March 25, 2020 1:30 pm
Bill C-13 has now how passed in the Senate and is expected to receive royal assent this afternoon.
The federal government has announced that it will merge two previously announced employment insurance benefits for Canadians who are out of or off work because of Covid-19.
The new benefit will merge the Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support Benefit into the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
CERB
- Will provide $2,000 per month for four months
- Available to: All wage earning Canadians, contract workers and self employed individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for EI who have:
(1) Lost their job,
(2) Are sick or quarantined,
(3) Are taking care of someone who is sick with Covid-19, and
(4) Are off work because they must stay home due to school or daycare closures.
- Canadians already receiving EI regular or sickness benefits as of March 25, 2020:
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- Will continue to receive their benefits and should not apply for the CERB,
- If their benefit ends before October 3, 2020, they may 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 do not need to reapply.
- Canadians who are eligible for EI regular and sickness benefits will be able to access their normal EI benefits if still unemployed after the 16-week period covered by the CERB.
- Canadians can expect to receive the benefit approximately 10 days after applying.
- The CERB will be paid every four weeks and be available from March 15, 2020 to October 3, 2020.