Extended EI benefits surpass budget expectations as program closes doors
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are looking for answers after the government’s program to help workers in hard-hit economic regions of the country blew past budget expectations, with spending now topping $1.3 billion.
The government figured that just 235,000 people would use extra weeks of employment insurance benefits when they unveiled the program last year to help workers in 15 regions of the country with stubborn unemployment rates.
That was projected to cost the government $827.4 million between April 2016 and March 2019.
But as of July 9, Employment and Social Development Canada said that it had spent just under $1.31 billion on the extra weeks of benefits for 317,261 claimants.