EI Premium Reduction Program
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Reduces EI premium rates for employers who provide insured employees with a qualifying short-term disability or wage-loss replacement plan.
Eligibility Requirements
- Employer, including for-profits, with insured employees covered by a short-term disability plan.
- Plan must provide at least 15 weeks of benefits.
- Plan must match or exceed the level of benefits provided under EI.
- Benefits must be paid within 8 days of disability.
- Eligibility period for benefits must be 3 months or less.
- Plan must cover employees on a 24-hour-a-day basis.
- Employer must return five-twelfths of the savings to employees covered by the plan.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Not a fixed dollar grant. Employers with a qualifying short-term disability plan pay EI premiums at a rate lower than the standard 1.4 multiple. For 2026, the best reduced rate for Category 2 or 3 plans is 1.167, yielding a maximum savings example of $261.68 per employee per year.
- Type
- Program
- Level
- Federal
- Deadline
- Ongoing; employers may apply at any time and, once granted, entitlement continues until the approved plan changes or is cancelled.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win EI Premium Reduction Program
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 6 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipCategory 2 enhanced cumulative paid sick leave plans or Category 3 weekly indemnity plans with 15 or more weeks qualify for the 2026 best reduced rate of 1.167.
Rejection Pitfalls 6
- Plan does not provide at least 15 weeks of benefits
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Applying for EI Premium Reduction Program? Our Grant Proposal Template ($19) mirrors the section structure Canadian reviewers actually score on. Or get all 4 templates in the Founder Pack ($59 · saves $27) →
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Stacking partner data not yet available.
Clawback Risk
Unknown RiskHow EI Premium Reduction Program Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about EI Premium Reduction Program