People 'confused and kind of fearful' over EI

One week after Employment Insurance changes came into effect Liberal MPs on Prince Edward Island say they are already hearing plenty of concerns.

One woman from Lower Montague staged a protest in front of the Service Canada building in Montague, after she says she was cut off from EI because she doesn't have transportation to accept work in Charlottetown.

Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay said his office is fielding numerous calls from people upset about EI changes.

"I have been hearing from people who are suffering the consequences of these changes," said MacAulay.

"They are pushing people to travel, like single parents with no transportation to go perhaps 60 or 70 kilometres and it's not even possible for them to do it. This will force people onto welfare."

Malpeque MP Wayne Easter has also been hearing from constituents.

"We are getting a lot of complaints on not being able to get through on the Employment Insurance lines, and a lot of confusion in terms of the new system as well,' said Easter.

"People that are wanting to go back to the old program and off the new pilot, they are finding they are getting different answers. People are both confused and kind of fearful."

Easter also said his office has been hearing from some employers who are concerned about the number of people coming in looking for jobs in order to report to federal officials that they have been looking for work.

The MPs are keeping track of all of the concerns. Easter said the data will eventually be sent to Human Resources Minister Diane Finley to prove the need to reconsider the changes.