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Bill C-111

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    (b) continues to be an employee of the employer during the period; and

    (c) receives remuneration that was set aside during a period of work, regardless of when it is paid.

Exception - compensatory leave

(4) An insured person is deemed to have worked a full working week during each week that falls wholly or partly in a period of leave if

    (a) in each week the insured person regularly works a greater number of hours, days or shifts than are normally worked in a week by persons employed in full-time employment; and

    (b) the person is entitled to the period of leave under an employment agreement to compensate for the extra time worked.

Payment of Benefits

Benefits

12. (1) If a benefit period has been established for a claimant, benefits may be paid to the claimant for each week of unemployment that falls in the benefit period, subject to the maximums established by this section.

General maximum

(2) The maximum number of weeks for which benefits may be paid in a benefit period because of a reason other than those mentioned in subsection (3) shall be determined in accordance with the table in Schedule I by reference to the regional rate of unemployment that applies to the claimant and the number of hours of insurable employment of the claimant in their qualifying period.

Maximum - special benefits

(3) Subject to subsection (7), the maximum number of weeks for which benefits may be paid in a benefit period

    (a) because of pregnancy is 15;

    (b) because the claimant is caring for one or more new-born children of the claimant or one or more children placed with the claimant for the purpose of adoption is 10; and

    (c) because of a prescribed illness, injury or quarantine is 15.

Maximum - special benefits

(4) Subject to subsection (7), the maximum number of weeks for which benefits may be paid

    (a) for a single pregnancy is 15; and

    (b) for the care of one or more new-born or adopted children as a result of a single pregnancy or placement is 10.

Combined weeks of benefits

(5) In a claimant's benefit period, the claimant may combine weeks of benefits to which the claimant is entitled because of a reason mentioned in subsection (3), but the maximum number of combined weeks is 30.

Combined weeks of benefits

(6) In a claimant's benefit period, the claimant may combine weeks of benefits to which the claimant is entitled because of a reason mentioned in subsections (2) and (3), but if the claimant is entitled under subsection (2)

    (a) to more than 30 weeks of benefits, the total number of weeks of benefits payable because of reasons mentioned in subsections (2) and (3) shall not exceed the claimant's entitlement under subsection (2); and

    (b) to 30 or fewer weeks of benefits, the claimant may, subject to the applicable maximums, receive a greater number of weeks of benefits if the claimant is also entitled to benefits because of a reason mentioned in subsection (3), but the total number of weeks of benefits shall not exceed 30.

Extension of maximum

(7) The maximum number of 10 weeks specified in paragraphs (3)(b) and (4)(b) is extended to 15 weeks if

    (a) a child mentioned in paragraph (3)(b) or (4)(b) is six months of age or older at the time of the child's arrival at the claimant's home or actual placement with the claimant for the purpose of adoption; and

    (b) a medical practitioner or the agency that placed the child certifies that the child suffers from a physical, psychological or emotional condition that requires an additional period of parental care.

Adoption

(8) For the purposes of this section, the placement with a major attachment claimant, at the same or substantially the same time, of two or more children for the purpose of adoption is a single placement of a child or children for the purpose of adoption.

Waiting period

13. A claimant is not entitled to be paid benefits in a benefit period until, after the beginning of the benefit period, the claimant has served a two week waiting period that begins with a week of unemployment for which benefits would otherwise be payable.

Rate of Benefits

Rate of weekly benefits

14. (1) The rate of weekly benefits payable to a claimant is 55% of their weekly insurable earnings.

Weekly insurable earnings

(2) A claimant's weekly insurable earnings are their insurable earnings in the rate calculation period divided by the divisor determined in accordance with the following table by reference to the applicable regional rate of unemployment:

TABLE

Applicable		Divisor		Divisor
Regional		if Benefit	if Benefit
Rate of			Period		Period
Unemploy-		Established	Established in
ment			in 1996		or after 1997


8% or less		20		20

more than 8% but
not more than 10%	18		20

more than 10% but
not more than 12%	16		18

more than 12%		14		16

Insurable earnings

(3) Insurable earnings in the rate calculation period include earnings from any insurable employment, regardless of whether the employment has ended.

Rate calculation period

(4) The rate calculation period is the period of weeks equal in number to the applicable divisor determined under subsection (2) and ending with the later of

    (a) the week in which the claimant's last interruption of earnings occurs, and

    (b) the week before the claimant's benefit period begins, if the claimant has an insurable employment at the beginning of that period.

Regulation

(5) For the purpose of achieving a uniform divisor of 20 in subsection (2), the Minister may, with the approval of the Governor in Council, by regulation amend the table in that subsection by increasing to a maximum of 20 any divisor in the table for the purpose of applying it at any time after 1998 if the Minister is satisfied, on the basis of a report under section 3, that individuals, communities and the economy have adequately adjusted to the changes mentioned in that section.

Tabling of regulation

(6) The Minister shall table each regulation in the House of Commons within three sitting days after the day on which it is made.

Motion to repeal

(7) The regulation comes into force on the 10th sitting day after the day on which it is tabled, or on any later day specified in the regulation, unless a motion to repeal it, signed by not fewer than 30 members of the House of Commons, is filed with the Speaker of the House of Commons before the 10th sitting day.

Consideration

(8) If a motion to repeal the regulation is filed with the Speaker of the House of Commons in accordance with subsection (7), it shall be taken up and considered by the House of Commons within five sitting days after the day on which it is filed.

Time for disposition of motion

(9) The motion shall be taken up after the ordinary hour of daily adjournment, for a period of not more than four hours, and at the end of the debate the Speaker of the House of Commons shall, without delay or further debate or amendment, put every question necessary for the disposition of the motion.

Adoption or defeat of motion

(10) If the motion is adopted, the regulation is repealed, and if the motion is defeated, the regulation comes into force on the day after the day on which the motion is defeated or on any later day specified in the regulation.

Regulation repealed

(11) The regulation is repealed if Parliament is prorogued or dissolved before the motion is disposed of or, if no motion has been filed, before the end of the period mentioned in subsection (7).

Definition of ``sitting day''

(12) For the purpose of this section, ``sitting day'' means a day on which the House of Commons is sitting.

Reduction for claimants who previously received regular benefits

15. (1) The percentage of 55% mentioned in subsection 14(1) is reduced as provided in the following table if the claimant is not claiming special benefits and in the 260 weeks before the benefit period begins, the claimant was paid regular benefits during more than 20 weeks:

TABLE

Number of Weeks
of Regular		Reduced
Benefits Paid		Percentage

21-40			54%

41-60			53%

61-80			52%

81-100			51%

more than 100		50%

Excluded benefits

(2) Regular benefits paid for weeks beginning before June 30, 1996 shall not be taken into account when applying subsection (1).

Rate increase - family supplement

16. (1) The rate of weekly benefits of a claimant who has one or more dependent children shall be increased by the amount of a family supplement determined in accordance with the regulations if the claimant establishes, in such manner as the Commission may direct, that the claimant meets the prescribed low-income family eligibility criteria.

Criteria

(2) The criteria for low-income family eligibility may include criteria that are the same as or similar to the criteria for receiving a child tax benefit.

Child tax benefit

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), a child tax benefit is a deemed overpayment under subdivision a.1 of Division E of Part I of the Income Tax Act.

Maximum increase

(4) The amount of the increase in the claimant's rate of weekly benefits shall not exceed the prescribed percentage of the claimant's weekly insurable earnings or, if no percentage is prescribed, 25%.

Maximum rate of weekly benefits

17. The maximum rate of weekly benefits is

    (a) $413 if the claimant's benefit period begins during the years 1997 to 2000; and

    (b) if the claimant's benefit period begins in a subsequent year, 55% of the maximum yearly insurable earnings divided by 52.

Disentitlement to Benefits

Availability for work, etc.

18. A claimant is not entitled to be paid benefits for a working day in a benefit period for which the claimant fails to prove that on that day the claimant was

    (a) capable of and available for work and unable to obtain suitable employment;

    (b) unable to work because of a prescribed illness, injury or quarantine, and that the claimant would otherwise be available for work; or

    (c) engaged in jury service.

Deductions from Benefits

Earnings in waiting period

19. (1) If a claimant has earnings during their waiting period, an amount not exceeding those earnings shall, as prescribed, be deducted from the benefits payable for the first three weeks for which benefits are otherwise payable.

Earnings in periods of unemploymen t

(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), if the claimant has earnings during any other week of unemployment, there shall be deducted from benefits payable in that week the amount, if any, of the earnings that exceeds

    (a) $50, if the claimant's rate of weekly benefits is less than $200; or

    (b) 25% of the claimant's rate of weekly benefits, if that rate is $200 or more.

Undeclared earnings

(3) If, in the opinion of the Commission, the claimant has knowingly failed to declare all or some of their earnings to the Commission for a period for which benefits were paid,

    (a) the amount of the undeclared earnings shall be deducted from the benefits paid to the claimant for that period; and

    (b) the deducted amount shall be allocated

      (i) to a number of weeks that begins with the first week for which the earnings were not declared in that period, and

      (ii) in such a manner that the amount deducted in each consecutive week equals the claimant's benefits paid for that week.

Earnings and allowances from employment benefits, courses and programs

(4) Earnings from employment under employment benefits and earnings or allowances payable to a claimant for attending a course or program of instruction or training shall not be deducted under this section except in accordance with the regulations.

Deduction for excluded days in waiting period

20. (1) If a claimant is not entitled to receive benefits for a working day in their waiting period, an amount equal to 1/5 of their weekly rate of benefits for each such working day shall be deducted from the benefits payable for the three weeks described in subsection 19(1).

Deduction for excluded days not in waiting period

(2) If a claimant is disentitled from receiving benefits for a working day in a week of unemployment that is not in their waiting period, an amount equal to 1/5 of their weekly rate of benefits for each such working day shall be deducted from the benefits payable for that week.