Individual Supports Recap

In the current pandemic environment, there is often instability for both employees and self-employed individuals. In addition to the enhanced EI program, the Canadian government is currently offering the following benefits:

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

If you are eligible for the CRCB, your household can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each 1-week period between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021 up to a total of 26 weeks if you were unable to work and had to care for your child under 12 or a family member who needs supervised care.  It will apply if their school, regular program or facility is closed or unavailable to them due to Covid-19 or because they are sick, self-isolating or at risk of serious health complications due to Covid-19.

The program is being administered by the CRA and will require you to meet the eligibility criteria.  If you are eligible, you can apply online or through your CRA My Account or by phone.  Some important highlights of the eligibility criteria include:

• You are unable to work at least 50% of your scheduled work week because you are caring for a family member
• You are not receiving paid leave from your employer for the same period
• You earned at least $5,000 in 2019, 2020, or in the 12 months before the date you apply
• You cannot receive the CRCB if you applied for or receive any of the following in the same period:
  • Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)
  • Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)
  • short-term disability benefits
  • workers’ compensation benefits
  • Employment Insurance (EI) benefits
  • Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits

To determine if you are eligible and for information on how to apply, please click here.

Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)

If you are eligible for the CRB, you can receive $1,000 ($900 after taxes withheld) for each two-week period between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021 up to a total of 13 two-week periods (26 weeks) if you were not entitled to EI benefits and were directly affected by Covid-19. This program is also being administered by the CRA and will require you to meet similar eligibility criteria as the CRCB.

To determine if you are eligible and for information on how to apply, please click here.

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

If you are eligible for the CRSB, you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each 1-week period between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021 up to a total of 2 weeks if you were not entitled to EI benefits and were unable to work because you were sick or needed to self-isolate due to, or have an underlying health condition that puts you at greater risk of getting COVID-19. This program is also being administered by the CRA and will require you to meet similar eligibility criteria as the CRCB and CRB.

To determine if you are eligible and for information on how to apply, please click here.

Please note that with all of theses programs the CRA will verify that you are eligible to receive the funding from the respective program. Individuals who are found to have intentionally made fraudulent claims may face additional consequences, such as penalties or possible jail time. The CRA is also validating applications for certain programs to ensure that payments are available for people who need them most, so there may be a delay in processing applications.