A claimant who is in receipt of maternity benefits may attend a course on their own initiative and continue to receive maternity benefits. This is because the provisions of the act regarding availability for work do not apply to maternity claimants (EIA 18; EIA 22(1)).
In order to be referred to a course of instruction or employment activity under EIA 25, the claimant must be an unemployed worker. Generally, it is assumed that claimants who are collecting maternity benefits are on a leave of absence from their employment, and have a job to return to. As such, referrals by an authority designated by the Commission, to an approved course or employment activity under this section may be rare for maternity claimants.
Digest 19.2.6 provides additional information on entitlement to benefits while attending an approved course or other employment activities, to which a claimant was referred by a designated authority under EIA 25.
Chapter Digest 19.2.7 provides more information on disqualification from benefits, where a claimant withdraws from a course or employment activity to which they were referred under EIA 25.