these hours means that you have made the minimum required amount of contributions through payroll deductions and can start receiving employment insurance maternity benefits.
Maternity Leave Differences in Each Province
While maternity leave is similar across provinces, the biggest differences are when they take leave and how long they must have worked to be eligible. The EI rules are standard, but the amount of unpaid leave you can take depends on your province. Here are the other options.
Maternity Leave in BC
In BC, you can get up to 52 weeks of maternity leave; after that, another 17 weeks are available for parental leave. This gives you a total of 78 weeks.
Maternity Leave in Alberta
In Alberta, maternity leave is 16 weeks. That said, you can take up to 62 weeks with parental leave. To be eligible, one must have worked for a consecutive 90 days with the same employer.
Maternity Leave in Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, you can start your maternity leave up to 13 weeks before the child is born, and no later than the day of birth. You get 19 weeks, but if you don’t give written notice at least 4 weeks in advance, it can be reduced to 15 weeks of maternity leave.
Maternity Leave in Manitoba
In Manitoba, Mat leave is up to 17 weeks. However, there’s also the option to take parental leave after.
Maternity Leave in Ontario
In Ontario, you can take up to 17 weeks of maternity leave. That said, if you’re still pregnant after 17 weeks, you can take more time. You do have to take all of your allotted time, all at once.
It’s important to note that no situation is the same, so what you take for leave is really judged on a case-by-case basis. However, as in every other province, maternity, paternity, parental, and adoption benefits are covered by the Employment Insurance Act and paid out by the federal government. Employers aren’t responsible for providing maternity leave benefits.
Maternity Leave in Quebec
In Quebec, you can take up to 18 weeks of maternity leave. You can start this leave on or before the birth.
Maternity Leave in PEI
PEI is similar to BC. You can take up to 78 consecutive weeks of maternity leave. For paternity leave, you can take up to 62 weeks.
Maternity Leave in Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, you can take up to 52 weeks, or one year, for maternity leave.
Maternity Leave in New Brunswick
In New Brunswick, you can take up to 78 weeks of total leave.
Maternity Leave in Newfoundland and Labrador
In Newfoundland, you can take up to 61 weeks of parental leave. There are also 17 weeks of maternity leave. This gives you a total of 78 weeks.
Low-Income Families And Maternity Leave
If the government determines your annual income to be less than $25,921, you may be eligible to receive what is called the EI Family Supplement. This is an additional benefit that could increase your benefit rate to up to 80% of your average insurable earnings. Either parent can receive this benefit, but if the recipient’s income rises, the Family Supplement will decrease.
How Do You Prepare Your Finances For Maternity Leave?
Losing over half of your income while on maternity leave can be a big adjustment and a shock to your finances. Especially when you consider that having a child comes with many new expenses – diapers, clothing, toys, professional photography, a car seat if you drive, just to name a few.
Whether you’re having a baby with a partner or going it alone, try to work out a new monthly expenditure plan.
Suppose you’re with a partner, re-adjust how you balance your financial partnership. For example, if you were splitting the rent 50/50, they could take on a bigger percentage of that expense. Also, discuss with your partner ways you can save money. One easy solution is to target your entertainment budget. With a baby in the house, you won’t be going to the movies or the nightclubs as much anymore.
Maternity Leave Changes that Occurred in 2025
While there are no changes to maternity leave per se, there are changes to EI, which you can claim while on maternity leave. Starting in April 2025, the federal government has made some changes, including no longer requiring a waiting period, also referred to as the EI period. This means that you can start getting money right away.
The next change is to adjust unemployment rates to make it simpler to get approved. For areas with rates below 13.1, rates are being temporarily adjusted. This means you need fewer insurable hours to qualify, allowing more people to receive these benefits.
What is a Record of Employment?
A Record of Employment is an official document that must be completed by an employer whenever an employee has an interruption in their earnings. Service Canada then uses this ROE submission to determine if the worker qualifies for EI benefits, as well as determine how much they can receive and for how long.
Typically, this form is used for unpaid work absences of 7 days or longer. It includes your work history, the total insurable hours worked, insurable earnings, and the reason for the absence. Typical reasons are:
- Termination
- Layoff
- Resignation
- Retirement
- Leave of Absence
- Maternity
- Paternity
- Constructive dismissal
EI benefits usually aren’t paid during reservist leave, so an ROE may not be issued for this reason.
Working While Receiving Benefits
When you’re on EI for any reason, you must complete your biweekly reports online or over the phone using your benefit statement access code to keep your EI claim status up to date. Since you can work on EI up to a certain amount and still get paid, you’ll record your hours to determine how much you’ll receive biweekly through your direct deposit setup.
When it comes to working while on claims with EI, the earnings deduction rules are that you keep 50 cents of your EI benefits for every dollar that you earn, until you meet the 90% threshold. To qualify, you must remain capable of working and available for full-time work. You must also be actively looking for a full-time job, even if you’re working part-time.
If you’re currently receiving both EI and severance pay, this isn’t deducted from your benefits unless you start after October 10, 2026. However, any vacation pay allocation that you receive will count as employee income.
Is Your Employer Required to Top it Up?
In Canada, a top-up from employers isn’t legally required. If an employer chooses to provide a salary top-up, they can, but it’s completely voluntary, and it usually applies to maternity leave, paternity leave, and temporary lay-offs.
When an employer chooses to offer a top-up plan, the most common is the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan. If you have a SUB plan registration, then this will prevent the extra funds from reducing your EI payments.
How QPIP in Quebec Differs
In Quebec, you don’t get Employment Insurance when you go on parental leave. Instead, they have the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). With these QPIP benefits, you can get:
- Benefits start immediately with no one-week waiting period like EI
- An insuranble earning cap of $103,000 instead of $68,900
- Up to 70% for paternity and maternity leave, and 70/55% for parental leave with a special plan paying 75% across the board
- Up to 5 paternity leave weeks, but returning to work early is allowed
- Mandatory benefits for self-employed workers, whereas self-employed EI special benefits are optional
What Happens if Your Maternity Leave Claim is Denied?
When you’re opting into EI for your maternity leave benefits, it’s important to understand that it’s still insurance, and you need to meet the requirements to apply. If your claim is denied, you’re going to get the decision in writing, and you can ask Service Canada to review the decision within 30 days. You can also submit additional proof to support your claim. If the decision is reversed, then you could be eligible for a premium refund.
If Service Canada upholds the denial, appealing the denied claim would mean going to the Social Security Tribunal. Since it could be anything from gaps in employment history to your employment contract that could cause you to lose benefits, extra documentation may be required.
Do You Pay Taxes on Your Maternity Leave Benefits?
With Employment Insurance benefits, you pay income taxes, but these aren’t taxes owed at filing. These are deducted automatically from your EI or QPIP payments before you receive them. That says, there is an underdeduction risk that you may incur. This is often because it doesn’t include your employment income at the tax bracket you’re charged for.
Job Security and Seniority While You’re on Leave
If you’re off for any reason, including pregnancy leave notice, job protection rights protect your position and allow for seniority accrual. Your pay must stay the same or increase, as well, and you will have a benefits continuation even though your portion of your group insurance premiums and pension contributions during leave will still need to be paid by you.
One of the biggest things that you have while on leave in Canada is termination protection. While you can be returning to a different role, it must be equal to or greater than your initial role.
Extra Weeks You Can Get When Sharing Paternal Leave
When it comes to the parental sharing benefit in Canada, if your partner takes shared leave, you can get an additional 5 weeks under the standard option or 8 weeks under the extended leave bonus. However, you do have to be within the EI qualifying window and have the correct accumulation of insurable hours.
What Happens to Your Benefits and Pension Contributions While You’re Away?
As we previously mentioned, there isn’t usually a withholding of benefits when you go on maternity leave. You can make out-of-pocket payments when on extended unpaid leave or choose to pause your benefits until you return to work.
The Rules for Leave With Stillbirth and Pregnancy Loss
When it comes to stillbirth and pregnancy loss, EI rules are based on the gestational age at the time of the loss. If the loss is before 20 weeks, maternity and paternity benefits are not available. However, the birthing parent can be eligible for up to 15 weeks of EI sickness benefits.
If the loss happens at 20 weeks or later, the birthing parent is eligible for up to 15 weeks of benefits. Paternity benefits aren’t available.
Opting-In for EI Special Benefits When You’re Self-Employed
If you’re self-employed in Canada, you can still get federal benefits and financial assistance with EI if you opt in. Your average insurable weekly earnings still matter, and you have to pay an annual fee. When you apply for your benefits, you still have to follow the parental leave rules and meet the provincial employment standards to start receiving EI payments.
To sign up and be eligible to apply for EI eligiblity, self-employed people can do so through their My Service Canada Account. Any changes can also be made through that account.
Budgeting Your Finances on Maternity Leave
When there is a new arrival in your family, like a new baby, new costs can add up quickly. On top of your one-time newborn costs, it’s good to have an emergency savings buffer to help with budgeting on a reduced income. When it comes to child care costs after leave, a child care subsidy can help cover some of the costs.
Final Thoughts
When you have a new child, you can get maternity benefits by filling out an EI application. If only one person has an application, you get fewer weeks, but when parents share, you get an additional 5 weeks. However, with most companies, you can get parental leave top-up that will be added to your taxable income, but won’t impact your EI benefits. Your vacation accrual, however, will be counted towards your EI benefits.
Since EI benefits don’t account for your full pay run, it’s ideal to have a financial plan. There’s usually at least a 1-week waiting period, and the weeks you get paid will be different from your typical pay run.
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