Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Ottawa is looking at ways to resolve the case of an Ontario mom and cancer survivor who is fighting for sickness benefits claimed while she was on maternity leave.
Jane Kittmer was awarded $5,000 in employment insurances sickness benefits after being diagnosed with cancer while on maternity leave in 2010. The government later appealed the decision, claiming that the law at the time required Kittmer to be working to qualify for the benefits.
On Tuesday, Harper directly addressed Kittmer’s case.
“The fact of the matter is, this is a case under the previous rules, but the government is exploring ways this matter can be addressed and resolved,” Harper said in the House of Commons.
It was the second time this week Kittmer’s case was brought up in Parliament.
On Monday an NDP MP said her case was another example of the Conservatives targeting out-of-work Canadians and restricting EI benefits.
Parliament introduced an act in November 2012 correcting the issue, allowing parents to collect EI sickness benefits if they fall ill while taking parental leave. The new legislation came into effect this week, leaving those who applied for benefits before the change took place, included Kittmer, to fight for their benefits.
A $450 million class-action lawsuit has been filed for about 60,000 Canadian women who have been denied sickness benefits since 2002.
Kittmer, 41, said she is awaiting the government’s next move.
