The CERB Benefit is Over – What’s Next?

What to do after CERB ends? If you find yourself asking this question, you are not alone. Many Canadian have been left in confusion and uncertainties after the announcement of the CERB end date. However, jobless residents can still get financial aid from the federal government to push through the preceding phases of the pandemic and possibly apply for second mortgage in Toronto.

Employment Insurance is one of the funding alternatives that most CERB beneficiaries can automatically transition to. In addition, eligibility standards have been modified, and there have been more replacement benefits in the pandemic aid bill before the House of Commons, which means more people will qualify for the new aids.

Although the changes are meant to help Canadians who have lost their jobs and those working fewer hours, they are also meant to keep people from avoiding work willingly. The government has increased the number of call centers and agents to cater to the EI claims expected to surge. That will be a countermeasure to what happens after CERB ends.

What happens after CERB is an application for employment insurance, but if you were getting CERB, you automatically transition into the new benefits. The aid may start coming in after two weeks of job loss.

What is CERB?

Canada Emergency Response Benefit is financial support provided by the Canadian government to its residents who were negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic regardless of whether they are self-employed or formally employed. The support was for $500 a week or $2,000 per month and was taxable as an income depending on the amount.

Who Qualified for the CERB Benefit?

Who qualifies for the CERB benefit? Residents of Canada who are at least 15 years old and working are some of the demographics who are eligible. In addition, all individuals who were self or formally employed and were getting an income of at least $5,000 in 2019, or at least one year before their application, also qualified for the aid.

Beneficiaries of Employment Insurance or sickness benefits, and residents that were eligible for EI regular or fishing benefits between December 2019 and October 2020, also qualified for the financial benefits. Everyone who stopped working because of the coronavirus situation and did not leave their jobs voluntarily could also open my service Canada CERB account.

Other CERB eligibility criteria include not having received more than $1000 as salary in the previous 14 or more consecutive days within the month before filing the claim as a new applicant. You must also not have received $1000 at least four weeks before the application as a subsequent beneficiary.

Available Financial Subsidies After CERB Ends

Is CERB still available? This is a crucial question for most people who have been negatively affected by the pandemic, especially those who can no longer cater to their financial needs as before. Even though the answer is NO, $37 billion was allocated to prolong CERB for another one month to enable an easier transition into Employment Insurance. In addition, several other programs have been put in place to cushion those whose incomes have been adversely affected by the pandemic.

Knowing what happens after CERB can make your transition to those other alternatives smoother, ensuring you continue to get the financial support you need to keep taking care of your family. Unemployed residents can apply for modified EI program that includes:

Canada recovery sickness benefit

Covid-19 patients who have to isolate themselves or individuals who fall ill and cannot work can qualify for this financial aid program.

Canada recovery benefit

Freelancers, independent contractors or self-employed residents can get the recovery benefit, especially if they do not qualify for employment insurance and cannot continue with work for some reason.

Canada recovery caregiving benefit

Other residents who have a valid reason not to work, such as caring for disabled family members or children, can apply for the caregiving benefit. For example, it could be because of school or daycare closure.

Typically, you will not have to apply to get into the EI program. The automatic transition is part of what happens after CERB ends, which means you can get a taxable amount of $500 each week or $300 for extended parental benefits. However, international students, foreign workers, those who benefited through Service Canada as self-employed, and those who got CERB through Canada Revenue Authority will have to apply for the EI.

What You Should Know About the CERB to EI Transition

The Employment Insurance, also known as EI, took over when CERB came to an end, but most people are still unaware of the factors involved. The new program, which Service Canada is administering, is automatically given to those who qualified for CERB through the same agency. Those who applied through Canada Revenue Agency will have to reapply through Service Canada to transition from CERB to EI.

CERB transfer to EI also means receiving the stipend based on the best fourteen weeks of employment. Unlike the $2000, which was given in 4-week intervals, the amount given through the current benefit depends on your income within the previous 14 weeks. The minimum amount given is set at $400 for 26 weeks. The maximum amount is $573, which means beneficiaries do not get the same amount as they did with CERB.

EI CERB reporting also indicates that qualifying for the new program is easier. You only need 120 insurable hours, and you can gain through formal or self-employment while you get the benefits. The idea is to encourage beneficiaries to accept paid work while supporting those who cannot earn genuinely. You also have to report your financial status to the agency every two weeks, and the amount is taxed during issuance, which is different from CERB.

Can you collect EI and CERB? You can either receive EI or CERB. EI and other recovery benefits programs replaced CERB. So, is CERB still available? The answer is NO. The program ended in December 2020, but you can explore other programs that replaced it depending on your situation.

Are You Qualified for EI?

When it comes to who can qualify for EI, continuing to search for employment takes centre stage. All recipients must put effort into searching for a job actively. Whether it is by preparing cover letters and resumes, calling or emailing potential employers, registering with job agencies, and sending out applications they come across, they must show that they are putting effort into gaining employment to keep qualifying for the benefit. It should be done under “reasonable” circumstances.

If you are qualified for CERB, you can get employment insurance automatically, especially if you got the first relief through Service Canada. That means if you are over 15 years and working, lost your business or job due to Covid-19 related reasons and did not leave your job without being dismissed, you can qualify for the EI benefit. However, some instances may force you to reapply, even if you got the first benefit from Service Canada.

It is clear that EI eligibility after CERB is geared towards encouraging people to take advantage of the available employment opportunities and not relying exclusively on the benefit. The eligibility criteria are also meant to make it easier for an individual who qualifies for EI after CERB to access the funds. You can apply within two weeks after losing your job, and the first payment will come through days after approval.

Other options like Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit are available if you fail to qualify for the EI. These are available for different demographics, including those taking care of disabled, young, or sick loved ones.

How to Apply for EI?

How do I start an EI claim? This is not a foreign question, especially for people who lost their sources of income because of the Coronavirus. For most people, the transition took place automatically. However, there will have to be a new application for new or continuous benefits in some cases.

Although CERB was launched to help residents receive money as quickly as possible, it was also criticized for being an incentive for workers to refuse to go back to work when the economy reopened. The benefit that had a maximum period of 28 weeks paved the way for employment insurance, which has different eligibility criteria. CERB beneficiaries who applied for the program through Service Canada do not need to apply to the new program because their files and record of employment are reviewed automatically, which leads to continuous support.

If you stopped getting CERB before October 2020, you will have to learn how to apply for EI Covid-19 relief, which is done by creating an account on My Service Canada. Those who applied for and got CERB through Canada Revenue Agency must also use an EI Canada account for new registration. In addition, self-employed residents, those with Social Insurance Numbers beginning with 9, and those who need financial aid because of sickness must also send new applications.

The employment insurance program does not have a specific application date. Just check if you are eligible and start the registration process. Once approved, you will have to send your employment status report every two weeks to continue getting the relief aid.

Some of the main factors to consider when thinking of how to apply for EI after CERB are the salary you lost and the hours because they can keep you from fully qualifying. However, you must also remember to keep looking for a job even after getting the benefit to keep qualifying.

When Will You Receive EI Payment?

You can start receiving EI two weeks after losing your job. Those automatically switching from CERB to EI started receiving theirs on October 11, while those who qualified and were using direct deposit started getting theirs by October 14. That means you can get your payment within 3 days or a maximum of 14 days after your file is reviewed and your eligibility is proven. If you do not continue to update your employment status after the first payment, you will not get subsequent payments. Using the direct deposit option also increases your chances of getting the payments sooner, usually 2 days after Service Canada reviews. You can check your status on My Service Canada.

What Are the Benefits for Those Who Don’t Qualify for EI?

Not qualifying for EI does not mean you cannot get assistance through one of the other three federal programs available.

CRB (Canada Recovery Benefit)

The CRB targets those who are not eligible for Employment Insurance and have lost all or half of their income. Both the self-employed and formally employed categories whose salaries have been stopped or reduced by 50% because of the pandemic can qualify for this recovery benefit. You will start getting $500 every week, but that amount may reduce to $300 in the final weeks. It will also be taxed at the source.

CRCB (Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit)

If you have a child under 12 years or any other family member that you need to tend to and, therefore, cannot go to work, you can apply for the recovery caregiving benefit. Also available for 26 weeks, CRCB is for workers who can only work 50% of the week because of the implications of the Coronavirus. For instance, if your loved one is self-isolating and you have to look out for them or if you cannot leave your child because of the closure of schools and child care facilities, you can apply for the $500 given weekly –it is subject to tax deductions at the source.

CRSB (Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit)

If you have a child under 12 years or any other family member that you need to tend to and, therefore, cannot go to work, you can apply for the recovery caregiving benefit. Also available for 26 weeks, CRCB is for workers who can only work 50% of the week because of the implications of the Coronavirus. For instance, if your loved one is self-isolating and you have to look out for them or if you cannot leave your child because of the closure of schools and child care facilities, you can apply for the $500 given weekly –it is subject to tax deductions at the source.

Typically given for two weeks, the recovery sickness benefit also targets workers who have stopped reporting to their employment stations due to Covid-19. If you contracted the virus and had to self-isolate, have existing medical conditions that put you at a higher risk of developing complications from the virus or are undergoing treatment, this benefit category is for you. Having any other sickness that a professional medical practitioner or public/government health authority can confirm makes you more susceptible to Covid-19 complications and makes you eligible for this benefit.