Report highlights busy signals, long waits for EI service; hints at new spending
OTTAWA — About two-thirds of people who call the federal government for help with their employment insurance claims get turned away by a busy message, while the rest face long periods on hold before they speak to an agent, says a new report.
It can take more than a month for applicants to find out if they qualify for benefits, said the report — compiled by a panel of three Liberal MPs tasked with finding ways to improve how the government delivers employment insurance services.
In a report released Wednesday, the panel is urging the government to focus its attention on Canadians who have questions or concerns about their EI claims, rather than simply pouring more money into the system.
That would mean tasking Service Canada to concentrate on the toughest of EI cases — ones where the square peg doesn’t fit in the square hole, as panel member Rodger Cuzner puts it — to prevent the lengthy delays that often ensue.