With my son's recent Autism Spectrum diagnosis, I was able to take a year's Leave of Absence from work. I was guaranteed an "unpaid, job-protected leave of up to eight weeks per calendar year per specified family member" by the government, but my Collective Agreement language is so strong that I could take much more than that.
Someone suggested I check to see if I could also get some EI payments during this leave so I looked into it. I found information for a Family Caregiver benefit and applied for it. I received a phone call from a very kind government official who needed more paperwork about what she thought was my critically ill child. I was very confused because she said the paperwork I sent in, signed by the psychologist, was insufficient and that I needed something from my doctor. When I looked at the forms she directed me to it was clear that this was not the benefit for me!
After much searching, it turned out that the government gave very similar names to two completely different programs/benefits!
Family Caregiver Leave
Family caregiver leave is unpaid, job-protected leave of up to eight weeks per calendar year per specified family member.
Family Caregiver benefit
The Family Caregiver Benefit for Children (the Benefit) allows eligible caregivers to receive up to 35 weeks of financial assistance to provide care or support to a critically ill or injured child.
Sharing this in the hopes that it may help someone else and save them time and effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment