The pandemic took over the world with some serious health, mental, and financial consequences. Due to a drastic downfall in the economy of many countries, organizations had to downsize. As a result, many people around the world lost their jobs. On the other hand, the federal government of Canada announced a benefit program called Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The aim of this program was to provide financial help to those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
Who is Eligible?
This benefit program is available for the workers who are laid off due to COVID-19. The CERB plan also caters to individuals who had to leave their job for reasons regarding COVID-19. Here the main reasons that make you eligible for the CERB program:
- If you have been laid off due to COVID-19
- in case you are sick and COVID positive
- you are taking care of a family member who is COVID positive
you are working at your job but the company is not paying you because of COVID-19 disruptions
In addition to that, the CERB plan for the workers who are:
- 15 years of age or more
- Must reside in Canada
- Laid off or stopped working due to reasons related to COVID-19 as mentioned above
Lastly, the workers who had an income of at least $5000 from their last employment, self-employment, or under the Employment Insurance Act for pregnancy or other reasons.
How to apply for CERB?
The CERB benefit was made accessible to the workers who reside in Canada on April 6th, 2020. They can either apply online on the portal or via telephone. If your job has been affected due to pandemic, you must apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. If you are already receiving employment insurance of $500 or more per week, in that case, you still choose to apply for CERB, then you are going to get the same amount. Therefore, it is recommended to not apply for CERB if you are already receiving employment insurance benefits.
Here are 3 ways to apply for CERB:
- You can apply through an application form that you can access on your CRA account on their portal
- You can also apply on the Service Canada portal through your “MyServiceCanadaAccount”
- Last but not least, there is another option of calling the toll free number to proceed with the CERB process
Contact TG CPA:
If you are looking for professional services to help you with the CERB process, TG CPA is your answer! The experts at TG CPA work 24/7 to cater to your EI, tax, pension, and CERB needs maintain complete confidentiality of your personal information. If you think you are eligible for the CERB benefits, do not wait any longer and contact TG CPA to get benefits during the tough unemployment times. All you need to do is to call us to schedule a FREE consultation. We never compromise on the quality!
For more details, visit our website.