COVID-19 Federal Benefits and Supports – CERB (Update from April 16th)

April 16, 2020
By Nizam Shajani, CPA, CA, MBA

The government has announced changes to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). In addition to have stopped working due to COVID-19, the benefit is now extended to those who earn up to $1,000 per month, to seasonal workers who have exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to undertake their regular seasonal work as a result of COVID-19, as well as to workers who have recently exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to find a job or return to work because of COVID-19.
Applications for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) have been open since April 5th. If you qualify, you may receive up to $8,000 from the federal government.

The day of the week you can apply is based on the month you were born:

If you were born in Apply on Open for you on
January, February or March Mondays April 6
April, May or June Tuesdays April 7
July, August or September Wednesdays April 8
October, November or December Thursdays April 9
Any month Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays

How much is the subsidy?
You will receive a payment of $2,000 every four-weeks for a period of up to sixteen weeks. This will result in a total of up to $8,000.
Who Qualifies?
The CREB is available to workers;
• Residing in Canada who are at least 15 years old;
• Who have stopped working because of COVID-19 or are eligible for employment insurance;
• Who has income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and
• who are or expect to be without employment or self-employment for at least 14 consecutive days in the initial four-week period.
How do you get the subsidy?
You can apply through the CRA My Account or by calling the automated phone service (1-800-959-2019).
Once you’ve logged into CRA My Account, select the COVID-19: Canada Emergency Response Benefit banner at the top of the page, select the period you want to apply for, declare that you qualify for the benefit and confirm your payment information.
If you are calling you will need your SIN and postal code and will need to follow the prompts asserting the above.
You will need to re-apply and confirm your eligibility every 4 weeks.

This information is for discussion purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. There is no guarantee or warrant of information on this site and it should be noted that rules and laws change regularly. You should consult a professional before considering implementing or taking any action based on information on this site. Call our team for a consultation before taking any action. © 2020 Shajani LLP