Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles Chapter 11 - Section 7
11.7.0 Attending a course of instruction
Sickness benefits are payable to eligible claimants who are unable to work because of illness, injury or quarantine and meet the qualifying and entitlement conditions.
However, an individual claiming sickness benefits is not expected to cease all other activities. A claimant may want to take advantage of a period of incapacity and, instead of doing nothing, signs up for a part time short-duration training course.
As such, depending on the number of hours devoted to the course of instruction, it may be acceptable for a claimant to attend a course of instruction on the claimant’s own initiative, while in receipt of sickness benefits. The circumstances of each case must be considered individually.
11.7.1 Approved course or employment activity under Section 25 of the Employment Insurance Act
In order to be referred to a course of instruction or employment activity under Section 25 of the EI Act, the claimant must be an “unemployed worker” actively searching for work. Generally, referrals to an approved course or employment activity under Section 25 of the EI Act would not be made for claimants in receipt of sickness benefits.
See Chapter 19.2.6 of the Digest for more information on entitlement to sickness benefits while attending an approved course or other employment activities, to which a claimant was referred by a designated authority, under Section 25 of the EI Act.
See Chapter 19.2.7 of the Digest for more information on disqualification from benefits, where a claimant withdraws from a course or employment activity to which they were referred under Section 25 of the EI Act, because of illness, injury or quarantine.