Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

The Emergency Care Benefit and Emergency Support Benefit announced by the government in response to COVID-19 on March 18, 2020 has been repackaged into a simpler Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

The CERB will provide temporary income support to employed and self-employed Canadians who have lost their income due to COVID-19. This includes employed, self-employed, wage earners, and contract workers who aren’t getting paid because they:

  • lost their job
  • are self-isolating or are quarantined
  • are sick with COVID-19 or are taking care of a loved one with COVID-19 or
  • must stay home to care for children who are at home because of school and day care closures

The CERB will provide a payment of $2,000 per month for 4 months ($500 per week for up to 16 weeks). The benefit is available from March 15, 2020 to October 3, 2020.

Note: The CERB is taxable income. You will need to report it on your next year’s (2020) tax return.

You can apply for the CERB payment if you:

  • Live in Canada and are at least 15 years old
  • Stopped working due to COVID-19 OR are eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits (regular or sickness) OR have exhausted your EI regular or fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020
  • Had at least $5,000 in income (from employment, self-employment, non-eligible dividends, and/or maternity or parental benefits) in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of your application and
  • Did not earn more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for at least 14 consecutive days, within the 4-week benefit period of your claim.

If you haven’t stopped working or if you have voluntarily quit your job, you are not eligible for this benefit.

You’ll be able to apply for the CERB:

  • Online with CRA My Account or
  • Over the phone with an automated phone service (call 1-800-959-2019)

If you qualify for the CERB payment, you’ll receive a single payment of $2,000 for a 4-week period by direct deposit or cheque. If your situation continues, you can re-apply for an additional 4-week period, up to a maximum 16 weeks.

If you stopped working because of COVID-19, you should apply for CERB. Applications start on April 6, 2020. Until then, if you’re eligible to receive Employment Insurance, you can apply for EI.

If you applied for EI on March 15, 2020 or later, you’ll automatically be enrolled in CERB. Everyone processed through CERB will receive $2,000 per month (or $500 per week), regardless of what they’re entitlement would have been under EI.

If you are eligible to receive EI and were rolled over to CERB, you’ll still qualify for regular EI benefits after your CERB payments stop. The CERB period won’t impact your EI entitlement.

If you are currently receiving EI benefits, you’ll continue to receive these until the end of your benefit period; you don’t need to apply for CERB. You can’t receive EI benefits and CERB at the same time. However, if your EI benefits end before October 2020 and you remain jobless due to COVID-19, you can apply for CERB.