Qualifying Period
II. Principles of Law
(a) Definition of Qualifying Period
Under the Employment Insurance Act, the qualifying period is the period in which a claimant must accumulate sufficient hours of insurable employment in order to establish a claim for benefits. The qualifying period is the shorter of: (1) the fifty-two (52) weeks preceding the commencement of the claim; or (2) the period between the start of a prior benefit claim and the start of the new benefit claim.
Section 8 Employment Insurance Act Employment Insurance Act
Gagnon v. C.E.I.C., [1988] 2 S.C.R. 29 (S.C.C.) File no. 19529 A-1059-84 Judgment Of The Federal Court Of Appeal
A "qualifying period" refers to the fifty-two (52) weeks during which a claimant held employment before becoming unemployed. This period determines the period of his or her eligibility for benefits. For example, if during those fifty-two (52) weeks a claimant did not hold insurable employment he or she will not be eligible for benefits.
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