Question Period Note: EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ON BENEFITS DELIVERY MONDERIZATION

What is EI on BDM?

• Mr. Speaker, building on the recent success of OAS on BDM, the EI on BDM project focuses on transforming service delivery for EI clients by:
o improving client access to services and benefits;
o enhancing our processing representatives’ experience and efficiency through greater automation;
o migrating legacy systems to a more modern platform; and,
o strengthening integrity controls.

• The modernization of EI service delivery will occur through multiple releases between 2025 and 2028. Starting with a small benefit group, Compassionate Care benefits for the self-employed will be transitioned to the new, more modern platform this Fall (2025), followed by additional benefits and progressive enhancements over time.

• Creating a new client-centric service delivery experience is central to the transformation objectives of EI on BDM.

· Canada’s social services have evolved over the past half century. While the Department is currently able to maintain its service delivery mandate among the complex web of social programs, system age is a concern.

· ESDC’s benefits delivery systems are aging. The OAS system is 60 years old, the EI system is 50 years old, and the CPP system is 20 years old.

· Service Canada is directly responsible for the delivery of the EI program. EI has been supporting Canadians since 1940 and is designed to provide temporary income support to Canadian workers during periods of job loss or specialized benefits to balance work commitments with family responsibilities or personal illness. It is one of the three core social benefit programs that together, encompass Canada’s “social safety net”. EI benefits consist of regular, fishing, and special benefits which include maternity, parental, family caregiver, compassionate care, including those geared towards the self-employed.

· EI on BDM will transform EI benefit delivery to meet Canadians’ expectations for seamless service delivery and real-time access to the status and the timing of their benefit.

• EI on BDM is deploying the benefits through three iterative cohorts, each consisting of multiple releases. The three cohorts are: Cohort 1 – Self-Employed, Cohort 2 – Fishers, and Cohort 3 – Employees. This approach will provide the opportunity to learn how a transformed service can be delivered in small, well-measured releases, while simultaneously reducing risks to the current service delivery.

• The Deployment model follows a 'new on new', 'old on old' approach, meaning new clients will be streamed to the new environment if the benefit they are applying for has been onboarded, "old on old" clients whose benefit is not served in the new environment will continue to be served in the old. Existing active clients remain on the existing system until such time as they need to be migrated (2028).

IF PRESSED
• In October 2024, the first EI on BDM release was the Employment Insurance Benefits Estimator. It is a new digital tool that enables clients to obtain an estimate of the EI benefits to which they may be eligible before applying.

• This tool is giving those who may be eligible for Employment Insurance benefits access to simplified information about the various EI benefits, and important information to help them manage a layoff or life event.

• The new EI Benefits Estimator is another example of the Government's commitment to establishing new tools that are digital and client-centric by design.

• Since launch and update to end May 2025, it has had over 1M visits and generated over 950K estimates.