Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
Posted onOn March 25,2020 the Department of Finance announced a new benefit to support workers and help businesses keep their employees. This benefit is called the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). this benefit is much broader that the previous benefit it replaces and is meant to support people who are unable to work due to factors related to COVID -19.
What is CERB?
it is a benefit of $2000 per month for up to 4 months to:
· workers who must stop working due to COVID-19 and do not have access to paid sick leave or other income support
· Workers who are sick, quarantined, or taking care of some with COVID-19
· Working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children that are sick or need care because of school and day care closures
· worker who still have their employment but are not bring paid because there is currently not sufficient work and their employer has asked them not to come to work.
· wage earner and self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who would not otherwise be eligible for EI
Who is eligible?
· Workers defined by the following
· at least 15 year so age
· resident in Canada
· Made at lease $5,000 in income 2019 or in the 12 months preceding the application (meaning January/February/March of 2020 count as well)
· Income is employment, self-employment, benefits received under EI, parental benefits of any kind.
· You may file an application for any 4-week period starting March 15 and Ending October 3, 2020
· Without work reasons related to COVID-19 for at least 14 consecutive dates within the 4-week period they apply for the payment. Worker who quit are not eligible.
· Without income from employment or self-employment, benefits or allowances for parental leave, other income prescribed by regulation (we could not find a definition of this other income at this time).
How do you apply?
· An online portal and telephone line will be available sometime during the week of April 6th.
· Claims will take up to 10 days to process
· If you have already applied for EI, you do not need to apply for this benefit. Your claim will automatically be processed under the CERB once the system is in place in early April.
The following links will provide additional information on this benefit as well as the other information about other forms of COVID-relief measures.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/introduces-canada-emergency-response-benefit-to-help-workers-and-businesses.html
As always please feel free to reach out to us. We are here to support you in these uncertain times.