EI changes before October 10: What Canadian workers need to know
Several temporary Employment Insurance measures were originally scheduled to expire on October 10, but the federal government has since announced further extensions and new EI flexibilities. For workers who may lose their jobs, receive severance or rely on EI for an extended period, the distinction between an announced measure and one already reflected in the program rules is important.
The measures were introduced largely in response to the economic disruption caused by tariffs and are designed to make EI support more accessible. They include a waived waiting period, more favourable treatment of separation payments and additional weeks of regular benefits for some long-tenured workers.
What was originally due to change on October 10?
In March, the government extended three temporary EI measures until October 10:
- the one-week waiting period was waived;
- certain separation payments, such as severance and vacation pay, were temporarily excluded from the normal EI deduction rules; and
- eligible long-tenured workers could receive 20 additional weeks of regular EI benefits, up to a maximum of 65 weeks.
The March extension applied to claims established within specified periods ending October 10. The government estimated that the extension would benefit hundreds of thousands of additional EI claimants.
However, the situation changed in August.
Ottawa announced further EI extensions in August
On August 25, the federal government announced a new package of support for workers and businesses affected by tariffs. The measures include further extensions to the temporary EI flexibilities that had been approaching their October deadline.
According to the latest federal actuarial documentation, the August measures include:
| EI measure | Latest federal announcement |
|---|---|
| One-week waiting period | Extended by one year |
| Treatment of separation payments | Extended by one year |
| Extra EI weeks for long-tenured workers | Extended by eight months |
| Workers who voluntarily left a job | New temporary measure under specified conditions |
| Job matching | Additional support through Job Bank |
| Work-Sharing | New Workforce Retention and Retraining Program |
The Canada Employment Insurance Commission’s latest actuarial report explicitly records these measures as announcements made on August 25.
The waiting period is not simply disappearing permanently
Normally, EI claimants must serve a one-week waiting period before receiving benefits. The temporary measure allows eligible claimants to receive EI benefits without losing that first week of income.
The federal government’s current public EI information page still states that the temporary waiver applies to new claims beginning between March 30, 2025 and October 10, 2026.
At the same time, the government has announced a further one-year extension. This creates an important distinction for readers: the extension has been announced, but the public operational EI page still displays the October 10 end date.
Workers should therefore check the latest Service Canada information when making a claim rather than relying solely on older deadlines.
Separation payments: another important EI change
The temporary rules also affect money received when employment ends.
Under the normal EI rules, certain payments connected to a separation from employment can affect when EI benefits are payable. These can include severance and some vacation payments.
The temporary measure suspends the allocation of certain separation earnings for eligible claims, allowing affected workers to receive EI without first having those payments deducted in the usual way.
The government announced in August that this flexibility would be extended for another year.
For someone who has recently been laid off and is receiving severance, this can make a significant difference to the timing of EI payments.
Long-tenured workers could get more time on EI
The third major measure concerns long-tenured workers.
Under the temporary program, eligible workers can receive 20 additional weeks of regular EI benefits, up to a maximum of 65 weeks. The measure is aimed at people with a long history of paying EI premiums but relatively little recent use of regular or fishing benefits.
The existing criteria include:
- fewer than 36 weeks of regular or fishing EI benefits in the three years before the claim began; and
- EI premiums equivalent to at least 30% of the annual maximum premium paid in at least seven of the previous 10 years.
The additional weeks are automatically added when the claimant meets the requirements.
In August, Ottawa announced that this temporary measure would be extended by another eight months.
A new measure could help some workers who left a job voluntarily
The August announcement also introduced a new temporary EI measure concerning workers who voluntarily left jobs.
The government says the measure is intended to ensure that workers who voluntarily left jobs in recent months are not penalized when they subsequently need EI, provided their most recent job loss was through no fault of their own.
This is particularly relevant because voluntary departure can normally affect eligibility for regular EI benefits. The new measure is temporary and has specific conditions, so workers should not interpret the announcement as meaning that every voluntary resignation automatically qualifies for EI.
What about seasonal workers?
The October 10 deadline should not be confused with another EI deadline affecting seasonal workers.
A separate temporary measure provides up to five additional weeks of regular EI benefits, to a maximum of 45 weeks, for eligible seasonal workers in 13 targeted EI regions. The federal government has extended that measure to October 2028, and the extension received royal assent in June.
This means seasonal workers are dealing with a different timetable from the tariff-related measures that were previously scheduled to end on October 10.
Eligibility is also specific. The additional weeks are automatically added when the claimant meets the government’s seasonal-worker criteria.
What workers should do now
Anyone expecting to apply for EI around this period should pay attention to the date their benefit period begins, rather than assuming that the date of application alone determines eligibility for every temporary measure.
The federal government states that an EI benefit period generally begins on the later of the Sunday of the week in which the interruption of earnings occurs and the Sunday of the week in which the initial claim is made.
Workers who lose their jobs should therefore:
- Apply for EI as soon as they stop working.
- Keep records of severance, vacation pay and other payments received because employment ended.
- Check whether they meet the long-tenured worker conditions if they expect to need EI for an extended period.
- Check the current Service Canada rules if their claim falls close to October 10.
- Not assume that an announced extension automatically means every detail has already been incorporated into the online eligibility information.
The federal government itself advises applicants to submit an EI application as soon as they stop working so that eligibility can be assessed.
Our assessment
The most important point for workers is that October 10 is no longer the whole story.
The government initially extended the temporary EI measures only until that date, creating a clear deadline for claimants. But Ottawa subsequently announced additional extensions in August as part of a broader response to continuing tariff-related economic disruption. The latest federal actuarial report confirms those announcements and incorporates their expected financial impact on the EI program.
At the same time, the government’s main public page for the temporary EI measures still displays October 10, 2026 as the end date for the existing measures.
For readers, that means the safest approach is not to interpret October 10 as an automatic cutoff—or to assume that every announced extension is already reflected in the same online guidance. The practical details matter, particularly for claims beginning around the transition date.
The government has also confirmed that the 2027 EI premium rate will be $1.64 per $100 of insurable earnings, compared with $1.63 in 2026, while the maximum insurable earnings will rise to $70,800. Those changes take effect January 1 and are separate from the temporary measures discussed above.
Frequently asked questions
Does EI still have a one-week waiting period?
The normal EI system has a one-week waiting period, but a temporary measure has waived it for eligible claims within the specified period. The government has announced a further one-year extension, although the current public temporary-measures page still shows October 10, 2026 as the existing end date.
Can I receive EI while receiving severance?
Temporary rules allow certain separation payments to be treated differently from the normal EI rules. The government has announced that this flexibility will be extended. Eligibility depends on the circumstances and timing of the claim or payment.
Who can receive the additional 20 weeks of EI?
Eligible long-tenured workers can receive 20 additional weeks of regular EI benefits, up to a maximum of 65 weeks, if they meet the government’s conditions concerning their previous EI use and EI contributions.
Are seasonal workers affected by the October 10 deadline?
The seasonal-worker measure follows a different timetable. The government has extended the temporary measure providing up to five additional weeks of regular EI benefits in 13 targeted regions to October 2028.
Should I wait until the new extensions are reflected online before applying?
No. The government advises workers to apply for EI as soon as they stop working. Waiting to apply can affect the start of a benefit period.
Official Sources
- Employment and Social Development Canada — Temporary Employment Insurance measures to respond to major changes in economic conditions — Canada.ca — Temporary EI measures
- Employment and Social Development Canada — Government of Canada extending Employment Insurance temporary measures to ensure critical income support continues for workers impacted by tariffs — Canada.ca — March 2026 EI extension announcement
- Canada Employment Insurance Commission — Summary of the 2027 Actuarial Report on the Employment Insurance Premium Rate — Canada.ca — 2027 EI actuarial report summary
- Employment and Social Development Canada — Canada announces targeted countermeasures and substantive support for workers and businesses in response to U.S. tariffs — Canada.ca — August 2026 announcement
- Employment and Social Development Canada — Additional weeks of Employment Insurance regular benefits for workers in seasonal employment in targeted regions — Canada.ca — Seasonal EI benefits
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