The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 26 ,2 02 0 | 20 Relief is on the way for workers displaced due to the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Tru- deau has presented a plan before parliament to spend $82 billion, with Canadian workers and businesses el- igible for some $27 billion of it. Come April, Employ- ment Insurance (EI) rules should loosen to allow for more applications. Two emergency benefits are in- cluded for those who don't qualify. The government has released guidelines on who can apply, and the amount of money to expect. "These are extraordi- nary times," Trudeau said. "Our government is taking extraordinary measures." DO I QUALIFY FOR EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE? For those who lost em- ployment through no fault of their own (including lay- offs), you need to consider the number of hours worked in the last 52 weeks. That number will depend on your situation. But move as quickly as possible to apply. If four weeks pass- es between your last day of work and the date of your application, you could lose access to the benefits. WHAT HAS CHANGED WITH EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE? EI sickness benefits kick in if you are unable to work because of illness or quarantine. This is among the changes before parlia- ment. Normally, a one- week waiting period is mandatory for sickness benefits. That has been re- moved for those told to self- isolate or quarantine. Ap- proved applicants can now be paid for the first week of a claim. The maximum amount to be paid out for EI is $573, if approved. WHAT IF I DON'T QUALIFY FOR EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE? The self-employed and some contract workers do not qualify for EI. However, those who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 can apply. Those staying home to care for a family member with COVID-19 can also ap- ply. So can parents staying home to care for children because of school closures. There is $5 billion in The Emergency Support Benefit for workers nor- mally ineligible for EI who are facing unemploy- ment. The government has not determined how long the money will be giv- en out, or how much, but it is intended to be a long- term income support. A toll-free number has yet to be set up, but both EI benefit plans will be avail- able through the Canada Revenue Agency in April. HOW DO I APPLY? Quarantined workers can now apply without the usual medical certificate and records of employ- ment. Other applicants will typically need both. For those who can't apply from where they are quar- antined, file for EI sickness benefits later and have the claim backdated. Apply for EI benefits at the website canada.ca/en/ services/benefits/ei/ei- sickness/apply.html After that, you can apply to have the waiting period waived by calling the govern- ment's toll-free number at 1-833-381-2725 or teletype- writer 1-800-529-3742. Apply in person at a Ser- vice Canada office - call first - unless you are expe- riencing symptoms or in self-isolation, quarantined or instructed not to visit. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO LOOSEN EI, SICKNESS RULES DEREK DUNN derek.dunn@ metroland.com NEWS Relief is on the way for workers displaced due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pexels photo Your A-Z for COVID-19. You can access all of our COVID-19 related coverage here: theifp.ca/coronavirus As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, we know you have questions.We're hard at work to answer those questions. There are plenty of uncertainties right now--our hope is that our reporting will help youmake informed decisions based on clear, convenient information. A lot of little things can add up to big things. Never miss a deal with your shopping list on Save.ca. Selected items are sorted by store, making your day- to-day shopping experience a real money saver. Shopping locally is the best way to support our communities. And saving locally makes it even better! Find big deals close to home with save.ca. comparison shop to get the best buy. It all adds up. new save.ca. Start saving today at: