Canada Emergency Response Benefit
Who is eligible?
- Workers sick with COVID-19 and no access to paid leave
- Workers quarantined or caring for someone sick with COVID-19
- Working parents at home without pay because CHildren are sick or need care due to school/daycare closures
- Workers currently employed but not paid due to insufficient work/employer asked you not to work
- Contract workers or self-employed not eligible for EI
Find out more at canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan
Applying for CERB
While stopping the spread of COVID-19 is of utmost importance right now, having to stay home and not go to work is presenting serious challenges for both individuals and small businesses.
The federal government is rolling out many programs to lend financial support to people in both their personal and professional lives, like a one-time boost to the Canada Child Benefit for parents with children; an extra GST payment to low-income individuals and families; and for those missing work, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
The application portal for “CERB,” which helps workers who have lost employment due to COVID-19, opened this week and people can apply either by phone (1-800-959-2019), or online via their CRA My Account or using a My Service Canada Account.
It is a taxable benefit that offers $500 a week for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers and can be backdated to March 15.
For the most up-to-date information on CERB including a Q&A section, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html
On another note, this worldwide pandemic is one never seen before in our time and the government recognizes some people are wondering if there will be help for them, including seniors, students and others that have not been covered in the present programs.
I am happy to hear ideas from constituents, feel free to reach out via my website at http://www.cathymcleod.ca/contact/
Working together: Couple launch food bank
A big part of making it through this crisis is not just financial support, but how we as individuals and communities are helping each other stay healthy and well.
On that note, I am hoping to regularly highlight in this newsletter something in the riding that shows us “Working Together.”
Up in Pinantan Lake, a couple started up a community food bank outside their home last month.
Open daily, Suzy Beattie and Craig Jack recently received a hand from another local duo for the food bank, who loaned their ice shack to house the donations.
“I’m a believer that in a crisis, the people in need are hit first and hardest,” said Suzy, of their effort to give back.
It’s heartwarming to hear these stories of people “working together!” Feel free to send me stories and photos from the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding for inclusion here: cathy.mcleod.c1B@parl.gc.ca