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Oh - just wanted to add too that I called and spoke with someone who said that even if you have to leave work a few months before you are eligible for your benefits you can still use your benefits on your eligibility date. So in my case, if I did become pregnant and had to stop working in march l I would still receive benefits, just not until June. The amount is apparently calculated based on the previous year's tax assessment, so definitely something else to keep in mind.
What figure are they basing it on? I think the point that was made on the previous thread was that the amount may be what you are suggesting but that is not enough to carry many families through the year. Some thought the benefit would be paid on the whole earnings of say $40,000 not just on the after taxes amount that is our "true" income.
How long after you have collected for the year are you required to pay into the program or can you just leave? Again someone had been told once they signed up that payments would be taken out for years after the mat leave too. Only ideal if you plan to have more children.
What criteria does EI use to pay benefits in the event of unemployment ie all your kids leave at once which is equivalent to being laid off or does it just work for mat leave?
They base the benefit rate on your net income, which is the same as if you were an employee elsewhere.
If you continue to be self-employed after using EI you must continue to pay into it, which again would take years until you have paid what you use in benefits on maternity leave. If you register for the program and do not use your benefits you can opt out with no penalty (other than you are 'out' the money that you paid into the program - which really isn't that much).
Because we are self-employed, this program doesn't cover job loss, just maternity and parental leave, sickness benefits and compassionate leave.
I agree that if you aren't planning on having children it is probably not a good investment. However if you are planning on having children it seems to be worth it.
When I was initially researching the EI benefits for self-employed people I came to this forum to sleuth out whether it was worth it or not and I also read a lot of negative comments about it, but then I did my own research and the calculations and it is actually a great program for me!