Income - Employment Insurance Penalties

4-7 Income - Employment Insurance Penalties


PURPOSE

1. To avoid assuming responsibility for penalties appropriately imposed upon employment insurance claimants.

PRINCIPLE

2. Applicants shall accept responsibility for employment insurance penalties resulting from employment-related actions including not accepting available employment, abandoning work or being fired, without adequate reason.

3. Where penalties or recoveries seem unreasonable, it is the applicant’s responsibility to negotiate a lesser amount with the Employment Insurance officials at Services Canada.

POLICY

4. In situations where an applicant has been disqualified from receiving employment insurance benefits for some period of time, an explanation of the factors leading to the disqualification shall be investigated and confirmed.

5. Benefits may be paid in such situations only if there are extenuating circumstances justifying the applicant’s action, and with the approval of the Department.

6. An applicant who is burdened with an unreasonably high employment insurance overpayment recovery rate shall attempt to negotiate a lower rate with appropriate employment insurance officials.

PROCEDURE

7. Full employment insurance benefits, before any reduction for overpayment recovery, shall be used in calculating income.

8. Workers or supervisors may find it necessary to intervene on behalf of clients unable to renegotiate an unreasonably high employment insurance recovery rate.