Breukelen, all I can say is thank God you have other sources of income to supplement the EI ("Employment Insurrance" is the equivilant here in Canada). Honestly though, I can't believe that the maximum is $405 a week, as if anybody could live off of that! I'm on basic income assistance (AKA welfare) getting the max which is $610 a month, and let me tell you, that's not liveable either. I lived on my own with that for a couple months and eventually had to move back in with my parents because it came down to a choice of "Do I eat? Or do I buy meds?"



Rebgirl, if you're reading this, I'd ask that you consider the realities of welfare and realize that it isn't 100% for people who are just too lazy to work. I'm in FAR too much pain to walk down the street most days, let alone go to work every day, yet the infinately flawed beurocracy has decided that I'm not disabled enough for disability. Believe me, I AM. The only reason I don't qualify is, believe it or not, because disability eligibility isn't based on your ability to work, it's based on your ability to live with the assitance of a care-aid, seeing-eye dog, or wheelchair. Because I can technically climb stairs, walk on my own two feet, sometimes prepare meals, and generally look after myself; they say I'm not disabled. Never mind that I can only do any of these things for 20 minutes before needing to pop another painkiller and lie down; the fact that I can do them at all means I'm not disabled. And so here I am on welfare.

So please, don't jump to blanket judgments about people and their "government handouts".