OTTAWA – “We know some Canadians are still struggling because of COVID-19. That is why today we launched the Canada Recovery Benefit, which will ensure Canadians who remain unemployed or have a reduced income due to the pandemic, qualify for financial support. The CRA understands how important the delivery of the recovery benefits is to Canadians during this difficult time, and we remain committed to continue doing this essential work. Now more than ever, it is vital that eligible Canadians get the support they are entitled to,” says Diane Lebouthillier, Canada’s Minister of National Revenue.
Many people continue to feel the impacts of COVID-19 and require temporary income support. To ensure that Canadians continue to receive the help they need the Government of Canada has introduced three new benefits, delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB).
Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, opened the application process for the CRB. Applications for the CRSB and the CRCB opened on October 5, 2020.
The CRB provides $500 per week for up to 26 weeks, to workers who have stopped working or had their employment/self-employment income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19 and who are not eligible for EI.
The CRA is providing a simple and efficient application process for the CRB similar to the one that millions of Canadians relied on to access Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Eligible people can apply for these benefits online through the CRA’s My Account portal or by phone through our automated toll-free phone line at 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041.
To ensure that the recovery benefits provide more targeted support for those people who continue to need it, the application process for the CRB includes new elements, such as:
- shorter eligibility periods of two weeks;
- retroactive periods, meaning that people will be required to apply after the two-week period has ended;
- a 10% tax withholding at source; meaning that people will receive payments of $900 for each two-week eligibility period;
- a three-to-five day window to receive payments for applications made by direct deposit, and a 10-12 day window for cheque by mail.
The Government is committed to having safeguards in place to protect Canadians from fraud and non-compliance. To this end, the CRA is taking steps to implement additional verification and security measures up-front, to help ensure that we deliver benefit payments only to people who are entitled to receive them.
To apply for these benefits, we encourage Canadians to sign up for CRA’s My Account, ensure that personal information with the CRA is up-to-date, and register for direct deposit. People are encouraged to file a 2019 tax return, if they haven’t done so yet, as this will reduce the likelihood that the CRA would need to request additional information before the application could be processed.
For information about these benefits including eligibility requirements, how to apply, and eligibility period dates, we encourage Canadians to visit the CRA’s webpages.
