Last year the federal government changed the qualifying rules for self-employed individuals to claim EI benefits in specific circumstances:
- mat leave,
- parental leave,
- sickness benefits, and
- compassionate care benefits
You can read through the details on this Service Canada page. it outlines how the program works and eligibility requirements.
At first this program sounds great, but after analyzing the effective costs, including all financial pre and post E.I. contributions required, this insurance benefit plan is certainly not for everybody and likely not for many.
This article by Gail Vaz-Oxlade in Money Sense online deals with the facts you should know before you sign up.