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Service Canada EI Rules — 2026

EI Maternity & Parental Benefits Calculator

Estimate federal EI maternity and parental benefits using the current 2026 rates, qualifying-hours rule and benefit-week limits.

Federal EI eligibility overview

For federal EI maternity and parental benefits outside Quebec, eligible workers generally need at least 600 hours of insurable employment during the qualifying period and must meet the other EI entitlement conditions.

  • The qualifying period is generally the shorter of the 52 weeks immediately before the claim or the period since the start of a previous EI benefit period.
  • The claimant generally must have experienced the required interruption or reduction in earnings.
  • The 600-hour test is necessary for federal special benefits but does not, by itself, guarantee entitlement.

2026 federal EI maternity & parental amounts

BenefitRateWeekly maximumOne-parent maximumShared maximum
Maternity55%$72915 weeksNot shared
Standard parental55%$72935 weeks40 weeks
Extended parental33%$43761 weeks69 weeks

Maternity benefits are for the person giving birth. Parental benefits are available to parents of a newborn or newly adopted child and can be shared.

Federal EI benefit estimator

This is a planning estimate, not an official EI determination. Service Canada calculates the actual benefit from the claimant's insurable earnings during the applicable best weeks, which depend on the EI economic region.

Used only as a simplified estimate.
Federal special benefits generally require 600 hours.

Current EI waiting-period rule

The ordinary EI legislation contains a one-week waiting period, but the federal temporary measure waives the waiting period for all initial EI claims beginning between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026, regardless of benefit type. Someone entitled to a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit top-up may choose to serve the waiting period if that is to their advantage.

Standard vs extended parental benefits

StandardExtended
Rate55%, up to $729/week33%, up to $437/week
One-parent maximum35 weeks61 weeks
Shared family maximum40 weeks69 weeks
Changing optionThe choice generally cannot be changed once a week of parental benefits has been paid to you, or once a payment has been made to the other parent when benefits are shared.

Frequently Asked Questions

For federal EI special benefits outside Quebec, an eligible claimant generally needs at least 600 hours of insurable employment in the qualifying period. The qualifying period is generally the shorter of the 52 weeks immediately before the start of the claim or the period since the beginning of a previous EI benefit period.

For 2026, federal EI maternity and standard parental benefits are generally 55% of average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 per week. Extended parental benefits are generally 33%, up to $437 per week. Service Canada determines the actual weekly amount using the claimant’s insurable earnings and applicable best-weeks calculation.

Maternity benefits are available for up to 15 weeks to the person giving birth. Standard parental benefits provide up to 40 weeks that can be shared, but one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks. Extended parental benefits provide up to 69 weeks that can be shared, but one parent cannot receive more than 61 weeks.

Potentially, yes. EI entitlement is based on the applicable program requirements, including insurable employment, insurable hours and the required interruption or reduction in earnings. Citizenship or permanent-resident status is not itself the qualifying test.

Yes, for qualifying initial EI claims beginning between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026, the federal government has temporarily waived the normal one-week waiting period for all EI benefit types. A claimant with an applicable supplemental unemployment benefit top-up may choose to serve the waiting period when that is advantageous.

No. Quebec operates the separate Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) for maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits. QPIP has its own eligibility, qualifying-income and benefit rules, so the federal EI calculator on this page should not be used to determine a Quebec claim.

Official Government References

2026 federal EI figures

Maternity55% / $729 max
Standard parental55% / $729 max
Extended parental33% / $437 max
Federal hours test600 hours
Current waiting periodTemporarily waived for qualifying initial claims

Important distinction

Federal EI maternity and parental benefits are separate from provincial employment-leave rights. Quebec also operates a separate parental-insurance system rather than the federal EI maternity/parental program.

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