Ottawa hit with 2.4 million claims for employment insurance
OTTAWA-The federal government has processed one million claims for employment insurance, just under half of the claims received so far as unemployed Canadians flood the system with applications.
Federal officials said that, by Friday, the government had received 2.4 million applications, almost matching the 2.8 million claims received in all of 2019. And it says the backlog should be eliminated in the coming week.
"Our ability to process this surge in volume has been tested and challenged more than ever before," senior bureaucrats wrote in a note distributed to civil servants on Friday.
Last week alone, the government processed 714, 676 EI claims, compared to 47,459 claims in the same period last year, the note said.
The government has closed Service Canada centres where Canadians could visit in person because of employee concerns about catching the virus. But the government says Canadians can apply online or by phone.
"In response to COVID-19, Service Canada has had to reinvent itself to ensure Canadians can access the services previously available in person," it said.
The note - sent by Graham Flack, the deputy minister of employment and social development; Chantal Maheu, the deputy minister of labour, and two other senior officials - praises civil servants for their work.
The government this week will begin taking applications for a separate benefit - the Canada Emergency Response Benefit - that will pay $500 a week for up to 16 weeks to people who have lost their jobs or have to stay at home without income because of the virus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced details of the payment Sunday at his daily news conference.
Only those born in January, February and March can apply when applications open Monday. The rest of the months will go in order in groups of three on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before it opens to everyone on Friday.
Trudeau says it will take three to five days for the money to arrive by direct deposit or 10 days by mail.
Some 2,000 civil servants have been seconded to assist with the processing of applications for the benefit, the Commons' finance committee heard last week.
With files from The Canadian Press