Covid-19: Canada Emergency Response Benefit

To support workers and help businesses keep their employees, the federal government has proposed legislation to establish the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). This taxable benefit would provide $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is now possible to earn up to $1,000 in employment income without losing the CERB. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This content is up to date as of May 25, 2020. New facts or government directives which have occurred may invalidate certain information. Please take this factor into consideration.

The CERB would be a simpler and more accessible combination of the previously announced Emergency Care Benefit and Emergency Support Benefit.
If you are eligible, you will be able to register, starting on April 6; benefits should be delivered 10 days after you submit your application form.

Worker

A person who is at least 15 years old, who resides in Canada and whose income (for the year 2019 or during the twelve months preceding the date on which he/she submits a request), from the following income-generating activities, amounts to at least $5,000:

  1. employment;
  2. work carried out for his/her own account;
  3. employment insurance benefits;
  4. allowances, benefits or other sums, under a provincial plan, in the event of pregnancy or of care to be given to his/her newborn child or children or to one or more children placed under his/her care for the purpose of their adoption.

Eligibility Period

Any worker can request a CERB for any four-week timeframe included in the period beginning on March 15, 2020, and ending on October 3, 2020 (maximum 16 weeks).

Eligibility

A worker who meets the following conditions is eligible for income support benefit:

  1. ceases to be employed (or to work for his/her own account) for reasons related to COVID-19 for at least 14 consecutive days included in the four-week period for which he/she requests the taxable benefit;
  2. does not receive, for consecutive days during which he/she ceases to be employed or to carry out work for his/her account:
    1.  income from employment or work carried out for his/her own account,
    2.  employment insurance benefits,
    3.  allowances, benefits or other sums, under a provincial plan, in the event of pregnancy or of care to be given to his/her newborn child or children or to one or more children placed under his/her care for the purpose of their adoption,
    4.  any other source of income prescribed by regulation.

For further details:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/introduces-canada-emergency-response-benefit-to-help-workers-and-businesses.html

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