Employment Insurance Regulations

77.992 (1) Pilot Project No. 21 is established for the purpose of testing the effectiveness of a mechanism that targets persons who meet the criteria set out in subsection (2) and testing the outcomes of increasing the number of weeks of benefits paid to the targeted population.

(2) Pilot Project No. 21 applies to every claimant who meets the following criteria:

• (a) the date on which a benefit period is established falls within the period beginning on August 5, 2018 and ending on October 30, 2021;

• (b) at the time that the benefit period is established, the claimant is ordinarily resident in a region described in Schedule I that is set out in Schedule II.92;

• (c) in the 260 weeks before the beginning of the benefit period referred to in paragraph (a), at least three benefit periods had been established during which regular benefits were paid or payable; and

• (d) at least two of the benefit periods referred to in paragraph (c) had begun around the same time of year as the benefit period referred to in paragraph (a) began.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(c), a claimant’s benefit period established before the beginning of the 260-week period is considered to have been established within the 260-week period if the claimant received a notification of payment or non-payment with respect to any week that falls within that 260-week period.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(d), a benefit period in a previous year is considered to have begun around the same time of year if it began during the period that begins eight weeks before and ends eight weeks after the week that is

• (a) 52 weeks before the first week of the benefit period referred to in paragraph (2)(a);

• (b) 104 weeks before the first week of the benefit period referred to in paragraph (2)(a);

• (c) 156 weeks before the first week of the benefit period referred to in paragraph (2)(a);

• (d) 208 weeks before the first week of the benefit period referred to in paragraph (2)(a); or

• (e) 260 weeks before the first week of the benefit period referred to in paragraph (2)(a).

(5) Despite subsection 12(2) of the Act, the maximum number of weeks for which benefits may be paid in a benefit period that is established for a claimant who is included in Pilot Project No. 21 shall be determined in accordance with the table set out in Schedule II.93 by reference to the regional rate of unemployment that applies to the claimant and the number of hours of insurable employment of the claimant in their qualifying period.