Employment Insurance offers several different types of benefits, and sickness benefits are among the most commonly confused with regular (job loss) benefits. They share the same weekly payment formula but differ significantly in eligibility, duration, and purpose. Here is exactly how they compare.
The Weekly Rate Is the Same
Both EI sickness benefits and EI regular benefits are calculated the same way: 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to the 2026 maximum of $729 a week, based on maximum insurable earnings of $68,900 a year. There is no difference in the weekly payment formula between the two benefit types — the difference is in duration and why you are eligible.
| EI Regular Benefits | EI Sickness Benefits | |
|---|---|---|
| Reason | Job loss through no fault of your own | Unable to work due to illness, injury, or quarantine |
| Weekly rate | 55% of average earnings, up to $729 | 55% of average earnings, up to $729 |
| Maximum duration | Up to 45 weeks (region-dependent) | Up to 26 weeks |
| Medical certificate required | No | Yes |
Duration Is the Biggest Difference
EI regular benefits can last anywhere from several weeks up to 45 weeks, depending on your insurable hours and your region's unemployment rate. EI sickness benefits, by contrast, have a fixed maximum of 26 weeks regardless of region — a straightforward cap rather than a variable one. If your illness or recovery extends beyond 26 weeks, you may need to look at other supports, such as long-term disability insurance or provincial disability programs.
Medical Proof Is Required for Sickness Benefits
To claim EI sickness benefits, you need a medical certificate from a doctor or authorised health professional confirming you are unable to work, along with the expected duration of your incapacity. Regular benefits, by contrast, require no medical documentation — instead you need proof of job separation, generally your Record of Employment, and you must be ready, willing, and capable of working.
The One-Week Waiting Period Applies to Both
Both benefit types share the same one-week unpaid waiting period before payments begin. If you are transitioning directly from a regular claim to a sickness claim (or vice versa) within the same benefit period, you generally do not serve a second waiting period, which is worth knowing if your circumstances change partway through a claim.
Can You Switch Between Them?
If you become sick while already receiving EI regular benefits, you can generally switch to sickness benefits for the illness period, and your total benefit weeks are managed within the same claim rather than starting over. This is a common scenario — someone who lost their job and later becomes unable to work due to illness does not need to make an entirely separate application in most cases.
Maternity, Parental, and Caregiving Benefits
EI also offers maternity, parental, and family caregiver benefits, which follow their own separate rules and durations again distinct from both regular and sickness benefits. All of these share the same underlying 55% weekly rate formula and the $729 maximum for 2026, but eligibility, duration, and required documentation differ across each benefit type.
Working the Numbers
Whichever type of EI benefit applies to you, the weekly amount is calculated the same way. Use our EI Benefits calculator to estimate your weekly payment based on your own insurable earnings — the only thing that changes between sickness and regular claims is how long that payment lasts and what documentation you need to provide.
The Bottom Line
EI sickness and regular benefits pay the same weekly rate, but everything else — duration, documentation, and eligibility trigger — is different. Understanding which type applies to your situation, and how long it will actually last, matters just as much as knowing the weekly amount. If you are unsure which type of claim to file, Service Canada's online tool can help determine the right benefit for your circumstances.