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- You can change answers while completing an EI report, but a report that has already been submitted must be corrected through Service Canada as soon as possible.
- Use My Service Canada Account to report the mistake online, or call the EI Telephone Information Service at 1-800-206-7218 if you need an officer’s help.
- Keep your pay records, work dates, corrected amounts, and confirmation details in case Service Canada needs to review the report or adjust your claim.
What to do if you made a mistake on an EI report
If you submitted a Canadian Employment Insurance report with incorrect information, don’t submit another report to try to cancel it. Contact Service Canada as soon as possible and explain exactly what was wrong.
This applies to common mistakes such as entering the wrong earnings, reporting the wrong number of hours, forgetting work or other money, selecting the wrong employment status, or giving incorrect dates for illness, vacation, training, or time outside Canada.
If you’re still completing the report and haven’t submitted it, go back and change the answer before sending it. Once the report has been submitted, the correction normally has to be handled through Service Canada.
Use My Service Canada Account to report the mistake online
For many claimants, the quickest online starting point is My Service Canada Account, also called MSCA. After signing in, open Employment Insurance benefits and choose Report a mistake. Follow the prompts to describe the incorrect report or the change in your circumstances.
This online option is useful when you want to create a written record of what you reported and when you reported it. It can also help if you’re not able to reach an EI officer right away.
Sign in to My Service Canada Account and report an EI mistakeIf you don’t have an MSCA account, you can register using an eligible sign-in method such as GCKey, Interac Sign-In Partner, or an available provincial sign-in option. You can also contact Service Canada by phone instead.
Register for My Service Canada AccountWhen you should call Service Canada
Call Service Canada if the error could affect your benefit amount, your eligibility, or the dates covered by the report. Calling is especially sensible when you:
- underreported or forgot earnings
- reported earnings in the wrong week
- forgot to report work, self-employment, tips, commissions, or another payment
- entered the wrong hours or employer information
- answered incorrectly about availability, illness, training, travel, or being outside Canada
- received a payment after submitting the report that should be disclosed
- already received a payment that may have been too high
The EI Telephone Information Service is 1-800-206-7218. Have your Social Insurance Number, access code, the report period, and the corrected information ready. If you use a TTY service, the official contact information lists 1-800-529-3742.
For general EI reporting, the Telephone Reporting Service is 1-800-531-7555. That number is used to submit reports, not as a substitute for promptly explaining a mistake on a report that has already been submitted.
What information should you give Service Canada?
A clear correction is easier to review than a general message saying that something was wrong. Write down the following before you contact Service Canada:
| Information | Example |
|---|---|
| Report period | The two weeks covered by the report |
| Question or section affected | Employment, earnings, availability, training, or other money |
| What you entered | The amount, hours, date, or answer originally submitted |
| Correct information | The amount, hours, date, or answer that should have been submitted |
| Reason for the error | Pay estimate, late payroll information, misunderstanding, or typing mistake |
| Supporting records | Pay stub, timesheet, schedule, employer message, or payment record |
For earnings, use the week in which you worked, not necessarily the week in which you were paid. Include earnings before deductions, along with tips and commissions where applicable. If the amount was only an estimate when you filed, tell Service Canada the estimate you used and the final amount you later confirmed.
Can a mistake delay or reduce your EI payment?
It can. Service Canada may need to review the corrected information before finalizing or adjusting a payment. That doesn’t automatically mean your claim will be denied, but the payment timing or amount can change while the file is reviewed.
If you were paid more than you were entitled to receive, the excess generally becomes an EI overpayment debt that must be repaid. Reporting the mistake quickly gives Service Canada a chance to correct the file and may help prevent additional payments from being issued incorrectly.
Do not ignore a mistake because the amount seems small. Service Canada says an overpayment can result from an incorrect or incomplete EI report, and a completed report should be corrected as soon as the error is noticed.
What happens after you report the error?
Service Canada may update your claim, ask for documents, contact your employer, or request more details about the weeks in question. Keep checking your messages and claim information in MSCA, but don’t assume that a payment appearing in your account means the correction has been completed.
For online or telephone reports, you can generally review report and payment details in MSCA under Employment Insurance benefits and View my payments. Payment information is normally updated after the report is processed, although weekends and holidays can affect the timing.
Save screenshots or confirmation numbers from any online submission, plus notes about phone calls. Record the date, the number you called, and the name or identification information of any officer who assists you. Keep pay stubs, timesheets, schedules, and employer correspondence until the issue is fully resolved.
If you receive an EI overpayment notice
If Service Canada establishes an overpayment, you should receive a notice of debt or account statement explaining what is owed. Review the weeks and amounts carefully. If something still appears incorrect, contact Service Canada promptly and explain which information needs to be reviewed.
If you agree that money is owed but can’t pay the full amount, the Canada Revenue Agency handles repayment arrangements for EI debts. The repayment-contact number listed by the Government of Canada is 1-866-864-5823. If you’re still receiving EI, debt recovery may be taken from future benefits, although you can ask about a different withholding amount.
Review official EI overpayment repayment informationDon’t confuse an accidental mistake with intentionally hiding information. An honest error should still be corrected, but knowingly providing false or misleading information can lead to penalties or other consequences.
Special case: a paper EI report
If you mailed a paper report and later notice an error, contact Service Canada by phone, in person, or by mail as soon as possible. Give the report period, the incorrect entry, the corrected information, and copies of supporting documents if requested.
Do not mail a second version of the same report unless Service Canada tells you to do so. Sending duplicate reports can create more confusion about which information should be used.
The safest next step
Correct the record now rather than waiting to see whether the payment changes. Start with the Report a mistake option in MSCA if you can use it. If the error involves earnings, eligibility, availability, or a payment you may not have been entitled to receive, call Service Canada as well and keep your records until the correction is resolved.
Helpful Links
- Employment Insurance reporting – Review official EI reporting instructions, submission options, reporting deadlines, and what to do if you made a mistake.
- My Service Canada Account – Sign in to MSCA to access EI information and report a mistake through the Employment Insurance section.
- Employment Insurance contact information for individuals – Find official EI phone numbers, callback options, reporting services, and contact details for individual claimants.
- Employment Insurance and overpayments – Learn how EI overpayments happen, what happens after a debt is established, and how repayment works.
- Overpayments and Repayments – Official page referenced in the article.
- Create a My Service Canada Account – Official page referenced in the article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I edit an EI report after I submit it?
A. Usually, no. You can change answers while completing an Internet or Telephone EI report, but after submission you should report the error to Service Canada as soon as possible through My Service Canada Account or by phone.
Q. What if I forgot to report wages on my EI report?
A. Contact Service Canada promptly and provide the work dates, hours, employer, gross earnings, and any supporting pay records. Earnings generally need to be reported in the week you worked, even if you were paid later.
Q. Will correcting an EI mistake automatically stop my benefits?
A. Not necessarily. Service Canada reviews the corrected information and adjusts the claim if needed. The review may change a payment or create an overpayment, but voluntarily correcting an error is safer than leaving inaccurate information on the file.
Q. What should I do if I already received an EI overpayment notice?
A. Check the weeks and amounts listed, contact Service Canada if any part is incorrect, and follow the repayment instructions if the debt is accurate. If you cannot pay the full amount, contact the Canada Revenue Agency about a repayment arrangement.
