Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits

Forms

• MSCA — medical certificate — Medical certificate for EI sickness link

Step-by-step

1. 1. Check whether you likely meet the insured hours requirement

   The hours needed depend on where you live and your employment history.

   Next: Gather recent pay information and ROEs while you wait for the employer submission.

2. 2. Apply for EI sickness and submit a complete medical certificate

   Apply as soon as you stop working; waiting can reduce the weeks you can receive.

   Next: Respond quickly to any Service Canada requests for more information.

Evidence to gather

Check off items as you collect them — progress is saved only on this device (same keys as the main benefits guide).

• Completed medical certificate with clear functional limitations — Service Canada uses this to confirm inability to work.
• Record(s) of employment from recent employers — Used to verify hours and reason for separation.

Common reasons claims get denied

• Insufficient insured hours in the qualifying period
• Medical certificate incomplete or not received
• You are already receiving other benefits that offset EI
• You are not available for work when required by the program rules

Sources

• Canada.ca — EI sickness benefits · accessed 2026-04-24