BC residents displaced or left jobless due to extreme flooding should immediately apply for employment insurance benefits: Federal Govt.

The federal government says BC residents displaced or left jobless due to extreme flooding should immediately apply for employment insurance benefits.

Federal employment Minister Carla Qualtrough says the federal government is waiving the requirement for applicants to show a record of employment, recognizing that it may be difficult for many to obtain the proper documentation right now.

She says the government is looking at the possibility that people may have exhausted their EI due to receiving pandemic benefits.

Qualtrough says the government will figure out a solution and Ottawa will help affected residents for as long as is needed.