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COVID-19 benefits that are still available
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Over the past few years, the provincial and federal governments have created financial benefits to help people affected by COVID-19. Some of these benefits are still available but are due to end later this year.
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Canada Recovery benefits
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The 2 Canada Recovery benefits still available are:
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Both are set to end on May 7, 2022.
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The CRSB gives $500 a week before tax, for up to 6 weeks. It's for people who don't qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) and who don't have paid sick leave through their employer.
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To qualify, a person must either:
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- have COVID-19, or
- have to isolate or miss work because of COVID-19.
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The CRCB also gives $500 a week, for up to 44 weeks. Like the CRSB, it's for people who can't get EI.
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To qualify, a person must be taking care of a child or close family member because of COVID-19.
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For both benefits, people must:
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- wait to apply until the Monday after the week in which they miss work, and
- apply within 60 days of the week in which they missed work. For example, if someone wanted to take CRCB or CRSB for the week of March 6, the last day they can apply is May 11, 2022.
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Paid sick days during COVID-19
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The Ontario government's Infectious Disease Emergency Leave gives employees up to 3 paid sick days because of COVID-19. The most that someone can get paid is $200 a day. This benefit ends on July 31, 2022. |
It's meant for employees who don't get paid sick leave through their employer. It's not for people who are self-employed or independent contractors. |
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There are many ways employees can qualify, including:
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- they need time off to get a COVID-19 vaccine
- they need to care for a close family member who has COVID-19
- they're in quarantine because they were exposed to COVID-19
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Temporary rules for Employment Insurance
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The Canadian government made a number of changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program because of COVID-19. The temporary rules still in place are described below.
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| Regular EI rule |
Temporary COVID-19 rule |
| Workers need between 420 and 700 insurable hours to qualify for EI, depending on the unemployment rate in their region. |
All workers need only 420 insurable hours to qualify. |
| EI benefits are delayed if a worker received a severance payment or other payments when their employment ended. For example, if someone gets 6 weeks of severance pay, they can't get EI during the first 6 weeks they were laid off. |
Money that a worker gets because their employment has ended does not delay EI payments. People can get severance pay and EI at the same time. |
| If someone quits their job or is fired because of misconduct, they can't use the insurable hours earned from that job as part of the hours they need to qualify for EI. |
Workers can use insurable hours from any previous job they had in the past year. But this applies only if it was not their fault that they lost their most recent job.
For example, Adnan quit his job at Alpha Company in January. He got a new job at Beta Corporation in March and was fired in November because there was not enough work. Adnan can use his hours from both his jobs to qualify for EI, even though he quit his job at Alpha Company. |
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Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit
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The Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit ended March 5, 2022.
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Other benefits
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The federal and provincial governments also created a number of one-time payments because of COVID-19, such as:
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- 4 extra payments of the Canada Child Benefit in 2021
- extra help through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program LEAP
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Related resources
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