COVID-19 Response

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FAQ

For the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 outbreak, and the latest on what Canadians, our families, and our communities can do to be prepared and support prevention, take a look at www.canada.ca/coronavirus.

Yes, the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool is a helpful resource. You can also visit the website for your provincial or local health authorities.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are committed to doing everything it takes to support Canadians through this challenging time. No one should have to worry about paying their bills, having the money for rent, or putting food on the table at a time when health needs to come first and so many parts of life remain uncertain.

That’s why last month, Parliament worked together to pass the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, and the government has been moving forward with a series of urgent steps to support all those who need it.

Some highlights of the government’s measures include:

• The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit, to provide $2,000 a month for up to 4 months for Canadians who lose income due to COVID-19
• A 75% wage subsidy for qualifying businesses and non-profits, through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
• Increased Canada Child Benefit payments for families
• Top-up payments for low & modest income Canadians, with the GST credit
• An extension of the tax filing deadline to June 1
• And much more

Read more about our government’s strong action to support Canadian workers, families, and businesses at this difficult time.

Canadians can now apply for the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Here’s what you need to know!

What is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)?

• A benefit for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and would not otherwise be eligible for EI
• It doesn’t matter whether you worked full time, on contract, or were self-employed – you qualify – and full details are available at Canada.ca

What support is available?

• $2,000 a month for up to 4 months for Canadians who have lost their income due to COVID-19
• After you apply, you should get your payment in 3 business days if you signed up for direct deposit. If you haven’t, you should get it in about 10 business days

Who qualifies?

• Canadians who have lost their job, are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19
• Working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children because of school and daycare closures
• As announced on April 15, Canadians who are earning less than $1000/month, were expecting seasonal work that now isn’t coming because of COVID-19, and those who have exhausted their EI benefits since January 1st, 2020 also qualify.

How do I apply?

• There are two ways to apply:
  • Online with CRA MyAccount
  • Over the phone with an automated phone service (1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041)
  • Full details on eligibility are available at Canada.ca

Through the COVID-19 situation, many students and recent grads are facing an unprecedented challenge, and are worried about paying rent, covering basic living expenses, or finding meaningful work.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government know that supporting young Canadians is key to making sure Canada comes out stronger than ever from this difficult time.

That’s why our Liberal government has announced nearly $9 billion of comprehensive support to help students and recent grads affected by COVID-19, including:

• The new Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB): $1,250 per month from May through August for eligible students, and $1,750 for students with dependents or permanent disabilities
• The new Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG): Up to $5,000 for a student’s education in the fall for students who work in national service positions through organizations within their community
• Doubling the Canada Students Grants Program
• Broadening the eligibility for Student Financial Assistance
• Creating 76,000 jobs for young people in addition to the Canada Summer Jobs program, in sectors that need an extra hand right now or that are on the frontlines of this pandemic.
• Increasing existing support specifically for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students
• And much more.

This new comprehensive support plan will help ensure young Canadians have the support they need to continue their studies, or to get the experience they were counting on to start their careers.

Get more info on how our Liberal government is working to support young Canadians during this difficult time.

Right now, many Canadian seniors are facing significant health, economic, and social challenges because of COVID-19. That’s why Justin Trudeau has announced new measures from the Liberal government to provide greater financial security for seniors to get through this challenging time.

This new support includes:

• Investing $2.5 billion to provide a one-time tax-free payment of up to $500 for those eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).
• Expanding the New Horizons for Seniors Program, and investing $20 million in financial support for organizations that offer community-based projects to create even more programs across Canada to help seniors maintain or improve their social support network.
• Temporarily extending GIS and Allowance payments for qualifying seniors whose 2019 income has not been assessed.

Get more details here.

Small businesses are the backbone of Canada’s economy, and to ensure that our economy remains strong as we bridge to better times, our Liberal government is taking important steps to support business owners, self-employed Canadians, and entrepreneurs.

These new measures will help businesses protect the jobs that Canadians depend on, and pay their workers and bills during these difficult times.

Some highlights of these new steps include:

• A 75% wage subsidy for qualifying businesses and non-profits, through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
• The new Canada Emergency Business Account, allowing banks to offer $40,000 government-guaranteed loans to qualifying businesses
• Deferring HST/GST payments, as well as duties and taxes owed on imports, until June

You can find more information here on our Liberal government’s latest measures to help Canadian businesses facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Our Liberal government’s number one priority remains the health and safety of all Canadians. And during this crisis, it’s more important than ever to make sure the organizations providing support to vulnerable Canadians have the necessary resources to keep helping people in our communities.

That’s why the government is providing $100 million to food banks and food organizations across Canada to help meet the urgent food needs of vulnerable Canadians.

Learn more about the funding that will help ensure these organizations can continue offering the services Canadians rely on to feel safe and healthy.

This builds on earlier announcements by Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government to provide additional support for those most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, including:

• $157.5 million to address the needs of Canadians experiencing homelessness
• Up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres
• $7.5 million in funding to Kids Help Phone to support counselling services to children and youth
• $9 million through United Way Canada for essential services to Canadian seniors

For more details on our Liberal government’s latest steps to support vulnerable Canadians, please see the Prime Minister’s full news release.

From coast to coast to coast, Canadians like you have stepped up to help keep your family, friends, and community safe and healthy. And if you haven’t already, there are plenty of ways to help!

• Help ensure our healthcare workers can focus on those who need it most, and learn what you can do to do your part and prevent the spread of COVID-19
• Participate in Canada’s National COVID-19 Volunteer Recruitment Campaign
• And if you have the capacity to do so and haven’t already, please consider giving to a food bank today. Your support can make a big difference! You can visit www.FoodBanksCanada.ca as one option for more information on how to help.

If you are a Canadian who is currently outside of Canada, information and resources are available here.

The government is working tirelessly to resolve this complex and unprecedented situation. As of early April, 42 flights from 29 countries have been facilitated to bring Canadian home, and that hard work is continuing every day.

For Canadians abroad with no available source of funds to return home, the government announced the creation of the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad to provide financial assistance. You can learn more about it here.

As part of Canada’s Plan to Mobilize Industry, our government is working to increase our health workers’ ability to respond to the outbreak, including by investing $2 billion to support diagnostic testing, and the purchase of ventilators and personal protective equipment like masks and face shields, gowns, and hand sanitizer.

Our government is also taking important action to support the development of potential vaccines and treatments, including by investing $275 million to quickly mobilize Canadian researchers and life sciences companies as they do critical work to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.

The most up-to-date information is available at Canada.ca/Coronavirus, and the latest case numbers are available on the government’s interactive dashboard.