Up to 26 weeks at 55% (max $729/week) when illness, injury or quarantine stops you working.
ESTIMATE
Estimates as of 3 November 2026, for information only — not legal advice or a decision on your claim; Service Canada decides eligibility and the exact amount. 2026 figures from Canada.ca: 55% benefit rate, maximum insurable earnings $68,900, maximum $729 a week (extended parental 33%, $437). Regional rates for 11 October to 7 November 2026.
EI sickness benefits pay up to 26 weeks at 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, to a maximum of $729 a week in 2026. You qualify with 600 insurable hours, a medical certificate and a drop of more than 40% in your normal weekly earnings because of illness, injury or quarantine. The maximum duration rose from 15 to 26 weeks on 18 December 2022.
Sickness EI at a glance
Same 55% formula and best weeks as regular EI.
55% rate$729 max / week26 weeks max600 h to qualify
Compare EI with your normal take-home pay
Open the Ontario take-home pay calculator to see your 2026 pay after federal and Ontario tax, CPP and EI premiums — the number EI is really replacing.
You can’t work because of a medical reason — illness, injury, quarantine — and a doctor or other authorized medical practitioner certifies how long you are expected to be off.
Your regular weekly earnings have dropped by more than 40%.
You have accumulated 600 insurable hours in the 52 weeks before the claim (or since your last claim).
You would otherwise be available to work. You can also claim if you fall ill while already on regular EI.
Keep the medical certificate yourself — Service Canada may ask for it. Self-employed people who registered for special benefits at least 12 months earlier can claim too.
Before tax unless noted. After-tax figure is our 2026 Ontario withholding estimate. The number of weeks paid depends on what your medical certificate supports.
At the 2026 maximum weekly rate.
Employer sick leave, disability insurance and EI
EI sickness is often one layer of several. Paid sick days from your employer usually come first. If your employer has a wage-loss replacement (short-term disability) plan registered with the Premium Reduction Program, that plan normally pays first and EI covers any remaining weeks. Long-term disability insurers often require you to apply for EI sickness and deduct it from their payment. The CPP disability benefit is for severe and prolonged disability and has its own rules.
Working while on sickness benefits
If you can do some work — reduced hours during recovery, for example — the working-while-on-claim rule applies: you keep 50 cents of benefits for every dollar you earn up to 90% of your previous weekly insurable earnings. Someone on $550 a week (a $52,000 salary) who earns $300 in a week has $150 deducted and receives $400 plus the $300 wages: $700 in total.
Combining sickness with other benefits
You can combine sickness with regular, maternity, parental or caregiving benefits on one claim — for example sickness during pregnancy followed by maternity and parental benefits. The total is limited (generally up to 102 weeks when combined with extended parental), and each benefit keeps its own maximum. In 2026 the waiting week is waived for claims starting by 9 October 2027, and sickness benefits are not subject to the EI repayment.
Check your take-home pay before and after
The Ontario take-home pay calculator shows your 2026 net pay after tax, CPP and EI premiums — the income your EI benefit is replacing.
Up to 26 weeks, depending on how long your medical practitioner certifies you can't work.
How much is EI sickness pay in 2026?
55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 a week before tax.
How many hours do I need for EI sickness benefits?
600 insurable hours in the 52 weeks before your claim or since your last claim.
Do I need a doctor’s note for EI sickness?
Yes. You need a medical certificate from a doctor or other authorized medical professional; keep it in case Service Canada asks for it.
Can I work part-time while on EI sickness?
Yes. You keep 50 cents of benefits for every dollar earned up to 90% of your previous weekly insurable earnings; above that, benefits are deducted dollar for dollar.
Benefit rate and maximums: Canada.ca “EI regular benefits: How much you could receive” and the maternity/parental and sickness benefit-amount pages — 55% of average insurable weekly earnings; maximum yearly insurable earnings $68,900 from 1 January 2026 ($65,700 in 2025); maximum $729 a week ($695 in 2025); extended parental 33%, maximum $437.
Best weeks (14 to 22) and the weeks you can be paid come from the regional unemployment rate: Employment Insurance Act, Schedule I, and Service Canada’s “EI Program Characteristics” for 11 October to 7 November 2026 (rates are updated every four weeks).
2026 temporary measures: Canada Gazette Part II, SOR/2026-203 (EI Pilot Project No. 25, in force 11 October 2026) — waiting week waived and separation money not deducted for claims starting up to 9 October 2027; up to 20 extra weeks for long-tenured workers for claims starting up to 12 June 2027; only the most recent separation assessed.
Repayment (clawback): 30% of the lesser of regular benefits or net income above $86,125 (2026 = 1.25 × maximum insurable earnings). Premiums 2026: 1.63% of insurable earnings (Quebec 1.30%), maximum $1,123.07.
Tax withheld is our estimate: the weekly benefit annualized through 2026 federal and Ontario tax brackets with basic personal amounts (and the Ontario Health Premium). Service Canada’s actual deduction and your final tax depend on your total income for the year. Take-home pay while working: 2026 Ontario, from our Canada salary after tax engine.