“When my workplace shut down during the pandemic, I was pretty scared. I thought to myself, ‘How long will this last? How do I pay my bills in the meantime?’ I was relieved the government brought in the recovery benefits — the temporary payments helped bridge the gap until my employer reopened for business.”
– Shannon, Vancouver, BC
Through the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government stepped in at various points with financial supports for workers. As most workplaces have returned to normal, these benefit programs have been phased out. Here, we look back at the benefits that were available to workers affected by COVID.
The main supports that were available
If you lost your job through no fault of your own — including for reasons related to coronavirus — you may have been eligible for EI regular benefits. These are temporary payments to help those who are out of work.
EI benefits continue to be available to workers who meet the current requirements. To qualify, you must:
in the last 52 weeks, have worked a minimum number of hours in work covered by the EI program, based on the unemployment rate in your area
have lost your job through no fault of your own (for example, if you were fired for misconduct or you chose to quit when you had other reasonable options, you wouldn’t qualify for EI)
have gone seven straight days without work or pay from a particular employer
The Canada emergency response benefit (CERB) was introduced early on in the pandemic. It provided financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians directly affected by COVID.
To qualify, you must have met one of the following conditions:
your work hours were reduced because of COVID,
you stopped working because of COVID,
you were unable to work because of COVID (for example, if you were taking care of someone who was sick), or
you used up your entitlement to EI regular or fishing benefits.
The Canada recovery benefit (CRB) offered financial help to employed and self-employed Canadians affected by COVID and who weren’t eligible for EI.
To qualify, you must have met the following conditions:
during the period you applied for, you weren’t able to work for reasons related to COVID or you had a 50% reduction in your average weekly income compared to the previous year due to COVID,
you didn’t apply for or receive other worker benefits, and
you weren’t eligible for EI.
The Canada recovery sickness benefit (CRSB) was intended to help those who were unable to work because they were ill, self-isolating, or at risk of serious health problems due to the pandemic.
To qualify, you must have been unable to work at least 50% of your usual work week because you were self-isolating for one of the following reasons:
you were sick with COVID-19 or may have had it,
you were advised to self-isolate, or
you had an underlying health condition that put you at greater risk of getting COVID-19.
As well, you must have met these criteria for the one-week period you were applying for:
you weren’t receiving paid leave from your employer,
you didn’t receive workers’ compensation, disability, or other recovery benefits, and
you weren’t self-isolating or in quarantine due to international travel.
The Canada recovery caregiving benefit (CRCB) was intended to help those who were unable to work because they were caring for a child or family member affected by the pandemic.
To qualify, you must have been caring for a child under age 12 or a family member who needed supervision for one of the following reasons:
their school, daycare or other care facility was unavailable due to the pandemic,
their regular care services were unavailable due to the pandemic, or
the person under your care was ill, self-isolating, or at risk of serious health problems due to the pandemic.
As well, you must have met these criteria for the one-week period you were applying for:
you were unable to work at least 50% of your usual work week because you were caring for a child or family member,
you were the only person in your household applying for the benefit, and
you weren’t receiving paid leave from your employer.
The Canada worker lockdown benefit (CWLB) was intended to help those who were unable to work or had seen a drop in their income due to a COVID-19 lockdown order in their region.
To qualify, your work must have been affected by a lockdown order in one of the following ways during the week you were applying for:
you lost your job when the lockdown order took effect,
you were unable to perform the work you normally do as a self-employed person, or
you had a reduction of at least 50% in your average weekly earnings.
As well, you must have met these criteria for the one-week period you were applying for:
a region where you live, work, or provide a service was designated as a COVID-19 lockdown region,
you didn’t receive worker’s compensation, disability, or other recovery benefits,
you didn’t quit, voluntarily stop working, or refuse work (unless it was reasonable to do so).
