3. Get your documents

You will have to show Service Canada certain documents when applying for compassionate care benefits.

Record of Employment

You will need a Record of Employment (ROE) from every employer you worked for in the past 52 weeks. Your ROE shows your history at a particular job, like the dates you worked, how much you earned, and how many hours you worked. There are rules that your employer must follow when preparing your ROE.

Service Canada uses the information on your ROE to decide:

• if you are eligible for EI benefits
• how much you get
• how long your benefits will be paid

You can ask your employer for a paper copy of your ROE. Once you get the ROE, you must give it to Service Canada as soon as possible. You can apply for benefits even if your employer has not yet given you a ROE.

If your employer sends your ROE directly to Service Canada electronically, you will not need to ask for a paper copy. You will need a My Service Canada Account to view your ROE electronically.

Medical proof

To get compassionate care benefits, you must submit:

• Medical Certificate for Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits: a form filled out by a doctor or nurse practitioner stating that the seriously ill person has a significant risk of dying, and
• Authorization to Release a Medical Certificate: a document signed by the ill person that allows the Medical Certificate to be shared with Service Canada staff and all family members claiming benefits.

You can apply for EI and then send in the medical certificate later. But to avoid delays, it is best to ask the doctor or nurse practitioner to fill out the medical certificate as soon as possible.

You will have to pay any fees the doctor or nurse practitioner charges for completing the medical certificate form.

If you need to provide care for a close friend who is not a relative, your friend will also have to sign a Compassionate Care Attestation Form stating that you are like family to them. If you are caring for an actual family member, you do not need this form.

Other information and documents you need to apply

In your application, you must provide:

• your Social Insurance Number (SIN) card
• another piece of identification, with a photo
• proof of your immigration status and work permit if your SIN begins with a 9
• your mother's maiden name
• your mailing address and residential address
• banking information, like a cheque or your bank statement

You will also need:

• the names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for leaving for all your employers in the last 52 weeks
• a detailed version of facts, if you quit or were fired from any of these jobs
• the dates and your earnings for the highest paid weeks in your qualifying period, and
• your ill family member's full name, birth date, home address, and SIN.

If you don't have the information about your ill family member when you apply, you can send it later.