Unemployed workers line up at Service Canada to file EI amid COVID-19 pandemic

Unemployed workers line up outside a Service Canada in downtown Toronto to file employment insurance. (Craig Wadman/CTV News Toronto)

Toronto — Long lines have started to appear at Service Canada locations in the Greater Toronto Area as recently unemployed workers struggle to file applications amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the facility located near College and Bathurst streets, the line stretched around the corner, with each person trying to maintain some physical distance while waiting for help.

Those in line say they tried to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) online, but experienced problems so they decided to come to the office.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Service Canada received more than 500,000 applications. The government website where people can apply for EI says that due to the high number of applications, users may experience technical difficulties.

“We are currently receiving a high number of EI applications,” a notice on the website says. “If you are unable to access our system due to technical difficulties please try again later. We are aware of this issue and working to resolve it.”

At the same time, people who are calling in to Service Canada with questions related to their applications are being placed on hold for long periods of time. One person on social media said they were on the line for four hours in order to get their question answered.

Others reported busy signals and were not able to get through or wait on the line.

Last week’s application numbers were twice as high as the number of claims for the month of March in 2019, according to Statistics Canada, including both regular and sick leave EI applications.

A number of Service Canada locations and scheduled outreach sites are closed. Residents can search their postal code on the government’s website to determine if the nearest facility is open.