The Canadian government has introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) in order to help out Canadians who are earning no income due to COVID-19. Update: The Federal government announced that if you will be earning less than $1,000 (rather than no income at all), you will be eligible. Stay tuned as the federal government is continuously changing the rules.
Many Canadians have lost their jobs, at least temporarily, due to government lock downs. They will need all the help they can get. If you are one of them, here are some commonly asked questions about the CERB:
Question 1: Am I eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?
To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:
- You reside in Canada.
- You are 15 years of age or older at the time of application.
- You have not quit your job voluntarily.
- You have not applied for, nor are you receiving, CERB or EI benefits from Service Canada for the same eligibility period.
- You have earned a minimum of $5,000 income within the last 12 months or in 2019 from one or more of the following sources:
- employment income;
- self-employment income; or
- provincial or federal benefits related to maternity or paternity leave.
For your first CERB application:
You have stopped or will stop working due to reasons related to COVID-19 and, for at least 14 consecutive days of the four-week period for which you are applying, you will not be receiving:
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- employment income;
- self-employment income; or
- provincial or federal benefits related to maternity or paternity leave.
For your subsequent CERB applications:
You continue to not be working due to reasons related to COVID-19 and, for the four-week period for which you are applying, you will not be receiving:
-
- employment income;
- self-employment income; or
- provincial or federal benefits related to maternity or paternity leave.
Question 2: What are the eligibility periods?
- Eligibility periods are fixed in four-week periods.
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The eligibility periods are as follows:
- March 15, 2020 to April 11, 2020
- April 12, 2020 to May 9, 2020
- May 10, 2020 to June 6, 2020
- June 7, 2020 to July 4, 2020
- July 5, 2020 to August 1, 2020
- August 2, 2020 to August 29, 2020
- August 30, 2020 to September 26, 2020
Question 3: Is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit a taxable benefit?
Yes, the funds received under CERB are taxable. You will receive a tax slip in early 2021, and you will have to report the income on your 2020 personal tax return.
Question 4: What happens if I receive funds under CERB but later it is determined that I was not eligible?
If you are later found to be ineligible, you will be required to repay the benefit.
Question 5: What period can I apply for right now?
As of today (April 7, 2020), the period you can apply for is March 15 to April 11, 2020.
Question 6: How can I apply?
There are two ways to apply:
- Online with CRA My Account
- Over the phone with an automated phone service
- Call either 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041
- To verify your identity, you’ll need
- your social insurance number (SIN)
- your postal code
Question 7: How much can I expect to receive?
You can expect $2,000 ($500 per week) for a 4-week period.
Question 8: When and how will I receive the benefit payments?
The CERB is paid by direct deposit or by cheque if your direct deposit information is not on file.
Once you apply, you should receive your payment in three business days if you signed up for direct deposit. If you haven’t, you should receive it in about ten business days.
Question 9: Can I reapply for more than one four-week period?
Yes. If your situation continues, you can re-apply for a payment for multiple 4-week periods, to a maximum of four periods (16 weeks).
Question 10: Who should I contact if I have more questions about the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?
- You can find answers to common questions with this automated help line:
1-833-966-2099 - To speak with an agent about CERB, or CRA My Account:
1-800-959-8281 - You can also find answers to other frequently asked questions relating to CERB by clicking here.
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