Today the Federal Government announced much anticipated
relaxation to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency
Response Benefit ("CERB"). This expansion of the CERB
means the following groups of people are now eligible for the
CERB:
- People who earn $1,000 or less;
- Workers who have run out of EI
benefits; and
- Workers who were expecting a seasonal
job but who will no longer be working as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Prime Minister Trudeau stated that these changes are effective
today. The Canada.ca portal to apply for the CERB has not been
updated with these changes as of the time of writing. People
who may now be eligible can click here to apply.
Furthermore, the Federal Government announced that they will be
providing a boost to wages for essential workers, such as long term
caregivers, who make less than $2,500 a month.
