Why did my EI payment stop suddenly?

EI payments stop for several reasons, and Service Canada should send you a letter explaining the decision. The most common causes: (1) You exhausted your insurable weeks — every EI claim has a maximum number of weeks based on your regional unemployment rate. When those weeks are used up, payments end automatically. (2) You missed a biweekly report — EI requires you to submit a biweekly claimant report online or by phone. If you miss a report, payments are suspended until the report is submitted. (3) You returned to work — if you reported earnings that exceeded the threshold for that pay period, payments stop or reduce. (4) You are no longer available for work — going back to school full-time, leaving Canada, or starting a business can trigger a disentitlement. (5) Service Canada flagged an issue requiring review — your claim may be temporarily held pending verification. Check your MSCA (My Service Canada Account) for any action items or letters.

I missed a biweekly claimant report. What do I do?

If you missed filing your biweekly claimant report, your payments are suspended — not cancelled. Steps to resume payments: (1) Log in to My Service Canada Account (MSCA) at canada.ca/my-service-canada-account and file all outstanding reports. You can file multiple late reports at once. (2) Call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218 if you have trouble filing online. (3) After filing your late reports, benefit payments for those weeks will typically resume within 2–5 business days once processed. You will not lose the weeks you missed reporting — they will simply be paid retroactively. Note: if you missed reports for a long time, Service Canada may ask you to confirm you were available for work during those weeks and were not working. Missing reports does not permanently end your claim — it just delays payments.

I was working part-time. Did that stop my EI?

Working part-time does not necessarily stop EI, but it reduces it. Under the Working While on Claim rules: you can earn up to 90% of your weekly insurable earnings without losing any EI benefit. Above that threshold, EI is reduced dollar-for-dollar. If you earned more than 100% of your insurable earnings in a week, your EI for that specific week is zero (but not cancelled — you simply receive nothing that week). EI will resume the following week if your earnings drop back below the threshold. Important: all earnings must be reported on your biweekly claim — even if you know you will not receive EI that week. Failure to report earnings is considered an overpayment (and potentially fraud), which triggers repayment demands plus potential penalties.

My EI stopped because I went back to school. Can I still collect?

Full-time school attendance almost always disqualifies EI because EI requires you to be available for and actively seeking work. If you are in full-time school, Service Canada considers you unavailable for full-time work and may disentitle you from the date school started. Exceptions: (1) You were referred to training by an Employment Insurance officer before you enrolled — approved training can allow EI to continue as Part I benefits. (2) Short courses (a few days or weeks) that do not interfere with your job search. (3) Part-time school may not disqualify you if you can demonstrate you are still available for full-time work (daytime availability). If your EI was stopped for a schooling reason and you believe you qualify for an exception, request a formal review from Service Canada and explain why you remain available for work.

I received an EI overpayment notice. What does that mean?

An EI overpayment notice means Service Canada determined you received EI benefits you were not entitled to. Common reasons: you reported earnings incorrectly or not at all; you received a retroactive pay increase that applied to a period you were on EI; you were found to have voluntarily quit without just cause (retroactive disentitlement); you returned to work sooner than reported. Repayment options: (1) Pay the full amount online via MSCA or by cheque. (2) Arrange a payment plan with Service Canada — call 1-800-206-7218. (3) Appeal the decision if you disagree with the overpayment finding — you have 30 days from the date of the decision to request a reconsideration. Note: an EI overpayment outstanding at tax time is collected by CRA withholding your tax refund or instalment of benefits (GST credit, etc.).

Will I owe taxes on my EI at the end of the year?

Yes. EI benefits are fully taxable income in the year received. Service Canada withholds tax from each payment, but the withholding may not be sufficient if: you also have other income in the same year (part-year employment, investments, etc.); you received a large lump sum of retroactive EI; your province has a higher tax rate. Additionally, the EI clawback applies if your net income exceeds ~$79,000. You must repay 30% of the lower of (a) your total EI received, or (b) the amount by which your income exceeds the threshold. This repayment shows up on your tax return (Schedule 10 and Line 23500) and can create a balance owing. If you expect to owe, you can ask Service Canada to withhold additional tax — call 1-800-206-7218 and request increased withholding.

My EI claim ran out but I am still unemployed. What are my options?

When regular EI exhausts, options include: (1) If you have an illness — apply for EI Sickness Benefits if you have not yet received them (up to 26 weeks). (2) Federal income support — if your income is very low, check eligibility for provincial social assistance (Ontario Works, BC Employment and Assistance, etc.). (3) New EI claim — if you have worked and accumulated new insurable hours since the prior claim, you may be eligible for a new claim. Minimum insurable hours for a new claim: 420–700 hours depending on regional unemployment rate. (4) Retraining — contact your local Employment Services provider; federally funded Part II training does not require active EI but may provide income support. (5) Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) — available at tax time for low-income earners.

Why Did My EI Payment Stop? Common Reasons Employment Insurance Ends

EI payments can stop for reasons ranging from a missed report (easy fix) to exhausted weeks (nothing left to claim). Here is how to determine what happened and what to do.

Quick diagnosis table

What happened	Likely cause	What to do
Missed a report deadline	Biweekly report not filed	File late reports via MSCA — payments resume retroactively
Returned to work full-time	Employment reported	No action — claim can be reopened if hours drop again
Earnings exceeded limit one week	Working while on claim	Nothing — EI resumes next week if earnings drop
Got a letter about a disentitlement	Availability issue, schooling, or voluntary quit	Request reconsideration within 30 days if you disagree
Claim exhausted	Maximum insurable weeks used	Check if new hours accumulated for a new claim
Received overpayment notice	Earnings not reported; retroactive pay	Arrange repayment plan; appeal if you disagree
No explanation — payments just stopped	System hold or address/SIN issue	Log in to MSCA for action items; call 1-800-206-7218

EI maximum insurable weeks by regional unemployment rate (2025)

Regional unemployment rate	Maximum weeks (regular EI)
6.0% and under	14 weeks
6.1%–7.0%	18 weeks
7.1%–8.0%	23 weeks
8.1%–9.0%	28 weeks
9.1%–10.0%	33 weeks
10.1%–11.0%	38 weeks
11.1%–12.0%	43 weeks
12.1%–13.0%	45 weeks
13.1%+	45 weeks

Weeks are based on the unemployment rate in your economic region when you filed, not where you work.

The Working While on Claim rule

Working part-time does not end your EI claim — but earnings reduce or eliminate the benefit for that week:

Weekly earnings	EI impact
$0	Full EI benefit paid
Up to 90% of weekly insurable earnings	EI paid in full (no reduction)
Above 90% of insurable earnings	$1 clawed back per $1 earned above the threshold
Above 100% of insurable earnings	EI = $0 for that week only (claim not cancelled)

You must report earnings in the week they are earned, regardless of when you were paid. Failure to report earnings — even if they exceed the threshold — is an overpayment and may be treated as fraud.

Types of EI benefits: not just regular benefits

Your regular EI weeks may run out, but other EI benefit types may still be available:

EI benefit type	Maximum weeks	Who qualifies
Regular EI	14–45 weeks (regional)	Laid off, hours reduced
EI Sickness Benefits	26 weeks	Unable to work due to illness, injury, or quarantine
EI Maternity Benefits	15 weeks	Biological mothers (including surrogate)
EI Parental Benefits — Standard	40 weeks (can be shared)	Caring for a newborn or newly adopted child
EI Parental Benefits — Extended	69 weeks (reduced rate)	Same, at 33% of insurable earnings
EI Caregiving Benefits	Up to 35 weeks	Caring for critically ill or end-of-life family member
EI Family Caregiver — Adult	15 weeks	Caring for critically ill adult family member

If your regular EI claim exhausted and you have a health condition, you may still qualify for EI Sickness Benefits by submitting a medical certificate. You can layer some benefit types within a single benefit year.

EI clawback at tax time

EI benefits are taxable income. If your net income for the year exceeds approximately $79,000, you must repay part of your EI:

Net income	EI repayment
Below ~$79,000	No repayment required
Above ~$79,000	Repay 30% of the lower of: total EI received OR amount by which income exceeds $79,000
First-time claimant exception	Maternity, parental, and sickness benefits are exempt from the clawback

The clawback is calculated on Schedule 10 of your T1 return (Line 23500). You can minimize it by asking Service Canada to increase withholding (call 1-800-206-7218).

How to restart your EI claim

If your claim ran out but you have since accumulated new insurable hours, you can file a new EI claim. Requirements for a new regular EI claim:

Accumulate insurable hours — 420 to 700 hours depending on your regional unemployment rate
Establish a new benefit period — apply online at canada.ca/apply-ei after accumulating hours
New ROE (Record of Employment) — your employer issues a new ROE when you are laid off again

If you worked part-time for several months after EI exhausted, check My Service Canada Account to see if you have accumulated enough hours for a new claim.

What to do when EI is exhausted with no new claim available

Option	Details
Provincial social assistance	Ontario Works, BC Employment and Assistance, etc. — income and asset tested
EI Sickness Benefits	If a medical condition is preventing work — up to 26 weeks
Canada Workers Benefit (CWB)	Low-income working Canadians — available at tax time
Federally funded training	Employment Services / Part II benefits — may include income support
RRSP / TFSA withdrawals	Available but tax implications for RRSP withdrawals
Creditor forbearance	Mortgage deferrals, utility programs, credit card hardship programs

EI appeal rights

If Service Canada made a decision you disagree with (disentitlement, overpayment, denial):

Reconsideration request — within 30 days of the decision to Service Canada
Appeal to Social Security Tribunal (SST) — if reconsideration is denied, appeal to SST General Division within 30 calendar days
Appeal to SST Appeal Division — if General Division denies, one further appeal level
Keep all correspondence and document your availability for work throughout