Advocacy BC: Coronavirus: #COVID19 Financial Assistance: Apply for Employment Insurance & Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Update on Canadian benefits from the Canadian government

Date: March 25, 2020

New: Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

$2,000 a month to workers who have lost their income and do not qualify for EI for up to four months (16 weeks).
An application portal will launch in April.
The CERB would be paid every four weeks and be available from March 15, 2020 until October 3, 2020.
CERB will be administered through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
It was noted by the federal government that some of the systems to administer these benefits still need to be created and that this is a new program for CRA.
People should start receiving money within 10 days of applying.
The CERB will replace the Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support Benefit previously announced last week.

CERB eligibility:

Canadians who have lost their job, are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19.
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 will apply to wage earners, contract workers and self-employed individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI).
Workers who are still employed but are not receiving income because of disruptions to their work situation due to COVID-19.
The CERB will be available to Canadians who earned $5,000 or more in the past 12 months but are no longer receiving pay due to COVID-19.

Employment Insurance Update (EI)

· Approximately one million people have applied for EI, with 143,000 claims processed to date. The federal government has boosted the team to address these claims by 13,000.

· Canadians who are already receiving EI regular and sickness benefits as of March 25^th, 2020 will continue to receive their benefits and should not apply to the CERB. If their EI benefits end before October 3, 2020, they could apply for the CERB once their EI benefits cease, if they are unable to return to work due to COVID-19.

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

· Canadians who are eligible for EI regular and sickness benefits would still be able to access their normal EI benefits, if still unemployed, after the 16-week period covered by the CERB.

How Do I Qualify for EI Benefits for COVID-19-related work disruptions?

Whether you qualify for EI will still depend on your specific situation, such as regional rate of employment.
How many hours you worked in the last 52 weeks/one year.

When to Apply

Immediately.

Waiting more than four weeks after your last day of work means you could lose access to those benefits.

To receive EI, you:

Must have lost your job through no fault of your own, which includes being unable to work because of illness or quarantine.

Waiting Period

The one-week waiting period for sickness benefits will be removed for those who have been told to self-isolate or quarantine, meaning applicants can be paid for the first week of their claim.

Maximum Amount

If approved, the maximum amount paid out for EI is $573 a week.

What Do I Need to Apply

Applicants usually need a medical certificate
Record of employment from your employer

Note:

The new rules allow quarantined workers to apply without the medical certificate.
Applicants can apply for EI Sickness benefits and have the claim backdated.
These benefits cover 15 weeks of EI benefits.

Apply for EI Sickness benefits

Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness/apply.html

If you have already completed the application for EI sickness benefits whether you are sick or quarantined and would like to have the one-week waiting period waived, call:

Telephone: 1-833-381-2725 (toll-free)
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-529-3742

Apply in person at a Service Canada office:

Locations: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/tbsc-fsco/sc-hme.jsp?lang=eng

Note: Those who are experiencing symptoms, or are in self-isolation or quarantine are instructed not to visit.

Important: If you are directly affected by the COVID-19 because you are sick or quarantined and you have not yet applied for EI benefits, please submit your application before contacting us. This will allow us to better serve you and prevent delays in establishing your claim.

Note: We will take action only for sick or quarantined clients affected by the COVID-19 for which the application for sickness benefits has been filed.

Additional Financial Supports

$55 billion in deferred tax payments for business and individuals.

Top-ups for child benefits and GST cheques in May 2020

Websites

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) – Employment and Social Development Canada

Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html

Apply for EI Sickness Benefits here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness/apply.html

My Service Canada Account: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account.html