Employment Insurance Act

Marginal note:Social Insurance Register

• 139 (1) Subject to and in accordance with the regulations, the Commission may maintain a Social Insurance Register containing

  • (a) the names of individuals registered under section 138;

  • (b) the names of individuals to whom a Social Insurance Number has been issued under the Canada Pension Plan; and

  • (c) the names of individuals for whom application has been made to the Commission for a Social Insurance Number.

• Marginal note:Additional information

  (2) The Social Insurance Register may, subject to such regulations as the Governor in Council may make in that behalf, contain such other information in addition to the names and Social Insurance Numbers of individuals as is necessary to identify accurately all individuals so registered.

• Marginal note:Issuing number and card

  (3) If a Social Insurance Number is assigned to an individual by the Commission in the course of maintaining the registers mentioned in this section and section 138, the Commission shall issue a Social Insurance Number card to the individual so registered and that number is the individual’s Social Insurance Number for all purposes for which a Social Insurance Number is required.

• Marginal note:Regulations

  (4) The Commission may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, make regulations respecting the registration of individuals under this section and section 138, the application for that registration, the issuance, custody, production and use of Social Insurance Number cards and the replacement of cards that have been lost, destroyed or defaced.

• Marginal note:Providing information

  (5) The Commission may, subject to such regulations as the Governor in Council may make in that behalf, make available such information contained in the registers maintained under this section and section 138 as the Commission deems necessary for the accurate identification of individuals and for the effective use by those individuals of Social Insurance Numbers and Social Insurance Number cards, to such persons as the Commission thinks appropriate to accomplish that purpose.

• Marginal note:New Social Insurance Number

  (6) A person who has been assigned a Social Insurance Number may subsequently be assigned another Social Insurance Number, in accordance with and subject to such regulations as the Commission may prescribe, if

  • (a) the number first assigned has been assigned to another person;

  • (b) wrongful use by another person of the number first assigned has created a situation in which the person to whom the number was first assigned is or may be caused embarrassment or hardship; or

  • (c) there are other special or unusual circumstances that would make the issuance of another number desirable.

• Marginal note:Voiding

  (7) When a new Social Insurance Number is assigned to a person, any number previously assigned to that person becomes void.

• Marginal note:More than one number assigned

  (8) If a person has inadvertently been assigned more than one Social Insurance Number, the Commission shall determine which number is the official number and shall void the others.