Claiming Benefits In Canada Will Be Harder For Workers Who Refuse To Get Vaccinated

The federal government has released more rules about who can claim benefits in Canada, and it's not good news for those who have lost their job over a vaccine mandate.

According to notices on the government website, the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit and Employment Insurance will most likely not apply to people who are out of work due to a refusal to get vaccinated.

Canada's newest benefit, the $300-a-week CWLB, is set up for workers who are out of a job due to a targeted, "government-imposed" lockdown shutting down their workplace. The government has already announced it won't extend the benefit to people who are out of work because they were fired due to being unvaccinated, and more details on the benefit are expected soon.

While EI isn't new, Canada is suggesting a similar rule to the CWLB. In a new message on their website — which echoes statements made by one Canadian minister — Canada says eligibility will probably not be extended to people who quit over vaccinations.

"In most cases, if you lose or quit your job because you didn't comply with your employer's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, you won't be eligible for EI regular benefits," it reads.

It does depend, however, on how clearly the COVID-19 vaccination policy was communicated and if you had a valid reason for not getting vaccinated that wasn't recognized, the Government of Canada website says.