$2K a Month: Coronavirus Benefits – Relief for Canadians(CERB)

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(Please check the lecture titled “Update April 16: Eligibility REVISED – Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)” posted April 16, 2020, which has the latest update on eligibility for CERB.) This lecture is an update to our last lecture on this issue (Corona Virus and Employment Insurance Benefits). The Government of Canada has replaced the emergency care and emergency support benefits (mentioned in our previous lecture) with CERB. Please visit the Government of Canada website for more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/introduces-canada-emergency-response-benefit-to-help-workers-and-businesses.html

This lecture is taught by Amer Mushtaq, LL.B., M. Engineering , B.Sc. (Hons.), who is the Principal and Founder of Formative LLP.   Through his YouTube channel, YouCounsel, Amer shares practical advice from his years of legal experience to help anyone access justice and achieve their goals.  Subscribe today to learn more.

 

Show Notes:

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Lecture Slides:

Welcome to YouCounsel.

This video basically restates the information that is already available on the Government of Canada website in the form of a press release. I have provided a link to that website below – in the description of this lecture. If you have already seen that press release and understand what it states, then you don’t need to watch this video.  But, if you haven’t reviewed that information, then you are welcome to obtain that information from here.

In my previous lecture about employment insurance benefits with respect to Corona virus, we had covered two different kinds of benefits: Emergency Care benefits and Support benefits. What government has now done is simplified the process and sort of merged the two processes—the two benefits into one—which is now called emergency response benefits.  This lecture explains what those benefits are and who are the people who will be qualified for those benefits.

Again this lecture is not legal advice.  If you have any specific questions, you should contact a lawyer or a paralegal or in this case contact Service Canada for their information.

We will talk about 3 things.  I’ll explain how much benefits you will be entitled to under Canada Emergency Response Benefits. Who are the people who will be eligible?  What happens to people who have either applied for employment insurance benefits or are receiving employment insurance benefits?  

The amount of money you will receive under this plan is $2000 per month and this is taxable income. It will be paid every 4 weeks and it is only for up to 4 months—between March 15th 2020 to October 3rd 2020. Once you apply, the government believes that they will be able to make payment within 10 days of your application.  The portal for applying for this benefit will be available in early April. I believe you will be able to apply online and you will also be able to apply for it through a phone number—which the Government of Canada will provide.

The most important thing you want to note is that, this part of benefit is available to people who are eligible to receive employment insurance benefits and people who do not qualify for employment insurance benefits. You could be a self-employed person, not entitled to receive employment insurance benefits and yet you will be able to access these benefits and, of course, the people who are employees and remit employment insurance benefits, they will be entitled to it too.

This is the important part. It’s available to all.  What are the circumstances in which you will get these benefits? If you have lost your job due to Covid-19; if you are still employed, but not receiving any income, due to Covid-19; if you are sick, you are quarantined; if you are taking care of someone who is sick due to Covid-19; or if you are a working parent, who must stay at home without pay, please note that it is without pay, you are staying home to take care of your children who are either sick or who are at home because their school is closed or daycare is closed.

What happens to people who have applied for EI or are receiving EI? If you are already receiving regular / sickness benefits under the Employment Insurance Act, then you don’t need to reapply. If your regular benefits under Employment Insurance Act end before October 3rd 2020, and, you are still not able to return to work, then you will be able to apply for CERB. If you have already applied for employment insurance, but your application is not yet processed you don’t need to reapply you will get processed for these benefits.  Then employees who are entitled to receive regular sickness benefits or regular benefits or sickness benefits – they will be able to access normal benefits, if they are still unemployed after 16 weeks. This is for people who are eligible for regular benefits and once the 16 weeks has expired and they are still unemployed, they can then access employment insurance benefits.

As stated earlier, I’ll provide the link to the Government of Canada website. Please check that website frequently as the information may change. It has changed from the last few days that I have reviewed the website and if you have any questions please contact Service Canada.

Thank-you for watching.

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