Cancer survivors deserve better access to EI

In the wake of a study showing that cancer survivors earn less and are less likely to be employed, the NDP is calling on the federal government to stop blocking Canadians who need income supports like Employment Insurance (EI).

“EI is a safety net designed to protect workers and their families. It is cruel for the Conservatives to block Canadian workers from accessing a fund that they paid into, especially when they are suffering and need it most,” said NDP Health critic Libby Davies (Vancouver East).

Under the Conservatives, Canadians diagnosed with cancer do not always have access to EI and Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits that they have earned. Just last year, the federal government went to court to avoid paying EI benefits to a new mother who was diagnosed with cancer on maternity leave.

“What the Conservatives don’t seem to understand is that workers and employers fund EI, not the government. It’s the government’s responsibility to fix the system so that Canadians in need can have the peace of mind they deserve,” said NDP deputy Health critic Dany Morin (Chicoutimi – Le Fjord).

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For more information, please contact:

Greta Levy, Press Secretary, 613-408-1642 or greta.levy@parl.gc.ca