# Parental Benefits in Canada:  Double the kids, double the fun!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parental-benefits-in-canada-double-the-kids-double-the-fun/510689>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 19, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parental-benefits-in-canada-double-the-kids-double-the-fun/510689 "2009-09-19T03:19:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parental-benefits-in-canada-double-the-kids-double-the-fun/510689/1 "2009-09-19T03:19:06Z")

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Over in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11561429#post11561429), a few of us Canucks chimed in, explaining how parental leave and benefits work here.

Today, an interesting development: the Canadian Employment Insurance Board of Referees has ruled that if a couple has twins, both parents are entitled to parental benefits (35 weeks of employment insurance).

The Board apparently accepted the argument that multiple births require more work than single children, so both parents are entitled to benefits (assuming both have worked the requisite number of hours and paid the EI premiums to qualify for EI).

Story here: [Both parents of twins get leave: EI Board](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/18/twin-leaves.html).

Double the kids, double the fun!

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parental-benefits-in-canada-double-the-kids-double-the-fun/510689/2 "2009-09-19T05:12:21Z")

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If there are triplets or more, do they let the parents practice polygamy?

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**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parental-benefits-in-canada-double-the-kids-double-the-fun/510689/3 "2009-09-19T05:56:50Z")

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Seems fair. If they had the two kids at separate times they’d collectively get 70 weeks as well.