Employment Insurance Regulations

77.999 (1) In this section, long-tenured worker means a claimant who was paid less than 36 weeks of regular benefits in the 156 weeks before the beginning of their benefit period and who, according to their income tax returns for which notices of assessment have been sent by the Canada Revenue Agency, paid at least 30% of the maximum annual employee’s premium in 7 of the 10 years before the beginning of their benefit period or, if their income tax return for the year before the beginning of their benefit period has not yet been filed with that Agency or a notice of assessment for that year has not yet been sent by that Agency, in 7 of the 10 years before that year.

(2) A benefit period that is established in accordance with section 9 of the Act, that begins during the period beginning on June 15, 2025 and ending on April 11, 2026 and that has not ended in accordance with paragraph 10(8)(d) of the Act before the day on which this section comes into force is extended by 20 weeks if the claimant is a long-tenured worker and has been paid at least one week of regular benefits or benefits by virtue of section 25 of the Act in that benefit period.

(3) In respect of any benefit period that begins during the period beginning on June 15, 2025 and ending on April 11, 2026, subsection 10(14) of the Act is adapted as follows:

• (14) An extension under one or more of subsections (10) to (13.02) and subsection 77.999(2) of the Employment Insurance Regulations must not result in a benefit period of more than 104 weeks.

(4) If a claimant’s benefit period has been extended under subsection (2),

• (a) the maximum number of weeks determined under subsection 12(2) or (2.3) of the Act for which benefits may be paid to the claimant in that benefit period because of a reason other than one mentioned in subsection 12(3) of the Act is increased by 20 weeks; and

• (b) the reference in subsection 12(6) of the Act to 50 weeks is to be read as a reference to 70 weeks.

(5) Additional weeks of benefits that are payable under this section do not cease to be payable by reason only that the claimant ceases to be a long-tenured worker during the benefit period.