Ottawa has quietly paid EI sickness benefits to some women who fell ill during maternity leave while continuing to fight a multi-million-dollar class action lawsuit against others, the Star has learned.
Calgary mother Carissa Kasbohm, 30, who developed a serious blood illness while on maternity leave in 2010, wonders why the government has paid some women and not her.
“It makes me upset,” said Kasbohm, who figures she is owed about $4,100.
“It’s good that they are getting the money that they deserve, but it makes me wonder why I am not entitled to it. Why am I still getting messed around? Why haven’t I got paid yet?”
Liberal Party social development critic Roger Cuzner says the revelation raises serious questions about why the government continues to fight the class action suit.
“Instead of paying sick moms, our tax dollars are paying lawyers,” said Cuzner (Cape Breton—Canso).
“It’s appalling that this government continues to fight parents, to deny them benefits, when they know they’ve had a legitimate right to receive these benefits since 2002,” he said.
A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said the government could not comment on the case as it is before the courts.
Kasbohm is one of as many as 60,000 mothers whose EI sickness benefits have been denied since 2002 and who stand to benefit in the class action suit launched in January 2012.
The EI legislation was changed in 2002 to extend the benefit to working women who become ill during pregnancy or while on maternity and parental leave.
The amendment allows parents to stack sickness benefits onto maternity/parental benefits. If a parent (usually a woman) becomes sick while on maternity or parental leave, she can apply for a maximum of 15 weeks of sickness benefits. Once those benefits are paid, the maternity or parental leave resumes.
While the government paid sickness benefits to women who were pregnant, EI officials said none of the mothers who became ill while on maternity and parental leave were eligible because of a “catch-22” clause in the law that required them to be “otherwise available for work.” Technically, mothers on maternity leave are caring for their babies and not available for work, so their sickness claims were denied.
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Ottawa pays some sick moms but not others | Toronto Star
Calgary mother Carissa Kasbohm, 30, who developed a serious blood illness while on maternity leave in 2010, wonders why the government has paid some women and not her.
“It makes me upset,” said Kasbohm, who figures she is owed about $4,100.
“It’s good that they are getting the money that they deserve, but it makes me wonder why I am not entitled to it. Why am I still getting messed around? Why haven’t I got paid yet?”
Liberal Party social development critic Roger Cuzner says the revelation raises serious questions about why the government continues to fight the class action suit.
“Instead of paying sick moms, our tax dollars are paying lawyers,” said Cuzner (Cape Breton—Canso).
“It’s appalling that this government continues to fight parents, to deny them benefits, when they know they’ve had a legitimate right to receive these benefits since 2002,” he said.
A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said the government could not comment on the case as it is before the courts.
Kasbohm is one of as many as 60,000 mothers whose EI sickness benefits have been denied since 2002 and who stand to benefit in the class action suit launched in January 2012.
The EI legislation was changed in 2002 to extend the benefit to working women who become ill during pregnancy or while on maternity and parental leave.
The amendment allows parents to stack sickness benefits onto maternity/parental benefits. If a parent (usually a woman) becomes sick while on maternity or parental leave, she can apply for a maximum of 15 weeks of sickness benefits. Once those benefits are paid, the maternity or parental leave resumes.
While the government paid sickness benefits to women who were pregnant, EI officials said none of the mothers who became ill while on maternity and parental leave were eligible because of a “catch-22” clause in the law that required them to be “otherwise available for work.” Technically, mothers on maternity leave are caring for their babies and not available for work, so their sickness claims were denied.
more
Ottawa pays some sick moms but not others | Toronto Star
