Question for Canadians re: EI maternity benefits!

[tasha41]

How long did it take for your claim to be processed/for you to start being paid?

I filed my claim on March 30, after I was well enough to get out after I left the hospital and I'm still waiting. I'm annoyed, I haven't gotten paid in over a month.. how much longer should I be waiting to hear from them/for my claim to go through? My account online says they have received the claim and are doing their best to process it in a timely matter or something & that I'll find out when a decision has been made. I thought I was entitled to my maternity benefits and there was no decision to be made? And I was under the impression for some reason they handled them within 28 days.. it's coming up to that! I saved quite a bit of money but with a new baby, expenses come up & I have bills.. I don't want to apply for Ontario Works (social assistance) and I don't think I can even apply for it/get it while waiting for an EI claim to be processed!

 

[nataliecn]

hate to break it to you hun... probably another month!!
they're slow as heck getting you that stuff.. i don't have it, but i know people who have waited ages!!!
government wants their money ASAP, but they're slow as hell to give you what you rightfully deserve! It's a shame.
Make sure you apply for your Baby Bonus ASAP too!

 

[tasha41]

Yep, applied for my baby bonus, etc! I know baby bonus takes 3-6 months to come in but they pay you for the missed months, ie: if it takes 4 months you get paid for however many months they owe you. Oh, my friend had a baby on Nov. 1 and she didn't get paid out baby bonus for November - the latest her baby could have been born to get baby bonus for November was October 31. That's BS if you ask me LOL..

 

[sue08]

I applied for EI on March 13 and was paid April 09, maybe you should call them.

 

[Tiff]

I think it's because of the area you live in hun. You can always call them, but because Mat Leave is covered through EI they are super busy with all the recent layoffs and company closures.

My friend had her LO the first week of Feb, was off a week before that and applied then, and only got her first Mat Leave payment a few weeks ago. They will backpay you, but it does suck waiting.

 

[tasha41]

Ya they just laid off A LOT of people in my city - shut down a huge steel factory (I live in Hamilton.. "Steeltown") & we've lost lots of manufacturing jobs.. maybe that's why, the office was sooo busy when I was there. It was kind of sad, lots of adult men on the computers who have families to support applying for EI and trying to find jobs I know I shouldn't feel guilty for applying for my maternity benefits and whining about the wait but I do sometimes when there are people who have mortgages to pay and stuff out there..

 

[Tiff]

Don't feel guilty hun! You have just as much right to your Maternity benefits as they do their EI.