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EI family caregiver benefits calculator (2026)
EI family caregiver benefits pay 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings when you take time off work to care for a critically ill or injured family member, up to $729 a week in 2026, for up to 35 weeks for a child under 18 or 15 weeks for an adult 18 or older, inside a 52-week window. Enter your salary and your weeks of care to see your weekly benefit and your total, in every province.
EI family caregiver benefits are a federal program: the same amount in every province, including Quebec.
Your annual salary before you stopped working. Service Canada averages your best weeks to work out your weekly insurable earnings; this calculator divides your salary by 52 as an approximation, so your actual amount may differ.
How many weeks you expect to care for the child: up to 35 weeks of family caregiver benefits for a child under 18, within a 52-week window that starts when a doctor or nurse practitioner certifies the child as critically ill or injured. Enter the weeks on the medical certificate, or the full 35 if you expect to care that long.
2026 · Canada
Your weekly EI family caregiver benefit
$550$550 a week for 15 weeks, $8,250 in total
That replaces 55% of your average weekly pay
How the benefit is worked out
| Average weekly insurable earnings | $1,000 |
| EI rate (55% of insurable earnings) | 55% |
| Weekly benefit | $550 |
| Weeks of care | 15 |
| Total paid over the claim | $8,250 |
EI pays 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings. Earnings above the $68,900 yearly maximum ($1,325 a week) do not raise the benefit: the weekly amount stops at $729.
How Service Canada works out your weekly amount
Service Canada does not divide your annual salary by 52. It averages your insurable earnings over your best weeks in the qualifying period, normally the last 52 weeks, so if your pay varies, your actual weekly benefit may differ from this estimate. Enter your average weekly earnings directly as a salary if you know it: multiply it by 52 and enter that figure as your salary.
No waiting period right now
Normally the first week of a claim is an unpaid waiting period. That waiting period is waived for all new claims for EI benefits that start between March 30, 2025 and October 9, 2027, so this calculator charges no waiting-period deduction. The normal 1-week unpaid waiting period returns for claims starting after October 9, 2027.
You need a medical certificate
EI family caregiver benefits need a medical certificate signed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner, certifying that the person is critically ill or injured: their usual state of health has significantly changed and their life is at risk as a result of the illness or injury. The certificate sets the start of the 52-week window in which the benefit weeks are used.
35 weeks for a child, 15 weeks for an adult, inside 52 weeks
Family caregiver benefits are paid inside a 52-week window that starts on the date the doctor or nurse practitioner certifies the person as critically ill or injured. Inside that window you can receive up to 35 weeks for a child under 18, or up to 15 weeks for an adult 18 or older. Compassionate care benefits, for end-of-life care, are a separate benefit with a 26-week maximum.
Family members can share the weeks
The weeks of benefits can be shared by eligible caregivers, either at the same time or one after another. The total paid for the same care recipient cannot pass 35 weeks for a child or 15 weeks for an adult, no matter how many caregivers share them.
The same benefit in every province, including Quebec
EI family caregiver benefits are a federal program, so the amount is the same in every province. Quebec is included: QPIP replaces only maternity and parental benefits in Quebec, not caregiving benefits.
EI benefits are taxable income
EI family caregiver benefits count as taxable income and must be reported on your tax return. The figures above are the gross benefit before tax.
Do you qualify?
You generally need 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before the start of your claim, regular weekly earnings down by more than 40% for at least one week because of time away to provide care, and a medical certificate from a doctor or nurse practitioner. You do not need to be related to the person you care for: any eligible family member can claim.
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Worked examples: 2026
| Salary · weeks · care | Weekly insurable | Weekly benefit | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| $52,000 · 15 weeks · child | $1,000 | $550 | $8,250 |
| $75,000 · 35 weeks · child | $1,325 | $729 | $25,515 |
| $40,000 · 8 weeks · adult | $769 | $423 | $3,384 |
| $100,000 · 15 weeks · adult | $1,325 | $729 | $10,935 |
| $60,000 · 26 weeks · child | $1,154 | $635 | $16,510 |
2026 EI figures · verified 2026-11-11 · how we calculate
FAQ
How much EI family caregiver benefit will I get if I care for a critically ill family member?
In 2026, on a $52,000 salary caring for a child under 18 for 15 weeks, EI family caregiver benefits pay $550 a week, $8,250 in total. The benefit is 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings: $52,000 a year is $1,000 a week, and 55% of that is $550. Enter your salary, your weeks, and who you care for above to see your own figure.
How is the weekly EI family caregiver benefit calculated?
EI pays 55% of your average weekly insurable earnings, up to a weekly maximum of $729 in 2026. Earnings above the $68,900 yearly maximum ($1,325 a week) do not raise the benefit: on a $75,000 salary the weekly insurable earnings stop at $1,325, so the benefit is the capped $729 a week. One caveat: Service Canada averages your best weeks, not your salary divided by 52, so if your pay varies, your actual weekly amount may differ from this estimate.
How long can EI family caregiver benefits last?
Up to 35 weeks for a child under 18, or up to 15 weeks for an adult 18 or older, inside a 52-week window that starts on the date a doctor or nurse practitioner certifies the person as critically ill or injured. The weeks can be shared between eligible family members. Compassionate care benefits, for end-of-life care, are a separate benefit with a 26-week maximum. Enter your weeks above, up to 35 for a child or 15 for an adult, to see the total paid.
What do I need to qualify for EI family caregiver benefits?
You generally need 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before the start of your claim, regular weekly earnings down by more than 40% for at least one week because of time away to provide care, and a medical certificate from a doctor or nurse practitioner certifying that the person is critically ill or injured: their usual state of health has significantly changed and their life is at risk as a result of the illness or injury. You do not need to be related to the person you care for.
Can family members share the weeks of family caregiver benefits?
Yes. The weeks of benefits can be shared by eligible caregivers, either at the same time or one after another. The total paid for the same care recipient cannot pass 35 weeks for a child or 15 weeks for an adult, no matter how many caregivers share them. Each caregiver still needs to meet the qualifying conditions on their own claim.
Is EI the same in Quebec?
Yes. EI family caregiver benefits are a federal program, so the amount is the same in every province, including Quebec. QPIP replaces only maternity and parental benefits in Quebec, not caregiving benefits. A Quebec claimant gets the same weekly benefit as a claimant elsewhere on the same earnings: for example, caring for an adult on a $40,000 salary with 8 weeks, the benefit is $423 a week either way.
Are EI family caregiver benefits taxable? What about the low-income family supplement?
EI family caregiver benefits count as taxable income and must be reported on your tax return, so the figures above are the gross benefit before tax. Caring for an adult on a $40,000 salary with 8 weeks, the benefit is $423 a week, $3,384 in total, before tax. A separate low-income family supplement can raise the rate to as much as 80% of average weekly insurable earnings. It applies when your net family income is $25,921 or less per year, you have at least one child under 18, and you or your spouse receives the Canada Child Benefit. The supplement amount depends on the number of children in the family and their ages, with an extra amount for each child under 7. It shrinks as income rises, and nothing is payable at $25,921. If you and your spouse both claim EI at the same time, only one of you can receive the supplement, and it is generally better for the spouse with the lower benefit rate to receive it. Even with the supplement, your total weekly benefit cannot exceed $729 in 2026. It exists, but it is not modelled here, so treat the figure above as the standard 55% rate.