Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

The Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support Benefit have been merged into the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

The CERB is a taxable benefit and will provide $2,000a month, backdated to March 15^th, 2020 for up to four months for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CERB would cover Canadians who have

• lost their job,
• are sick, quarantined,
• or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19,
• as well as working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children who are sick or at home because of school and daycare closures.

The CERB applies to wage earners, as well as contract workers and self-employed individuals, who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI).

Additionally, workers who are still employed, but are not receiving income because of disruptions to their work situation due to COVID-19, would also qualify for the CERB. This will help businesses keep their employees as they navigate these difficult times, while ensuring they preserve the ability to quickly resume operations as soon as it becomes possible.

The EI system was not designed to process the unprecedented high volume of applications received in the past week. Given this situation, all Canadians who have ceased working due to COVID-19, whether they are EI-eligible or not, would be able to receive the CERB to ensure they have timely access to the income support they need.

The CERB application form will be available on April 6

• by accessing it via CRA MyAccount secure portal;
• by accessing it via My Service Canada Account;

Canadians who already applied for EI do not need to apply for this new benefit, claims will be automatically moved over to the CERB and will receive the 16-week benefit. If needed, workers can use their hours to apply for benefits after October 3, 2020.

Canadians who have already applied for EI and whose application has not yet been processed do not need to reapply.

Canadians would begin to receive their CERB payments within 10 days of application. The CERB would be paid every four weeks and be available from March 15, 2020 until October 3, 2020.

For more information visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan/covid19-individuals.html#new_canada_emergency_response_benefit

Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information only and is not intended as legal opinion or advice. The views and opinions expressed do not reflect the official position of BNG Bossy Nagy Group or any other affiliate.