To be eligible for EI maternity and parental benefits, you must show that: you are pregnant or recently gave birth (if requesting maternity benefits) you are a parent caring for your newborn or newly adopted child (if requesting parental benefits) your regular weekly earnings from work have decreased by more than 40% for at least one week you have accumulated 600 insured hours of work within the 52 weeks before the state of your claim or since the start of your last claim (whichever is shorter). (Note: 600 hours are equal to 20 hours of work at 30 hours per week.) There are different rules if: you had a recent EI claim you get sick or require bedrest during the pregnancy you are self-employed, or you are not a Canadian citizen. For more information, see Canada’s Employment Insurance website. Last Reviewed: January 2020