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End of CERB: What does it mean for People on Income Support?

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The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”) ended on 26 September 2020 and has been replaced by the Canada Recovery Benefit (“CRB”). The CRB is available for those who are not eligible for Employment Insurance (“EI”) or had their employment income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19.

Eligible individuals can receive $500 per week for up to 26 weeks between 27 September 2020 and 25 September 2021.

Individuals are eligible for CRB if they:

  • are not eligible for EI;
  • currently residing and are present in Canada for the application period;
  • are least 15-year-old and have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN);
  • earned a minimum of $5,000 in 2019, 2020, or in a 12-month period preceding the first application;
  • have stopped working or observed at least 50% reduction in income for reasons related to Covid-19;
  • have not quit their job voluntarily; and
  • are not receiving the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, for the 2-week period for which they are applying.

Similar to CERB, all income received under the CRB program is taxable. That said, if an individual’s 2020 or 2021 income is more than $38,000, they must repay 50 cents for every dollar they collect under the program after that threshold.

Other recovery benefits include the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (“CRSB”) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (“CRCB”).

The CRSB provides $500 per week for up to two weeks for employees who are sick or required to self-isolate due to reasons related to Covid-19.

The CRCB, which is on a per household basis, provides $500 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks. This is available to Canadians who are taking care of children or family members as a result of COVID-19 and, as a result, cannot work. Individuals are not eligible if they are receiving sick pay from employers, are on EI, or are receiving CRB.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this article, and this website generally, is not intended as legal advice and cannot be relied upon as legal advice.  To provide legal advice on your problem, a lawyer must first understand your specific situation.

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