Supporting you through COVID-19

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) applies to wage earners, including contract workers and self-employed individuals regardless of their eligibility for Employment Insurance (EI).

The benefit is available to students who were employed before March 15, 2020 but stopped work, or loss income, as a result of reasons related to COVID-19, if they meet the following criteria:

• Must be a Canadian resident at least 15 years of age when they apply
• Have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020
• Had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application
• Must not have voluntarily quit their job
• Have earned less than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of the first claim.
• Have earned less than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of subsequent claims.

Students who lost income after March 15, 2020 as a result of COVID-19 but did not apply during the initial CERB period because their  income was too high, can now apply for the initial four-week benefit period provided they qualify as above.

The Federal government also introduced and passed into law the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) for students who did not qualify for the CERB payment. While legislation has not yet been confirmed, the CESB is intended for post-secondary students who:

• are currently in school
• are planning to start school in September 2020,
• have graduated from school since December 2019

The proposed benefit amount is $1,250 per month from May to August. Students who meet the requirements above, and who are also disabled or a caregiver, are eligible for a CESB of $2,000 per month.

The CESB is also available to students who completed or expect to complete high school, or received, or expect to receive a high school equivalency in 2020, and have applied for a post-secondary educational program that starts before February 1, 2021

Eligible students can apply for the CESB online through their CRA My Account or by phone through CRA’s automated toll-free line.

EI applicants who  applied to EI before the CERB launch and have pending applications, will automatically be enrolled into CERB.

You may only apply for one benefit.  EI applicants who applied to EI before the CERB launch and have pending applications,  will automatically be enrolled into CERB.

The CERB is intended for workers who have stopped working, or loss income, as a result of reasons related to COVID-19, and:

• did not voluntarily quit their job
• earned less than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of the first claim
• earned less than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of subsequent claims.

If you lost income after March 15, 2020, as a result of COVID-19 but did not apply during the initial CERB period because your income was too high, you can now apply for the initial four-week benefit period provided you qualify as above.

At this point, no income verification is required, however, provided information will be verified at a later date.

Individuals who are receiving CPP but were working on March 15, 2020, and stopped working, or lost income, as a result of reasons related to COVID-19 qualify for the CERB if they:

• did not voluntarily quit their job
• earned less than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of the first claim
• earned less than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of subsequent claims.

If you lost income after March 15, 2020, as a result of COVID-19 but did not apply during the initial CERB period because your income was too high, you can now apply for the initial four-week benefit period provided you qualify as above.