Maternity and parental leave calculator
Estimate EI maternity and parental benefit choices for Canadian households.
Estimate EI maternity and parental benefit choices for Canadian households.
Estimate EI maternity and parental benefit choices for Canadian households.
See your 2026 maternity and parental leave benefit week-by-week. Picks the right standard vs extended choice for your family and applies Quebec's QPIP rates when relevant.
Standard (55% over 35–40 wk)
Maternity
$695/wk
15 weeks · $10,424 total
Parental
$695/wk
35 weeks · $24,322 total
Combined leave
$34,745
50 weeks total · before tax
Your salary is above the insurable earnings ceiling — your benefit is capped at the maximum weekly amount.
The federal government pays the same total dollars regardless of which plan you pick — extended just stretches it. On a $70,000 salary in Ontario:
Yes, extended pays less in total because the parental rate drops from 55% to 33%. If you're not coming back to work for 18 months either way, extended makes life easier financially. If you'd return at 12 months under standard, the extra $10,000 makes a real difference.
Quebec residents don't claim federal EI maternity/parental. The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) typically pays a higher percentage (70–75% under the Basic Plan, 75% under the Special Plan) on a higher maximum insurable earnings ($98,000 in 2026 vs $65,700 federally). Most Quebec parents end up with substantially more than the federal calculation.
Many Canadian employers — especially in tech, finance, government, and unionized roles — offer a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plan that tops your EI up to 75–100% of your salary for a set number of weeks. Check your benefits handbook. Use the income tax calculator to estimate after-tax leave income.