When a person is entitled to employment insurance or parental insurance, there is a certain delay between the time of cessation of work and the payment of a Service Canada benefit or the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP): the person is then waiting for benefits. The waiting period for a first application for employment insurance or parental insurance is a maximum of four weeks (28 days).
During this waiting period, the person may apply for assistance of last resort even if the decision has not been rendered by Service Canada or the QPIP (the amount of the benefit has not been determined). The agent may then grant the assistance of last resort as CONDITIONAL AID and this assistance will be refunded by the actual client, including the assistance granted for the month of the application if applicable.
Conditional assistance will continue to be paid until the month when Service Canada or the QPIP makes the first payment for the benefit.
The assistance paid pending the realization of a right is refundable up to the value of the right realized and as soon as it is realized. For more information on refundable assistance, see article 15.1.