Claimant

A claimant is somebody who is getting or claiming EI benefits.

benefit period

The benefit period is the period of time in which you must collect all the EI benefits you qualify for. The benefit period is usually 52 weeks long, starting on the Sunday before your interruption of earnings. If you apply for EI late, your benefit period might start on the Sunday before you filed your EI application.

interruption of earnings

To qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, you must have an interruption of earnings. Your employer must fill out a Record of Employment (ROE) every time this happens.

If you're applying for regular EI benefits, an interruption of earnings happens when you go 7 days without doing any work or getting any pay from your employer.

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Approved medical practitioner

Approved medical practitioners that can sign an EI medical certificate include:

• a Canadian or American licensed medical doctor
• a psychologist, as long as the illness being treated is within their field
• a chiropractor, as long as the illness being treated is within their field
• an optometrist, as long as the illness being...

Crown ward

A Crown ward is a child under the age of 18 years who has been taken away from their parents’ care by the court and is in the care of a children’s aid society (CAS). The CAS makes all of the decisions for the child that their parents would normally make.

shared custody

Shared custody is when you and your former spouse or partner spend close to equal time with your child. The Canada Revenue Agency looks at whether parents share custody when deciding if Canada child benefit payments should be split between the two parents.

Shared custody is different than what’s called “joint custody” in family law.

primarily responsible parent

The law says that the parent who’s “primarily responsible” is the one who takes care of their child on a daily basis. If both parents do this, it’s the parent who spends more time taking care of the child’s needs.

In a family with a female and male parent, the law considers the female parent to be primarily responsible. Same-sex...

legal representative

A legal representative is someone you choose to take care of your legal issues.

You can have different legal representatives for different legal issues. For example, you may have a legal representative who only represents you to the Canada Revenue Agency about a Canada child benefit issue.

The Canada Revenue Agency has a process you have to...

Canada Revenue Agency

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) manages the income tax process. The CRA sends out a Notice of Assessment each year to everyone who files their tax return. The CRA is also responsible for some social benefits, like the Goods and services tax/Harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit, Canada child benefit, and child disability benefit.

section 524 application

If you're arrested and held for a bail hearing while already on a recognizance of bail, the Crown can apply to have the recognizance of bail cancelled. They do this by making an application under section 524 of the Criminal Code. If the Crown does this, your bail hearing will address both your new charges, and the charges for...