Decision centre
Parental Leave Benefits Centre
Leave length is only half the decision. Compare weekly benefits, top-up expiry, withholding and the household’s monthly cash flow.
Parental leave income planner
Compare EI standard, EI extended and Quebec QPIP with employer top-up.
Open this tool → Federal EIEI benefit estimate
Check weekly benefits, hours and regular or special-benefit types.
Open this tool → CCBCanada Child Benefit
Add the monthly family benefit that can begin after a child arrives.
Open this tool → ChecklistHaving a baby tax guide
Connect benefits, RESP, child care and filing changes.
Open this tool →How to use this group
Choose the benefit program first: Quebec residents generally use QPIP for maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits; other provinces use federal EI.
Coordinate weeks between parents before applying because standard and extended selections become difficult or impossible to change after payments begin.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EI standard and extended parental benefits?
Standard parental benefits pay a higher weekly rate over up to 40 weeks. Extended parental benefits pay a lower weekly rate over up to 69 weeks. The choice is made once, when you first apply, and cannot be changed after payments start.
Do Quebec residents use EI or QPIP for parental leave?
Quebec residents use the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP/RQAP) instead of federal EI for maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits — QPIP generally pays a higher percentage of earnings and includes a paternity-specific benefit that EI does not offer.
Is an employer top-up (SUB plan) taxable?
Yes. A Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plan top-up is taxable income like regular pay, separate from the EI or QPIP benefit itself, and is reported on a T4 rather than the T4E slip used for EI.
When can I start receiving CCB after having a baby?
As soon as you register the birth and apply — many provinces let you tick the Automated Benefits Application box on the birth registration, and CCB payments begin the month after eligibility is confirmed, without waiting for parental leave to end.