Ei Direct Deposit

8 min readMar 25, 2021

What Is Direct Deposit? Direct deposit is an electronic payment from one bank account to another. For example, money may move from an employer’s bank account to an employee’s bank account, although there are several other ways to use direct deposit. Start Manage direct deposit for a payment in one of the following ways: To use your current banking information on file with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and apply it to this payment, click the button under “Select” for the banking information you want to use, and select the “Use selected information” link. Big sigh of relief today when my first EI payment came in. But I’ve been out of work since I was laid off on December 19, the bills have been piling up, savings are drained, Christmas was a thing, and my EI barely covers my half of the rent, let alone everything else. Direct deposit is an electronic transfer of your weekly Unemployment Insurance payments into your bank checking account. It offers increased convenience and allows you to access your funds via your own bank account. You can have your benefits electronically deposited into your checking account as long as your financial institution participates.

Ei Direct Deposit
Service Canada Ei Direct Deposit

Signing up for direct deposit — individuals

How do you find your account information?

Your account information is on your personal cheques or online account. If you can’t find the information, call or visit your financial institution.

How can you update your account information?

You can update your account information in the following ways:

Online

using My Account
using MyCRA Direct Deposit

Through your Financial Institution

New options to sign up for direct deposit — Desjardins members and TD Canada Trust customers can now sign up for direct deposit through their financial institution.

Not a Desjardins member or TD Canada Trust customer? Stay tuned. Other financial institutions are expected to provide this service in the near future.

Mail

Fill out the Direct Deposit Enrolment Form, and mail your completed copy to the address on the form.

Telephone

1–800–959–8281

Do not close your old bank account until your first payment has been deposited to your new bank account as it may already be in process or cause a possible delay.

Can you use different account information for different payments?

Yes. The Canada Revenue Agency will continue to use all the account information that we have on file for you. Please log into My Account or call us at 1–800–959–8281 to tell us which account you want us to use for payments to which you may become entitled.

If you provided two accounts in the past, how does the Canada Revenue Agency decide which one to use?

Call us at 1–800–959–8281 to tell us which account you want us to use for payments you currently receive by cheque.

Receiving payments

You received a letter telling you that the transition to direct deposit will affect all your payments from the Canada Revenue Agency. Does that mean you are now registered to have all of your federal government payments deposited into your account?

No. Although federal government agencies and departments prefer to use direct deposit for payments to Canadians, the transition discussed in the letter applies only to payments you receive from the Canada Revenue Agency.

What if your payment isn’t in your account on the expected date?

If you don’t receive your payment when expected, call the Canada Revenue Agency at 1–800–959–8281.

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

What you need before you sign up

To sign up for direct deposit, you will need to gather the following personal information:

your social insurance number
the name of your bank or financial institution
the branch/transit number and
your account number

Your banking information can be found at the bottom of any cheque for the account in which you would like to have your payment deposited.

If you do not have a chequing account you can ask your financial institution for this information.

When to sign up for direct deposit

The easiest and most convenient way to sign up for direct deposit is when you first apply for benefits. Complete the direct deposit section on your application.

If you receive benefits (Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security benefits) by cheque, or if you recently applied for benefits, you can easily sign up for direct deposit online through My Service Canada Account.

Online

Using My Service Canada Account is the most convenient way to register for direct deposit.

My Service Canada Account is a secure website that allows you to:

view and change your personal information, including your address, telephone number(s), and banking information for direct deposit
view and print your tax slips
view all Records of Employment that your employers have submitted electronically in the last 2 years
delay receiving your Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement after receiving a notification letter of automatic enrolment
view, start, change or stop your federal voluntary tax deduction
give consent for someone to communicate with Service Canada about your CPP/OAS account
view the status of your application for CPP and OAS benefits and
view details and print an official proof of payment report of your CPP and OAS benefits

Note

If you have an address outside of Canada, you will only be able to view your address and direct deposit online. It is not yet possible to change the information for foreign addresses and direct deposit online. To change your information, contact us and speak with one of our agents over the phone.

Other ways to sign up for direct deposit

EI applicants

By phone

Call 1–800–206–7218 (press ‘0’ to speak with an agent) (TTY: 1–800–529–3742).

Canada Pension Plan (including Post-Retirement Benefit) and Old Age Security applicants

By phone

Call: 1–800–277–9914 (press ‘0’ to speak with an agent)
From outside Canada and the United States, call 613–957–1954. Collect calls are accepted Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. (TTY: 1–800–255–4786)
To sign up for direct deposit by phone, we usually have to speak directly to you. If someone calls on your behalf, make sure you are with them when they call. Keep in mind that we have to have trusteeship or power-of-attorney forms on file before we can take the call from your legal trustee or someone with power of attorney

By mail

Complete and print a Direct Deposit Enrolment Request Form. This form is also available at Canadian banks and financial institutions.

Mail your completed form to:

Direct Deposit
PO Box 5000
Matane, QC G4W 4R6
CANADA

Canada Pension Plan (including Post-Retirement Benefit) and Old Age Security applicants living abroad or having a foreign bank account

If you live outside Canada or have a foreign bank account, you can apply by phone or by mail.

By phone

Call 1–800–277–9914 (press ‘0’ to speak with an agent)
From outside Canada and the United States call 613–957–1954. Collect calls are accepted Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. (TTY: 1–800–255–4786)
To sign up for direct deposit by phone, we usually have to speak directly to you. If someone calls on your behalf, make sure you are with them when they call. Keep in mind that we have to have trusteeship or power-of-attorney forms on file before we can take the call from your legal trustee or someone with power of attorney

By mail

You can complete and print the enrolment form for your country of residence and mail it to the address below. You can also request a form by mail:

International Direct Deposit
PO Box 7000
Matane, QC G4W 4T5
CANADA

Check the list of countries where direct deposit is offered to see in which countries the Receiver General of Canada can issue payments by direct deposit in local currency.

Check the list of countries where OAS and CPP payments are made in foreign currency to see in which countries the Receiver General of Canada issues payments by cheque in local currency.

Processing time

If your account is in Canada and you sign up for direct deposit through My Service Canada Account or by phone, we can usually start your direct deposit payments the month after you submit a request.

If you enrol by mail, you should receive your first direct deposit payment within three months.

Separate accounts for each payment

If you receive Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security payments separately, you do not have to deposit both benefits into the same account. If you like, you can ask us to deposit your Canada Pension Plan payments into one account, and your Old Age Security payments into another.

However, we cannot split a single Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security payment between two accounts.

For Apprenticeship Grants applicants

You can sign up for direct deposit if you inform us before we process your payment.

By phone

Speak with one of our agents Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Call toll-free: 1–866–742–3644. (TTY: 1–866–909–9757).

By mail

Apprentices registered in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and Yukon:

Apprenticeship Grants Western Processing Centre
Service Canada Centre
Harry Hays Bldg.
220 4th Avenue SE, Room 270
Calgary AB T2G 4X3

Apprentices registered in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia:

Apprenticeship Grants Eastern Processing Centre
Service Canada Centre
139 Douglastown Blvd
Miramichi NB E1V 0A4

Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime

Direct deposit is available to applicants upon completion of a paper or online application for the benefit.

You can apply for the benefit online by completing the Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime Application Form or you can print, complete and submit a paper application to the following address:

By mail

PYVC Processing Centre
Service Canada
PO Box 8232, STN T
Ottawa, ON K1G 3H7

Wage Earner Protection Program applicants

The easiest and most convenient way to sign up for direct deposit is when you complete your WEPP online application. If you do not wish to apply online, you can obtain a paper application form at your nearest Service Canada Office.

By phone

Toll-free: 1–866–683–6516 (TTY: 1 800 926–9105)
The telephone support staff responds to enquiries Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time

By mail