EI Maternity and Parental Benefits 2026: Amounts, Weeks and How to Apply
EI maternity and parental benefits replace part of your pay while you are off work for a birth or adoption. Here is what each option pays in 2026, who qualifies and how to split the weeks between parents.
- Rules checked October 29, 2026
- By Krish Paul
- 10 min read
On this page
This guide includes a worked example for a two-parent family and a table of weekly amounts at different earnings levels.
The short answer
If you have 600 insured hours in the past 52 weeks and your weekly earnings drop by more than 40%, EI pays the birth parent up to 15 weeks of maternity benefits, and parents can share up to 40 weeks of standard or 69 weeks of extended parental benefits. Maternity and standard parental benefits pay 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 a week in 2026. Extended parental benefits pay 33%, up to $437 a week.
All rules here come from the Service Canada maternity and parental benefits pages. If you live in Quebec, you get these benefits through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan instead of EI.
Who qualifies
Service Canada lists these conditions. You must meet all of them.
- You are pregnant or recently gave birth, for maternity benefits, or you are a parent caring for your newborn or newly adopted child, for parental benefits.
- Your regular weekly earnings dropped by more than 40% for at least 1 week.
- You have 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before your claim starts, or since the start of your last claim if that is shorter.
Maternity benefits are open to eligible people regardless of gender identity. You do not need to be a citizen, but you need a valid social insurance number. If you received EI in the past 52 weeks, you may not qualify for the full number of weeks.
If you are self-employed
Self-employed people can get these benefits only if they opted in. Service Canada says your agreement with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission must be active for at least 12 months before you can receive any special benefits, and its eligibility page currently asks for at least $9,254 in net self-employed earnings between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
Maternity and parental benefits at a glance
Maternity benefits are only for the person who is pregnant or recently gave birth, and they cannot be shared. Parental benefits are for any parent of a newborn or newly adopted child, including adoptive parents, and they can be shared.
| Benefit | Most weeks, one parent | Most weeks, shared | Rate and 2026 weekly maximum | Must be used within |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity | 15 weeks | Not shareable | 55%, up to $729 | 17 weeks after due date or birth |
| Standard parental | 35 weeks | 40 weeks | 55%, up to $729 | 52 weeks after birth or placement |
| Extended parental | 61 weeks | 69 weeks | 33%, up to $437 | 78 weeks after birth or placement |
Source: Service Canada maternity and parental pages, modified October 22, 2026. Weekly maximums are for 2026 and are before tax.
Maternity benefits
You can start maternity benefits as early as 12 weeks before your due date. They end after 15 weeks of payments, or 17 weeks after your due date or the actual birth, whichever is later. If you apply for parental benefits at the same time, you do not need to apply again later.
Choosing standard or extended parental benefits
You pick one option when you apply. Each parent applies separately and both must choose the same option. If you choose differently, the first application Service Canada receives sets the option for both of you.
When you share, the total rises to 40 standard weeks or 69 extended weeks. One parent can take at most 35 or 61 weeks, so the extra 5 or 8 weeks can only go to the other parent. If the other parent does not use them, they are lost.
You cannot switch options once a week of parental benefits has been paid to you, or once a payment has been made to the other parent. Twins or adopting more than one child at once does not add weeks.
How much you get
Service Canada uses the same three steps for both benefits, as set out on its benefit amount page:
- Find your best weeks. Service Canada looks at your highest-paid weeks over the past 52 weeks, or since your last claim started if that is shorter. The number of best weeks is between 14 and 22, depending on the unemployment rate where you live.
- Average them. Your insurable earnings in those weeks are added up and divided by the number of best weeks.
- Apply the rate. Maternity and standard parental pay 55% of that average. Extended parental pays 33%.
The weekly maximum comes from the cap on insurable earnings. As of January 1, 2026, that cap is $68,900 a year, or $1,325 a week. At 55%, that gives $729. At 33%, it gives $437. If your average insurable earnings are $1,325 a week or more, you get the maximum.
| Average weekly earnings | Standard, per week | Extended, per week | 35 standard weeks | 61 extended weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $600 | $330 | $198 | $11,550 | $12,078 |
| $800 | $440 | $264 | $15,400 | $16,104 |
| $1,000 | $550 | $330 | $19,250 | $20,130 |
| $1,200 | $660 | $396 | $23,100 | $24,156 |
| $1,325 or more | $729 | $437 | $25,515 | $26,657 |
Calculated by Gizly from the 2026 rates, rounded to the nearest dollar. Your actual rate is set when Service Canada processes your claim.
Low-income families may get more through the family supplement. It is added automatically if your net family income is $25,921 or less, you have at least one child under 18, and you or your spouse receive the Canada Child Benefit. Your total still cannot go over $729 a week.
Some employers top up EI while you are on leave. That is set by your employer, not by Service Canada, so ask your employer or check your contract.
Worked example: standard or extended?
Say the birth parent averages $1,100 a week in insurable earnings and the partner averages $1,400. The birth parent takes 15 weeks of maternity and the maximum parental weeks for one parent. The partner takes the extra weeks only they can use. This is a hypothetical example.
At 55%, the birth parent gets $605 a week. At 33%, it is $363. The partner is above the cap, so they get $729 a week with standard or $437 with extended.
| Part of the leave | Standard option | Extended option |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity, 15 weeks at $605 | $9,075 | $9,075 |
| Birth parent parental weeks | 35 x $605 = $21,175 | 61 x $363 = $22,143 |
| Partner’s extra weeks | 5 x $729 = $3,645 | 8 x $437 = $3,496 |
| Family total before tax | $33,895 | $34,714 |
| Weeks of benefits paid | 55 weeks | 84 weeks |
Hypothetical example, calculated by script and checked by adding up every weekly payment. Amounts are before tax and assume no earnings during the leave.
For the birth parent alone, that is $30,250 over 50 weeks with standard or $31,218 over 76 weeks with extended. For the family, extended adds 29 more paid weeks but only $819 more in total. Week for week, the birth parent gets $242 less with extended. Choose extended if you need the extra time off and can live on the lower weekly amount. Choose standard if you want the money sooner.
Mistakes that cost parents money
- Choosing different optionsIf one parent picks standard and the other extended, the first application received decides for both of you.
- Thinking extended pays moreIt pays about the same total over many more weeks, at 33% instead of 55%.
- Waiting too long to applyService Canada says you may lose benefits if you apply more than 4 weeks after your last day of work.
- Leaving the shared weeks unusedThe extra 5 standard or 8 extended weeks can only go to the second parent. If they are not taken, they are lost.
- Not reporting workTell Service Canada if you start working or earning money while on benefits.
How to apply
- Apply online soon after you stop working. Do not wait for documents. Start from the apply page. The application takes about an hour and your answers are saved for 72 hours.
- Have your details ready. You need your social insurance number, the other parent’s SIN if you are sharing, the last name at birth of one of your parents, your addresses, your banking details, the details of every job in the past 52 weeks, and the birth date or due date, or the adoption placement date and agency details.
- Check your records of employment. Electronic ROEs go straight to Service Canada. If you got paper ROEs, send copies of all of them from the past 52 weeks as soon as you can.
- Agree on the option with the other parent. Each of you applies separately and chooses the same option.
- Keep your access code. Your benefit statement arrives by mail with a 4-digit access code. You need it and your SIN to follow up. The statement does not mean a decision has been made.
To test different plans before you apply, try the official EI Benefits Estimator.
When payments arrive
Service Canada says you should get your first payment about 28 days after you apply, if you are eligible and sent everything it needs. Its after you apply page says one unpaid waiting week normally applies. You serve it only once if you claim both maternity and parental benefits, and only one parent serves it when you share.
Right now, a temporary measure waives the waiting period for “all new claims for EI benefits” that start from March 30, 2025 to October 9, 2027.
If a payment is late, sign in to My Service Canada Account. Check your claim status, messages, banking details and address. You can update banking or contact details there or by calling Service Canada.
Working, travel and taxes
You can earn some money while on benefits. Under Working While on Claim, which covers any type of EI benefit, you keep 50 cents of benefits for every dollar you earn, up to 90% of your previous weekly earnings. Above that, benefits drop dollar for dollar.
You can keep getting maternity and parental benefits while outside Canada if you still meet the conditions. Service Canada suggests contacting it first for advice on your situation.
At tax time, the CRA asks you to report the amount in box 14 of your T4E slip on line 11900, with the maternity and parental part shown on line 11905. These benefits are not part of the EI repayment at tax time, which applies only to regular benefits. If you also received regular benefits in the same year, you may still have to repay some of those. Our EI regular benefits guide explains that rule.
Special situations
Service Canada lists several special circumstances:
- Pregnancy complications. You may qualify for sickness benefits, or start maternity benefits sooner. You must meet the conditions for each.
- A hospitalized child. The period in which you can take maternity or parental benefits may be extended.
- Pregnancy loss. Before week 20, sickness benefits may be available. From week 20, maternity benefits may be available. Parental benefits are not.
- Death of a child. You can still get up to 15 weeks of maternity benefits, but parental benefits end the week after the loss.
- Surrogacy. A surrogate can get maternity benefits but not parental benefits.
- Leave in separate blocks. Each separate period of parental leave needs its own application.
What changes in 2027
The cap on insurable earnings rises to $70,800 in 2027, and the maximum weekly benefit rate rises to $749, according to the 2027 actuarial report summary. That summary does not give a 2027 maximum for extended parental benefits, so this guide does not estimate one.
Frequently asked questions
How much is EI maternity leave per week in 2026?
EI maternity benefits pay 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 a week in 2026, for up to 15 weeks. The amount is before tax. Your exact rate is set by Service Canada when your application is processed.
What is the difference between standard and extended parental benefits?
Standard parental benefits pay 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 a week, for up to 40 weeks shared between parents. Extended parental benefits pay 33%, up to $437 a week, for up to 69 weeks shared. The total paid is similar, but extended spreads it over more weeks at a lower rate.
How many hours do I need to qualify for maternity or parental benefits?
You need 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before your claim starts, or since the start of your last claim if that is shorter. Your regular weekly earnings must also drop by more than 40% for at least 1 week.
Can both parents share parental benefits?
Yes. Each parent applies separately and both must choose the same option. Shared standard benefits go up to 40 weeks and shared extended benefits up to 69 weeks, but one parent cannot receive more than 35 or 61 weeks.
Can I switch from extended to standard parental benefits?
No, not once a week of parental benefits has been paid to you or a payment has been made to the other parent. Before that, you can change the number of weeks you request within the limits of the option you chose.
Do I have to repay maternity or parental benefits at tax time?
No. Service Canada says special benefits such as maternity and parental benefits are exempt from the EI repayment at tax time. You still report them on your tax return using your T4E slip. If you also received regular benefits that year, part of those may have to be repaid.
- Sources, checked October 29, 2026: Service Canada: EI maternity and parental benefits (modified 2026-10-22); Maternity and parental: do you qualify (modified 2026-10-22); Maternity and parental: how much you could receive (modified 2024-07-29, shows 2026 maximums); Maternity and parental: apply (modified 2026-10-22); Maternity and parental: after you apply (modified 2026-06-02); Maternity and parental: special circumstances (modified 2024-10-24); Temporary EI measures for major changes in economic conditions (modified 2026-10-06); EI regular benefits: how much you could receive (modified 2026-10-19); Working While on Claim (modified 2025-06-06); EI and repayment of benefits at income tax time (modified 2025-12-31); Self-employed special benefits: who can qualify (modified 2025-12-31); CRA: line 11900, EI and other benefits (modified 2026-01-20); Summary of the 2027 Actuarial Report on the EI Premium Rate (modified 2026-09-17).
- Method: The weekly table, the worked example and the chart are hypothetical and were calculated by script using the 2026 rates. Totals were checked a second way by adding up each weekly payment. The method reproduces the official 2026 maximums: $68,900 / 52 x 55% rounds to $729, and x 33% rounds to $437.
Important: This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Your own benefit rate and number of weeks are set by Service Canada when you apply. Gizly is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. See our affiliate disclosure.
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