The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is an EI alternative for those who are no longer working after March 15th due to the COVID virus. It provides successful applicants $500 per week for up to 16 weeks. There have been a high volume of applications reported & some reports of people waiting weeks to get the benefit. Apply as soon as you know it is needed and have patience with the system in these challenging times.
Please confirm eligibility criteria on the actual Government of Canada website as there have been changes in some support programs as the government adapts. At the time of this article, the eligibility criteria for the CERB includes:
- Residing in Canada, who are at least 15 years old;
- Who have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020;
- Who had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and,
- Who have not quit their job voluntarily.
More details & How To Apply are available here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html
NOTE: This information is to help connect you with the best resources available at this time. If there is a difference between the information on www.nedc.info and the official website, please always follow the official website. NEDC does not set the criteria for these programs and sometimes these criteria may change. Please email serena@nedc.info if you notice any information that may be incorrect or out of date.
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