HUMA appearance, COVID-19 pandemic - April 24, 2020 - Deputy Minister's binder

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

Official title: Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion HUMA appearance on Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

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1. Speaking Notes

Official title: Speaking Notes for the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion COVID-19 Measures Update To the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) Ottawa, ON April 24, 2020

Check Against Delivery 2020 PA 000422

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Committee members.

I am pleased to be able to join you today to give you an update on measures taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic as they pertain to my portfolio.

Accompanying me today are [name officials, if applicable].

Before I begin, I’d like to thank the Committee for its study on the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your work is essential to our democratic process.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit

It has been nearly six weeks now that Canadians have been adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic gripping our country and the world.

During that time, Service Canada and CRA employees have expended a monumental effort to respond to this crisis.

To give you a sense of the scope of this effort, we need to look no further than the 8.9 million applications processed to date under EI and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. This figure is simply incredible and is a reflection of our staff’s dedication to public service and to our country.

Let me say more about the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

It was created to support Canadians under an unprecedented set of circumstances.

The reality is that our EI system was not designed to address a global pandemic situation. It doesn’t cover all of the different situations that workers are facing during this public health crisis.

So Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency teamed up, and in the space of a few weeks, developed and implemented a fast and simple application approach. They are now delivering the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to Canadians quickly and efficiently each day.

For eligible workers, the benefit provides temporary income support of $500 a week for up to 16 weeks. It applies to workers who have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19. It also supports working parents who are staying home to care for children because of school and daycare closures.

However, when we launched the benefit on April 6th, we quickly recognized that there were some gaps. We listened to concerns and expanded the eligibility criteria for this benefit on April 15thto make it more inclusive.

Now, workers – including the self-employed – can earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the benefit. The benefit also applies to workers who’ve recently exhausted their EI regular benefit payments and are unable to start working again because of COVID-19.

This helps seasonal workers, who may not have their usual seasonal work to return to as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

We’ve also expanded eligibility for our Work-Sharing program. The program provides income support to employees eligible for Employment Insurance benefits who work a reduced work week, so that their employer can avoid laying them off.

Temporary Foreign Workers

I mentioned seasonal workers, and I’d like now to speak about temporary foreign workers and Canada’s food supply.

Temporary foreign workers have been integral to Canada’s food production since the 1960s. For example, last year, approximately 60,000 temporary foreign workers came to Canada to work in agriculture and food processing jobs.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to bring in the workers needed to meet Canada’s food security needs. In response, we have implemented emergency changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program to make it easier and faster for employers to hire and retain these workers.

In the meantime, we are also working closely with provinces and territories, employers, foreign governments and other stakeholders to safeguard the health of workers and all Canadians.

This includes regulatory amendments, which came into force on April 20 and which are now being enforced through inspections by Service Canada compliance officers.

It is also true that while temporary foreign workers are integral to our economy, the fact is, many Canadians are now unemployed. I want to reassure Committee members that there continue to be jobs for Canadians who wish to work in the agriculture and agri-food sector. We are currently working with our partners to explore ways to better communicate these opportunities to Canadians.

Students and youth

A word now about students and youth.

The Government of Canada is committed to providing targeted support for individuals and vulnerable groups, such as students. That is why we announced comprehensive support for post-secondary students and recent graduates representing an investment of approximately $9 billion.

Young people are facing a serious set of challenges in this difficult time–be it interrupted studies, reduced work opportunities, or disruptions to summer co-op or internship plans.

Many of Canada’s post-secondary students are worried about how they will be able to afford tuition, food and rent if they are can’t find summer work.

That’s why the Government is introducing a four-month Canada Emergency Student Benefit. Students who are not eligible for the CERB will be able to apply to receive $1,250 per month between May and August.

Students with permanent disabilities, and those with dependents could receive an additional $500 per month.

This benefit is designed to reach the vast majority of existing and newly-graduated post-secondary students.

In addition, we will expand eligibility for the Canada Student Loans Program for September. We will also double the value of Canada Student Grants, and increase the cap on Canada Student Loans from $210 to $350 per week of study.

These new measures come in addition to earlier measures to pause the repayment of student and apprentice loans for six months, interest-free.

Job-seekers

Many young Canadians however, will be anxious about their employment prospects, and will be looking for work opportunities in safe and healthy work environments.

Our recently-announced suite of temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program were only the start. And today we are doing more.

As well, through an additional investment of $80 million in the Student Work Placement Program, we will help post-secondary students obtain job placements and work-related experience in their fields of study. These investments, combined with temporary program flexibilities will help create up to 20,000 job placements for students in critical sectors, such as health-care.

Youth employment will be further supported through the investment of an additional $153,7 million in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. These investments will help create 6,000 new jobs for youth in critical sectors. It will also provide training opportunities and other supports such as mentoring and access to computers to make sure all youth, including those facing barriers, can benefits from those jobs.

And we are investing in bringing important wraparound services online through the Support for Student Learning Program. Services like mentoring and tutoring for vulnerable young people, to make sure that they are not further marginalized by COVID-19.

We hope that these measures, and others made as part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will help young people weather the negative economic impacts of this pandemic, while ensuring their health and safety.

Persons with disabilities

Finally, I would like to speak about what the Government of Canada is doing to address the concerns of persons with disabilities during this pandemic.

We recognize that some groups are significantly and disproportionately impacted by this crisis.

For some persons with disabilities, underlying medical conditions put them at greater risk of serious complications related to COVID-19. Others face discrimination and barriers in accessing information, social services and health care.

In the spirit of “Nothing Without Us” and the Accessible Canada Act, and to support Canadians with disabilities, we established the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group. This Group will offer advice to the government on the real-time, lived experiences of persons with disabilities during this crisis.

Our Government has worked hard to ensure that the interests and needs of persons with a disability are being taken into consideration in our decisions and measures adopted in response to COVID-19. We have put a disability lens on decision-making and have been consulting national disability organizations and other stakeholders. We are also working with other levels of government to make sure that persons with disabilities are included in the development of inititiaves that address their needs and respect their rights. We are making positive strides on accessibility of public announcements and Government of Canada communications.

As the Government of Canada continues to address the COVID-19 outbreak, my priority will remain helping persons with disabilities maintain their health, safety, and dignity.

Conclusion

My cabinet colleagues and I are ready to take further action to protect Canadians and the economy. This means continuing to support workers and businesses now and in the eventual transition back to the normal functioning of the economy, whenever that should take place.

I would now be happy to take your questions.

2. Summary of economic measures (Announced)

Measure

Waive the one –week waiting period for EI sickness: for individuals in imposed quarantine and are EI eligible

Target population

EI-eligible individuals who become ill with Covid 19

Measure

Working-Sharing program: extending eligibility to 76 weeks, easing eligibility requirements and streamlining the application process

Target population

Business

Measure

Waive the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness

Target population

EI-eligible individuals

Measure

Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): provide income support for workers aged 15 and older who have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19 or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020 and unable to find a job due to COVID-19. Claimants must have not earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the initial four-week benefit period of their claim and for the entire four-week benefit period subsequently.

Target population

All Canadians

Measure

Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy: subsidy covers 75% of an employee’s wages – up to $847 per week - for employers of all sizes and across all sectors who have suffered a drop in gross revenues of at least 15% in March, and 30% in April and May.

The program will be in place for a 12-week period, from March 15 to June 6, 2020.

Target population

Business, workers

Measure

Temporary 10 % wage subsidy: a three-month measure allowing eligible employers (such as individuals, partnerships, non-profit organizations, registered charities etc.) to reduce the amount of payroll deduction required to be remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Target population

Business

Measure

Temporary salary top up for low income workers: through a new transfer to provinces and territories to temporary top up to the salaries of low-income workers (those who earn less than $2,500 per month on a full time basis), that the provinces and territories have deemed essential in the fight against COVID-19.

Target population

Low income Canadians

Measure

Canada Emergency Commercial Rental Assistance (CECRA): Government intends to introduce a program for small businesses to provide loans and/or forgivable loans to commercial property owners who in turn will lower or forgo the rent of small businesses for the months of April (retroactive), May, and June.

Implementation of the program will require a partnership with provincial and territorial governments who are responsible for property owner-tenant relationships.

Target population

Small business

Measure

Temporary Foreign Worker program: air travel exemptions, additional authorities (Quarantine Act, IRPR), arrivals readiness, LMIA and other flexibilities

Target population

Current TFW eligible businesses

Measure

Six month interest free moratorium on repayment of Canada Student Loans

Target population

Students

Measure

Improving access to food: $100 million to national, regional, and local organizations across Canada to: Purchase, transport and distribute food and other basic necessities; hire temporary help to fill volunteer shortages; and implement safety measures, such as the purchase of personal protective equipment, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among volunteers and clients

Target population

Vulnerable populations

Measure

Additional $157.5 million to Reaching Home: to continue to support people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Target Population

Homeless

Measure

Essential services through New Horizons Seniors Program: Organizations encouraged to use existing funds to provide immediate and essential services to seniors impacted by COVID-19

Target population

Seniors

Measure

Canada Child Benefit

Target population

Children and families

Measure

GST tax credit

Target population

Low and modest income Canadians

Measure

Making personal hygiene products and nutritious food more affordable: additional $25 million to Nutrition North Canada to increase subsidies, so families can afford much-needed personal hygiene products and nutritious food.

Target population

Northern communities

Measure

Indigenous Community Support Fund

Target population

First Nations, Inuit and Metis Nation communities

Measure

Youth mental health: $7.5 million in funding to Kids Help Phone.

Target population

Youth

Measure

Supporting women and children fleeing violence: supporting women and children fleeing violence, by providing up to $50 million to women's shelters and sexual assault centres, including facilities in Indigenous communities, to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities.

Target population

Vulnerable women and children

Measure

Delivering essential services to those in need: Investment of $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.The investment will flow through national organizations that have the ability to get funds quickly to local organizations that serve vulnerable populations. It will support a variety of activities.

Target population

Vulnerable Canadians

Measure

Reduced minimum withdrawals RRIF

Target population

Seniors

Measure

Supporting the delivery of items and personal outreach: $9 million through United Way Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors such as the delivery of groceries and medications.

Target population

Seniors

Measure

Mortgage support

Target population

Homeowners

Measure

Extra time to file 2019 Tax returns

Target population

All Canadian taxpayers

Measure

Canada Summer Jobs: Temporary changes to allow employers to: receive an increased wage subsidy, so that private and public sector employers can also receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee; extend the end date for employment to February 28, 2021; adapt their projects and job activities; and hire staff on a part-time basis.

Target population

Students

Measure

(Overall) Financial support for students: announcement of $9 billion in financial aid for post-secondary students in response to claims that too many young people were falling through the cracks in existing COVID-19 support programs.

The proposed Canada Emergency Student Benefit, which would provide support to students and new graduates who are not eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. This benefit would provide $1,250 per month for eligible students or $1,750 per month for eligible students with dependents or disabilities. The benefit would be available from May to August 2020.

Double the Canada Student Grants for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020-21.The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents would also be doubled.

Broaden eligibility for student financial assistance by removing the expected student’s and spouse’s contributions in 2020-21, in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.

Enhance the Canada Student Loans Program by raising the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21 from $210 to $350.

Target population

Students

Measure

Supporting students through expanded student and youth programming

  • $153.7 million for the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to help youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to successfully transition into the labour market. Funding will support a range of measures in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, technology, health and essential services, creating over 6,000 additional job placements.
  • Changes to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy's Canada Summer Jobs program, including increased wage subsidies, expanded eligibility and new flexibilities for employers, to ensure it can continue to support up to 70,000 student job placements in 2020-21. These new measures are being supported by a reallocation of existing resources.
  • $80 million for the Student Work Placement Program to support up to 20,000 post-secondary students across Canada to obtain paid work experience related to their field of study.
  • $15 million for the Supports for Student Learning Program to serve an additional 14,700 youth through support to complete high school and transition to post-secondary education in order to help ensure that vulnerable children and youth do not become further marginalized as a result of COVID-19.

Target population

Students

Measure

The new Canada Student Service Grant, which will help students gain valuable work experience and skills while they help their communities during the COVID 19 pandemic. For students who choose to do national service and serve their communities, the new Canada Student Service Grant will provide up to $5,000 for their education in the fall.

Additional support for the Canada Service Corps to expand support for meaningful youth service projects that have positive impacts in communities across Canada, including increasing the number of microgrants from 1,800 to 15,000, and providing stipends to participants.

Target population

Students

Measure

The launch of the "I Want to Help" platform

Increase existing distinctions-based support for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation students pursuing post-secondary education by providing an additional $75.2 million in 2020-21.

Extend expiring federal graduate research scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships, and supplement existing federal research grants, to support students and post-doctoral fellows, by providing $291.6 million to the federal granting councils. In addition, the government intends to enhance work opportunities for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows through the National Research Council of Canada.

$40 million to Innovation, Science and Economic Development to support Mitacs in order to create 5,000 new job placements. The Business/Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) will also create a further 5,000 to 10,000 new student placements, by reorienting existing federal support and building online tools.

The Government of Canada will remove the restriction that allows international students to work only a maximum of 20 hours per week while classes are in session, provided they are working in an essential service or function, such as health care, critical infrastructure, or the supply of food or other critical goods.

International students and their employers should consult Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada's Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada during the COVID-19 Outbreak to determine if the work the student is doing would allow them to work more than 20 hours per week during the academic session. This temporary rule change will be in place until August 31, 2020.

Target population

Students

Measure

Deferral of sales tax remittance and customs duty payments until June

Target population

Business

Measure

Business Credit Availability program: $40 billion of additional support through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC).

Target population

Business

Measure

Canada Emergency Business Account: Provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits, to help cover their operating costs during a period where revenues are temporarily reduced.

Target population

Small Business and Not for profit sector

Measure

Insured Mortgage Purchase program: Purchase up to $150 billion of insured mortgage pools through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Target population

Facilitate liquidity to consumers and businesses

Measure

Lowering domestic stability buffer (Banks): This action will allow Canada’s large banks to inject $300 billion of additional lending in to the economy.

Target population

Economic stability

Measure

Increasing credit available for agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture: Farm Credit Canada to provide an additional $5 billion in lending to producers, agribusinesses, and food processors

Target population

Farmers, Fishers, food producers

Measure

Support for airports: Waiving ground lease rents from March 2020 through to December 2020 for the 21 airport authorities that pay rent to the federal government

Target population

Airports, airlines

Measure

Support for northern air carriers: $17.3 million to the governments of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut to support critical air services to Northern and remote communities, in partnership with investments by the territorial governments, to ensure the continued supply of food, medical supplies, and other essential goods and services to remote and fly-in communities

Target population

Northern air carriers

Measure

Support for broadcasters: Waived licensed fees

Target population

Broadcasters

Measure

Support for operating costs (Territories): $15 million in non-repayable support for businesses in the territories to help address the impacts of COVID-19. This support will assist businesses with operating costs not already covered by other Government of Canada measures.

Target population

Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon

Measure

Support for tourism operators: working with tourism operators in national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas to defer payments on commercial leases and licenses of occupation without interest until September 1, 2020.

Target population

Tourism operators

3. ESDC COVID response measures (Announced)

Measure

Waive the one - week waiting period for EI sickness: for individuals in imposed quarantine and are EI eligible

Target population

EI-eligible individuals who become ill with Covid 19

Measure

Working-Sharing program: extending eligibility to 76 weeks, easing eligibility requirements and streamlining the application process

Target population

Business

Measure

Waive the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness

Target population

EI-eligible individuals

Measure

Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): provide income support for workers aged 15 and older who have stopped working and who are without employment or self-employment income for reasons related to COVID-19 for 14 consecutive days within a four week period.

Target population

All Canadians

Measure

Temporary Foreign Worker program: air travel exemptions, additional authorities (Quarantine Act, IRPR), arrivals readiness, LMIA and other flexibilities

Target population

Current TFW eligible businesses

Measure

Six-month interest free moratorium on repayment of Canada Student Loans.

The proposed Canada Emergency Student Benefit, which would provide support to students and new graduates who are not eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. This benefit would provide $1,250 per month for eligible students or $1,750 per month for eligible students with dependents or disabilities. The benefit would be available from May to August 2020.

Double the Canada Student Grants for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020-21.The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents would also be doubled.

Broaden eligibility for student financial assistance by removing the expected student’s and spouse’s contributions in 2020-21, in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.

Enhance the Canada Student Loans Program by raising the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21 from $210 to $350.

Target population

Students

Measure

Supporting students through expanded student and youth programming

  • $153.7 million for the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to help youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to successfully transition into the labour market. Funding will support a range of measures in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, technology, health and essential services, creating over 6,000 additional job placements.
  • Changes to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy's Canada Summer Jobs program, including increased wage subsidies, expanded eligibility and new flexibilities for employers, to ensure it can continue to support up to 70,000 student job placements in 2020-21. These new measures are being supported by a reallocation of existing resources.
  • $80 million for the Student Work Placement Program to support up to 20,000 post-secondary students across Canada to obtain paid work experience related to their field of study.
  • $15 million for the Supports for Student Learning Program to serve an additional 14,700 youth through support to complete high school and transition to post-secondary education in order to help ensure that vulnerable children and youth do not become further marginalized as a result of COVID-19.

Target population

Students

Measure

Delivering essential services to those in need: $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.

The investment will flow through national organizations that have the ability to get funds quickly to local organizations that serve vulnerable populations.

Target population

Vulnerable Canadians

4. Student assistance

4.a Support for post-secondary students facing the impacts of COVID-19

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to support post-secondary students facing financial challenges from COVID-19?

Key facts

  • All Canada Student Loan repayments have been paused and interest will not accrue for the period of March 30 to September 30. These measures will provide relief to nearly 1 million Canada Student Loan borrowers in repayment.
  • On April 22nd, the Government announced the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, which will provide $1,250 a month from May to August to post-secondary students and recent graduates who cannot find summer employment due to COVID-19. Students with dependants or a disability will receive an additional $500 a month for a total of $1,750 month. Over 1 million students and recent graduates are expected to benefit from this financial support.
  • To support new and returning post-secondary students this fall, the Government also announced enhancements to Canada Student Loans and Grants that will be in effect for one year starting August 1, 2020. This includes:
    • Doubling Canada Student Grants for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students. The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents would also be doubled.
    • Removing the expected student and spousal contribution, in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.
    • Raising the maximum weekly loan amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21 from $210 to $350.
  • Approximately 765,000 returning and prospective students are expected to benefit from these measures.

Response

  • The Government of Canada is committed to providing financial relief to post-secondary students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • To support student loan borrowers, the Government has temporarily paused the repayment of Canada Student Loans.
  • Effective March 30, 2020, all student loan borrowers automatically had their repayments suspended until September 30, 2020. No payment is required and interest will not accrue during this time. Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause.
  • On top of this, the Government recently announced the Canada Emergency Student Benefit which will provide $1,250 a month to students and recent graduates who cannot find summer employment due to COVID-19.
  • Students who have dependants living with them or have a disability are entitled to an additional $500 a month for a total of $1,750. Over 1 million students and recent graduates are expected to benefit from this financial support.
  • The Government also recognizes that students and their families are facing financial challenges from COVID-19 that will affect their ability to earn income and save for their studies this fall.
  • That is why the Government will be doubling Canada Student Grants for the academic year starting August 1, 2020 along with temporarily eliminating the student, spousal contributions, and raising the weekly loan limit so that students can get more funding. These measures will help over 765,000 students access and afford post-secondary education this fall.
  • All together – the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, the new Canada Student Loans and Grants measures, and the loan repayment suspension – the Government of Canada is investing over $7 billion to provide financial support for students.

Background

Students have been disproportionally affected by the shutdown of industries due to COVID-19 and it is estimated that 1.2 million post-secondary-aged students (i.e., 16 to 29 year olds) would not be eligible for COVID-19 relief funds offered through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

With a disruption in earnings, or no longer having access to jobs that supplement their income, many students will be facing challenges to afford the cost of living and post-secondary education expenses. Parents may also be facing financial challenges of their own, making it difficult for them to support their children’s education.

To provide immediate financial relief to students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has announced the following series of measures.

Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB)

On April 22nd, the Government announced the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) which will provide financial support to Canadian students enrolled in post-secondary programs that lead to a degree, diploma or certificate who depend on summer employment to help pay for their tuition and living costs. Recent post-secondary graduates are also entitled to the benefit as they may have difficulty finding a job after they graduate due to COVID-19 impacts on the workforce.

Beginning May 2020, eligible students and recent graduates can receive $1,250 per month for the period of May to August 2020. Students living with dependents or who have disabilities will receive an additional $500 a month for a total of $1,750. These measures will provide relief to nearly 1 million students and recent graduates at a cost of $5.2 billion.

Canada Student Loans and Grants

Canada Student Loan (CSL) borrowers in repayment may experience a loss of income due to the impact of COVID19, and should not have to worry about making their loan repayments during this stressful time.

For a period of six months, beginning March 30 2020, CSL borrowers in repayment will not be required to make their monthly payments, and the Government will cover interests on these loans during this time.

At a cost of $186 million, these measures will provide relief to nearly 1 million CSL borrowers in repayment. All provinces and territories have aligned with this measure and are offering similar relief to the provincial/territorial portion of student loans.

To help students continue their studies in the fall, the government will be introducing a series of enhancements to Canada Student Loans and Grants. Pending Parliamentary approval, these measures would come into effect starting August 1, 2020 and be available to students for one year.

First, the Government will double the Canada Student Grants for all eligible full-time students to up to $6,000 and up to $3,600 for part-time students. The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents would also be doubled.

Second, the Government will broaden eligibility for student financial assistance by removing the expected student’s and spouse’s contributions, in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.

Third, the Government will enhance the Canada Student Loans Program by raising the maximum weekly amount that can be provided to a student in 2020-21 from $210 to $350.

Approximately 765,000 returning and prospective students are expected to benefit from these measures, for an estimated value of $1.9 billion.

Prepared by/

Name: Milena Gulia

Title: Director, CSLP

Key contact/

Name: Agata Frankowicz

Title: Director, Canada Emergency Student Benefit

Phone number: 613-618-4780

Name: Milena Gulia

Title: Director, Canada Student Loans Program

Phone number: 819-654-3670/613-897-0840

Approved by/

Name: Atiq Rahman

Title: Director General, Canada Student Loans Program

Phone number: 613-898-5995

Date April 23, 2020

Date approved in ADMO: April 23, 2020

4.b Support for students and COVID-19

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to support jobs and skills opportunities for students and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key facts

  • On April 22, the Prime Minister announced new investments to expand existing youth programming to create jobs and skills training opportunities for youth in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • This includes:
  • $153,7M in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to create an additional 6,000 job placements;
  • $80M for the Student Work Placement Program to increase the wage subsidy and create additional placements in critical sectors, such as health-care, for a total of up 20,000 job placements;
  • $15M for the Supports for Student Learning Program to serve an additional 14,700 youth.
  • Additional support for the Canada Service Corps, including a new Canada Student Service Grant.
  • This is in addition to the temporary changes to Canada Summer Jobs 2020 announced on April 8 to support the hiring 70,000 students, including an increased wage subsidy, and flexibilities to target jobs in critical sectors.

Response

  • The Government of Canada recognizes the profound effects of COVID-19 on students and youth and is committed to providing supports for jobs and skills opportunities for students during the pandemic.
  • On April 22, the Prime Minister announced new investments and measures to expand existing youth programming as part of a comprehensive $9 billion package of supports for students and youth.
  • This is in addition to the recent changes to Canada Summer Jobs 2020 announced on April 8, to ensure we can continue to support the creation of 70,000 jobs in 2020-21, including through increased wage subsidies, and expanded eligibility to target jobs in critical sectors.
  • To complement this initiative, additional investments will be made in youth employment and training including $153,7M in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy for the creation of up to 6,000 job placements in critical sectors; and,
  • An additional $80M for post-secondary students to access work integrated learning opportunities in their fields of study through the creation of 20,000 student work placements, including in critical sectors such as health-care.
  • In addition, The Government recognes the impacts on the learning needs of students, including those in secondary school who rely on after-school supports to help them stay on track with their learning. This is why we have announced $15 million to ensure that approximately 14,700 vulnerable children and youth can continue to access critical wraparound supports like mentoring and tutoring.
  • The Government is also introducing initiatives for youth to serve their communities.
  • It is increasing the number of micro-grants from 1,800 to 15,000 and providing stipends to grant recipients; and,
  • We also announced the introduction of the new Canada Student Service Grant which will provide up to $5,000 to support student’s post-secondary education costs in the fall.
  • This is an opportunity for students and youth to mobilize and take part in national service activities that can provide valuable experiences, while giving back to their local communities.

Background

CSJ 2020

Canada Summer Jobs provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create quality job placements for youth in safe, inclusive and healthy work environments.

The Canada Summer Jobs 2020 call for applications was open from January 30, 2020 to February 28, 2020. The Department received approximately 37,000 applications to support the creation of over 147,000 jobs representing approximately $897M in funding. Jobs could start as early as May 11, 2020.

The Budget for Canada Summer Jobs 2020 is $263M in order to create 70,000 jobs with an average duration of 8 weeks, 35 hours.

MPs can participate in the CSJ program by promoting it to potential employers, identifying local priorities, providing input on project lists and notifying selected employers.

MPs are invited to identify local organizations that provide critical services that had not applied for CSJ funding but could be solicited to submit an application to offer job placement and provide feedback on eligible projects received through the call for applications held in February 2020.

All funded employers will be provided with flexibility to amend project and job activities to support the delivery of critical services. This recognizes that many CSJ-funded positions occur in sectors and industries currently being impacted by COVID-19, and that the job activities initially proposed may no longer be possible.

Additional investments to expand youth and student programming

The Department is leveraging the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy and Student Work Placement Program to increase youth employment and skills development activities and mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on the offer of work placements for students over the coming months, by focusing on addressing needs in critical sectors.

YESS

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is a horizontal Government of Canada initiative led by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and delivered in collaboration with 10 federal departments and agencies.

Additional investments of $153,7M (for ESDC and other YESS federal partners) will increase employment opportunities and supports for youth across the country who are impacted by the pandemic by:

  • funding employers and not-for-profit organizations to create youth employment opportunities in critical sectors and services supporting vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19; and
  • providing additional training to increase job readiness and employability; and relevant supports, such as mentorship, access to computers, access to mental health supports.

Additional YESS funding will support the creation of 6,000 jobs in critical sectors.

Student Work Placement program

A one-year additional investment of $80M will be made, and temporary measures introduced, to increase access to the Student Work Placement Program for students and businesses impacted by COVID-19.

This includes:

  • $50M to create an additional 3,000 student placements in the health-care sector; and 2,000 placements in other critical sectors in 2020-21, like agriculture, food processing, transportation and retail

In addition, $30M will support program flexibilities to address the impacts of COVID-19 on student hiring. This includes increasing the wage subsidy to up to 75% of the student's wages (up to a maximum of $7,500 per placement), and waiving the requirement for employers to offer more placements than they did in previous years.

These measures are expected to support the creation of up 20,000 placements in this fiscal year.

Supports for Student Learning program

Organizations that have established and trusted relationships with vulnerable children and youth will receive support to migrate their programming and supports online in order to ensure continuity to their critical supports. The measures are two-fold:

  • Support for the transition to, and implementation of, digitized services (e.g., tutoring, mentoring); and
  • Support the connectivity of vulnerable children, youth, and their families, in partnership with other federal government and private sector partners.
Canada Service Corp

The Canada Service Corp Microgrants fund small-scale, youth-led projects to address community needs or challenges. There are three micro-grant levels, designed to fund projects with different levels of ambition and complexity: $250, $750, $1,500.

Micro-grants pay for the costs of the service project that youth design, develop, and implement at the local level.

These projects cannot displace paid work. Youth aged 15 to 30 are eligible.

To encourage students to participate in the COVID-19 response, the government will launch a new national service initiative to recognize students' significant contributions to the COVID-19 efforts, and provide support through a new Canada Student Service Grant which will provide up to $5,000 to support student's post-secondary education costs in the fall.

More details will be made available on the I Want to Help platform over the coming weeks

Prepared by/ Key contact

Name: Sarah Plouffe

Student Work Placement Program

Skills and Employment Branch

Phone number: 819-635-4572

Myra Latendresse-Drapeau

Title: Director, Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

Name: Kelly Campbell

Title: A/Director, Learning Branch (SSLP)

Phone number: 873-353-4612

Approved by/

Name: Catherine Demers

Director General Skills and Employment Branch

Phone number: 613-697-7917

Name: Ritu Banerjee

Director General, Canada Service Corp

Phone number:

Name: Patricia Wilson

Title: Director General, Program Operations Branch

Phone number:

Date

Date approved in ADMO / COO:

5.a Questions and answers

Official title: COVID-19 Economic response plan: support for Canadians and businesses - Questions and answers

1. Service delivery

A. How is the Government of Canada supporting Canadians affected by COVID-19?

The government established the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). This taxable benefit provides $2,000 every four weeks for up to sixteen weeks to workers who lose their employment income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government of Canada’s priority is to ensure that Canadians receive the money they are entitled to as quickly as possible. That is why the CERB is being jointly administered by Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency.

Eligible workers apply through a simple portal. There is no waiting period and direct deposit payments will be delivered into accounts within three business days of applicants being eligible to receive it, and cheques within 10 days.

B. What are you doing to address wait times?

As of April 16, 2020, CRA and Service Canada have received 7.9M applications, and processed more than 7.5M of them.

The Department is putting in place strategies to ensure the timely delivery of benefits.

  1. We have redeployed significant number of staff from other functions to focus on processing.
  2. We are focused on processing new claims and leaving adjustments aside.
  3. We are deploying strategies to increase automation and increase self-service opportunities for clients.
  4. With the new flexibilities in the Act, we would take additional steps to radically speed up our processing capability by implementing streamlined design changes.

Taken together these measures will ensure we get Canadians the benefits they need when they need them most.

We have been able to get payments out to the overwhelming majority of applicants ahead of our EI service standard of 28 days.

C. I have been advised not to visit or enter a Service Canada Centre if I am experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever or difficulty breathing; in self-isolation or quarantine; or have travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days. If this applies to me, how can I access services?

As an alternative to in-person service, Service Canada programs and services are available online at Canada.ca/service-canada-home or by telephone at: 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) - TTY: 1-800-926-9105.

You are encouraged to apply online for benefits and/or to mail your applications or supporting document to us. Service Canada services and mailing instructions are available online at Canada.ca/service-canada-home.

Additionally, you can contact our specialized call centres for program specific support:

Employment Insurance: Toll-Free: 1-800-206-7218, TTY: 1-800-529-3742

Canada Pension and Old Age Security: Toll-Free: 1-800-277-9914, TTY: 1-800-255-4786

Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time, Monday to Friday

Please Note: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are experiencing higher than normal call volumes. We encourage you to use self-serve options to access our programs and services online, and to avoid calling Service Canada if your request is not urgent.

We ask Canadians for their patience at this time so that we can focus our efforts on the most vulnerable Canadian population.

D. How are we reaching Indigenous communities; how can they apply if they don’t have internet access or access to a Service Canada Office?

To support access to critical programs and services for Indigenous communities, Service Canada Community Outreach and Liaison Service (COLS) staff are contacting communities to identify how we can support them accessing critical programs, services and benefits. These may include an on-line for those with connectivity, dedicated phone lines to support clients, and other measures as developed with communities.

2. Employment Insurance

A. Will foreign students and persons with work permits be able to apply for CERB?

Foreign students and persons with work permits may qualify for CERB if they meet the eligibility requirements, which includes, for instance, residing in Canada and having a valid Social Insurance Number.

B. Will we adjust EI so persons with fewer hours be able to obtain EI?

The Government of Canada is continuing to take strong, immediate and effective action to support all Canadians who are impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is helping Canadian workers impacted by COVID-19 put food on the table and keep a roof over their head.

We are aware that not everyone is eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. The Government is continuing to explore ways for Canadians to get the support they need in these challenging and unprecedented times.

C. Will we eliminate the one-week waiting period on regular EI?

For anyone who became eligible for EI regular or sickness benefits on March 15, 2020 or later, the Employment Insurance claim will be automatically processed through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit that has no waiting period.

D. Will parents receiving maternity/paternity benefit, or parents that are expecting a child, be able to obtain EI or CERB when laid off?

Workers who are receiving EI maternity or parental benefits may continue to receive those benefits as usual. They may apply for CERB benefits after receiving EI maternity or parental benefits as long as they meet the eligibility requirements for CERB.

Parents expecting a child can apply for EI maternity/parental benefits through the normal EI channel.

E. Are claimants who indicate they will be going on maternity/parental benefits later in their claim eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The rules applying to EI maternity and parental benefit claims have not changed.

Workers who are going on maternity or parental leave soon may apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if they meet the eligibility criteri

Claimants who have indicated to Service Canada that they intend to claim EI maternity and parental benefits in the coming weeks are currently processed under the traditional EI rules. This interim approach is intended to facilitate the future transition from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to EI maternity or parental benefits. A permanent approach is under development. Entitlements to EI maternity or parental benefits will not be reduced as a result of this transition.

F. Can employers keep their employees on payroll and top up their CERB without the employees being penalized?

In order to meet the CERB requirements, employees do not need to be laid off, the employer-employee relationship can be maintained. Employers may provide support to their employees provided that it does not exceed $1000 within the 4-week benefit period.

G. Will we extend EI Regular benefits for those who are currently on them and are soon going to run out? I.e. Seasonal Workers

The government has extended the CERB to workers, including seasonal workers, who exhaust their EI regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020 and are unable to return to work as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

H. Is there a way for employees to receive financial support without having to be laid off first?

Workers do not need to be laid off to qualify. The employer-employee relationship can be maintained. In addition, to help more Canadians benefit from the CERB, the government has changed the eligibility rules to allow people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the CERB.

3. Work Sharing

A. Are we able to streamline the work-sharing program?

  • The Government of Canada has taken steps to reduce the time to put an agreement in place from 30 days to just 10 days
  • The Government of Canada has also taken concrete steps to significantly simplify mandatory requirements. Such actions include:
    • include broadening eligibility requirements for businesses
    • easing recovery plan requirements
    • removing the requirement to provide detailed financial information and reducing the time required for processing and approving applications
  • These temporary changes are allowing more employers and workers across various sectors and industries to access the program when they need it most
  • The COVID-19 special Work-Sharing measures are in effect until March 14, 2021

B. What other changes have been made to the work-sharing program?

  • In addition to streamlining mandatory requirements of the work-sharing program, temporary special measures have been introduced that extend the duration of agreements from 38 to 76 weeks.
  • The mandatory cooling-off period between agreements has also been waived, allowing employers with recently expired agreements to immediately apply for a new one.
  • Eligibility has also been broadened temporarily to allow more employers access to the program. For example, Government Business Enterprises (e.g., Crown Corporations, other public corporations that run as profit-oriented entities that do not rely solely on public funds to operate) and essential staff who are typically not included.

4. Emergency Benefits

A. What is the eligibility criteria for these new benefits?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to individuals residing in Canada who are age 15 and over and who are employees or self-employed. To be eligible, individuals must:

  • have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020;
  • have had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and,
  • have not quit their job voluntarily.

When submitting the first claim, an individual cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of the claim.

When submitting subsequent claims, the individual cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of the new claim.

B. Will self-employed, contractors, gig economy workers, seasonal workers, etc. be eligible?

Yes, the benefit is available to workers, regardless of the nature of their employment, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria.

C. If someone who is Canadian earned income abroad, is he/she eligible? Are international student eligible? Can they earn the income outside of Canada or does it have to be income earned on Canadian soil?

The intent is to support workers in the Canadian labour force who stopped working as a result of COVID-19.

  • The income does not have to be earned in Canada;
  • The person does have to be residing in Canada; and
  • The person needs to have to have a SIN.

A Canadian who earned income abroad and who is now residing here is eligible as long as the other conditions are met (if they ceased working due to COVID-19, etc.)

An international student with a SIN and currently residing in Canada is eligible if other conditions are met (if they ceased working due to COVID-19, etc.)

A Canadian residing in the UK is not eligible (even if he/she worked in Canada last year).

D. Is someone self-isolating and not in quarantine eligible for the emergency benefits?

Yes, the benefit is available to all workers who meet the eligibility criteria, including having not quit their job, but having no more than $1,000 employment income for at least 14 consecutive days within the initial four-week benefit payment period as a result of ceasing work for reasons related to COVID-19.

E. Does someone have to have been without work for 14 days (is there a waiting period) before they can apply for the Benefit?

Individuals will be asked to certify that they have stopped or will stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, have not quit their job and will be earning no more than $1,000 as employment income for at least 14 consecutive days within the initial four-week claim period. The is no waiting period for the benefit.

F. Does someone have to be laid off to access the new Benefit?

No.

They can remain attached to their company.

Individuals will be asked to certify that they have stopped or will stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, have not quit their job and will be earning no more than $1,000 as employment income for at least 14 consecutive days within the initial four-week claim period.

G. How much will people receive?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit provides a flat $500 weekly amount for up to 16 weeks.

H. How will the new benefits be administered?

Applicants are able to receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for up to 16 weeks. The design of the measure has been kept as simple as possible to make the measure accessible and ensure that payments are issued quickly. The measure is being delivered through both Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency.

5. Service Canada

A. What are we doing to address wait times?

As of April 16, 2020, CRA and Service Canada have received 7.9M applications and 7.55M have been processed.

The Department is putting in place strategies to ensure the timely delivery of benefits.

  1. We have redeployed significant number of staff from other functions to focus on processing.
  2. We are focused on processing new claims and leaving adjustments aside.
  3. We are deploying strategies to increase automation and increase self-service opportunities for clients.
  4. And with the new flexibilities in the Act, we would take additional steps to radically speed up our processing capability by implementing streamlined design changes.

Taken together these measures will ensure we get Canadians the benefits they need when they need them most.

We have been able to get payments out to the overwhelming majority of applicants ahead of our service standard of 28 days.

B. Will there be higher IT capacity?

The Department has been working with Shared Services Canada to increase its IT network and system capacity to address the significant increase in EI applications. Measures taken to-date include enhancing the IT infrastructure to enable more staff to telework and adding new servers to improve processing capacity.

6. Temporary Foreign Workers

A. What flexibilities has the Government introduced to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure employers have access to workers?

Recognizing the continued importance of foreign workers to ensuring Canada’s food security, on a temporary basis, we have streamlined requirements for employers hiring workers in occupations related to agriculture and food processing, and are prioritizing those applications.

Given the persistent need for foreign workers in full-time/full-year positions under the low-wage stream of the program, which include occupations related to meat, fish and seafood processing, we have introduced a pilot to increase the maximum duration of a Labour Market Impact Assessment from one to two years. This initiative is expected to reduce processing times and costs for employers and the Government.

We have also implemented additional administrative flexibilities to enable employers to adapt to the COVID-19 situation, such as expediting the process for employers wishing the change the name of an already identified foreign worker, and eliminating the requirement for an employer to advise us of minor administrative changes.

B. With so many Canadians unemployed, why can’t we require employers to hire them rather than foreign workers?

I share this concern, and acknowledge that there may be cases where a temporary foreign worker fills a position that could have been filled by a Canadian. That being said, these are extraordinary circumstances, the situation is evolving rapidly, and it is critical that we ensure continued trade, commerce and food security.

With respect to agriculture, temporary foreign workers have been integral to Canada’s food production since the 1960s. Last year, approximately 60,000 temporary foreign workers came to Canada to work in agriculture and food processing jobs.

The agriculture and agri-food sectors have traditionally had difficulty in recruiting and hiring Canadians, despite the requirement that they advertise to Canadians first. The jobs are seasonal, often located outside of major urban centers, and based on recruitment efforts to date, do not appear to be attractive to many Canadians.

In the current context, especially where many farms have already started planting for the season, pivoting quickly to an all-Canadian agriculture workforce would pose significant challenges. At the same time, it is likely that fewer temporary foreign workers will come to Canada this year, putting additional pressure on the sector.

We continue to encourage employers to hire Canadians, and jobs are posted – and continue to be available – for Canadians who are interested. In addition, we are exploring additional ways to shore up our domestic labour supply.

C. Given the rapid rise in unemployment due to COVID-19, how is ESDC assessing employer applications for temporary foreign workers?

Applications to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program involve an extensive assessment of a number of factors, including labour market need, with a view to ensuring that Canadians and Permanent Residents are considered first for available jobs. This includes an assessment of labour market information.

While the rapidly evolving situation has reduced the usefulness of current labour market information to make objective assessments of labour shortages, the Program’s assessment of employer requests includes a number of criteria that take into account the state of the labour market.

For example, most employers must prove that they have made credible efforts to hire Canadians or Permanent residents, and will have their Employment Insurance history reviewed to ensure that they have not recently laid off Canadians.

Further, the Program has strengthened its assessment criteria to ensure that a potential employer has a genuine need for the foreign worker, particularly if the work is not considered an essential service by the federal or provincial and territorial governments.

Given the current context, demand for workers has also decreased, and as a result, the Program has observed a corresponding decrease in applications.

We are also exploring other potential adjustments to enable the program to adapt to the evolving context more quickly.

D. What is the role of employers of temporary foreign workers in safeguarding public health during this pandemic?

Like all travelers to Canada, temporary foreign workers are responsible for complying with orders made under the Quarantine Act, including the current requirement for mandatory quarantine or isolation. Contravening these requirements could lead to fines or imprisonment, and under proposed regulations, foreign workers could be deemed inadmissible to Canada and face removal.

Employers have an important role to play in helping to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19. Like all Canadians, employers are expected to follow the latest public health and safety requirements and guidance from the Government of Canada and their provincial/territorial and local authorities.

Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, which entered into force on April 20, 2020, also compel employers of temporary foreign workers to meet additional requirements, including:

  • Paying workers for the initial quarantine/isolation period upon entry into Canada, regardless of whether they can work;
  • Not prevent a worker from meeting their requirements under orders made under the Quarantine Act and/or the Emergencies Act, as well as provincial/territorial public health laws related to COVID-19; and
  • Additional requirements for employers who provide accommodations to workers.

Employers who do not comply with the requirements could be subject to penalties of up to $1 million and a ban from hiring foreign workers, depending on the seriousness of the situation and number of workers affected.

E. How will you enforce employer compliance with the new requirements?

Communication has been the cornerstone of our approach to ensuring employers understand and comply with the new requirements related to COVID-19.

Along with the Minister of Health, I outlined the Government’s expectations of employers in a letter dated April 1st. That letter was shared with all employers of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and is posted online.

Additional guidance to employers, informed by the expertise of public health officials, as well as extensive stakeholder engagement at the officials’ level, have also taken place.

Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations which entered into force on April 20, 2020 will enable enforcement of the new requirements through inspections and the application of penalties for non-compliance under the existing administrative monetary penalties framework.

Given the critical importance of protecting public health, these amendments include the ability for enforcement officers to conduct inspections regarding COVID-19 early, quickly, and make final determinations faster. Inspections would be initiated proactively, but also reactively, such as through tips, or reports of confirmed cases of COVID-19 at a worksite.

The Government will continue to work with provinces/territories, partner countries, employer associations, worker support organizations, and other stakeholders to address issues and questions, and communicate additional information on requirements for inspections in the coming days.

F. Why doesn’t the Government take responsibility for quarantining workers?

Together, we all have an important role to play in protecting public health throughout this pandemic, and we share a key objective – to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Government of Canada has implemented a number of measures to screen travellers, including temporary foreign workers, before they leave for Canada, and upon arrival. Government quarantine facilities have been established, and using a risk-based approach, officers will determine whether workers should be quarantined in a Government facility, or at their final destination.

In addition, I understand that some provinces are imposing additional requirements for foreign workers upon arrival.

Under current program rules, many employers of temporary foreign workers, especially those in agriculture, provide housing to workers. We have been engaging with employer groups, and communicating with employers directly, to ensure that this housing enables workers to meet the requirements of quarantine.

In addition under new regulations employers are required to provide accommodations that enables workers to meet the requirements to quarantine, such as maintaining a two metre distance

And, we are offering compensation to employers in key sectors to defray some of the additional costs they may incur as a result.

Importantly, this approach will help to ensure the health of the public, including foreign workers, is protected not just for their first two weeks in Canada, but throughout their entire period of employment.

7. Canada Summer Jobs Program

A. How is CSJ changing for summer 2020 to respond to COVID-19?

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the implementation of CSJ was well underway. The program will continue to serve the same client group (youth aged 15-30) and the Department will work with employers which have already submitted applications in order to roll out CSJ 2020.

However, there may be some employers that may now have to withdraw while at the same time there may be other areas of the country where employers are able to hire and where CSJ could make a significant impact in addressing the economic challenges posed by COVID-19.

To encourage job creation through additional flexibilities are supports, CSJ 2020 will:

  • Increase the wage subsidy from 50% to 100% of the provincial/territorial minimum wage for small businesses and public sector employers;
  • Allow for part-time work placements;
  • Allow for placements to extend longer—up until the end of February 2021.
  • Allow employers approved for funding to amend the activities to support the delivery of essential services.

MPs have also been invited to identify local organizations that support the delivery of essential services but have not applied for funding and could provide youth a job placement.

B. What program adjustments have been put in place to better support the delivery of essential services?

All employers approved for funding will be provided with the flexibility to amend project and job activities to support the delivery of critical services.

MPs have also been invited to work with the Department to identify local organizations that provide critical services that have not applied for CSJ funding but could be solicited to submit an application to offer job placements.

C. How is role of MPs changing for CSJ 2020 to respond to COVID-19?

CSJ is delivered through a constituency based funding model and MPs play an important role in CSJ.

Typically, MPs participate by promoting the program to potential employers in their constituency, identifying local priorities, providing input on project lists, and ensuring that local circumstances are reflected. MPs also notify employers when their project is approved for funding.

It is expected that even with the temporary flexibilities for CSJ 2020, there will be employers who will not be able to hire youth this year amid the current pandemic and the withdrawal rate of employers will be higher than previous years.

In order to maximize opportunities for employers to hire youth, MPs are being asked to play a larger role than usual.

MP engagement has started earlier than previously planned (April 9) to help identify local organizations that provide essential services but may not have applied for CSJ funding.

This will allow the department to take advantage of MP’s real time understanding of the current situation in their area given how quickly things are changing.

These organizations will be solicited to submit applications to offer job placements.

In order to be approved for funding, organizations would need to meet the eligibility criteria for CSJ 2020 (i.e., quality job placements in safe, healthy and inclusive work environments).

D. How much funding is being provided to the CSJ Program in 2020?

The Government of Canada is investing $263 million in funding for the Canada Summer Jobs program in 2020 to support the creation of 70,000 youth jobs with an average duration of 8 weeks, 35 hours.

8. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

A. What changes are being introduced under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) program in response to COVID-19?

Additional investments in the YESS program will increase employment opportunities and supports for youth across the country who are impacted by the pandemic by:

  • Funding employers and not-for-profit organizations to create youth employment opportunities in critical sectors and services supporting vulnerable populations impacted by COVID-19;
  • Offering additional training opportunities for youth to increase job readiness and employability; and
  • Provide relevant supports, such as mentorship, access to computers, access to mental health supports, to ensure youth, including those who face barriers, can benefit from these new employment opportunities.

B. How many jobs for youth will be created in emergency sectors through additional investments?

With approximately $153.7 million in funding, the Government will support the creation of at least 6,000 jobs in critical sectors.

C. What youth will benefit? Will these changes support youth facing barriers?

YESS programming is available to all youth aged 15 to 30.

Additional supports, such as mentorship, access to computers, access to mental health supports, are aimed at ensuring youth facing barriers to the labour market, can benefit from these new opportunities.

These enhancements to YESS complement other measures introduced to support youth and students impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, including the enhancements to Canada Summer Jobs Program.

D. Which critical sectors will these additional job placements help? What type of jobs are being created?

These youth jobs will begin quickly to support critical sectors including, but not restricted to: agriculture and agri-food; biosciences and research; transport; environment; and, community service.

These critical service jobs will protect the health and safety of youth. Examples of jobs created include: telephone and online health and social support services, research and administrative roles, supporting roles for services to vulnerable populations, etc.

9. Student Work Placement Program

A. What changes are being made to the Student Work Placement Program in response to COVID-19?

A one-year additional investment of $80M will be made, and temporary measures introduced, to increase access to the Student Work Placement Program for students and businesses impacted by COVID-19.

This includes:

  • $50M to create an additional 3,000 student placements in the health-care sector; and
  • 2,000 placements in other front line sectors in 2020-21, like agriculture, food processing, transportation and retail.
  • $30M for temporary program flexibilities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on student hiring, and increase the offer of student work-placements to post-secondary students.

This includes:

  1. Increasing the wage subsidy of up to 75% (up to a maximum of $7,500 per placement) of the cost of wages across all placements, from the current 50% for regular placements and 70% for placements targeting under-represented youth.
  2. Waiving the criteria requiring employers to offer more placements than they did in previous years, in order to receive Student Work Placement Program funding.

These additional investments and program changes are expected to create up to 20,000 additional placements for post-secondary students in 2020-21.

10. Financial Support for Students

A. How is the Government of Canada supporting students facing financial challenges as a result of COVID-19?

The Government of Canada has introduced a new Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), which will provide financial relief to students and recent graduates who are unable to find work because of COVID-19. The benefit provides $1,250 a month for up to four months, with an additional $500 per month for students with disabilities, as well as those with dependants.

The Government has also increased the value of Canada Student Grants and Loans and relaxed their eligibility criteria to support new and returning students for the 2020-2021 academic year. The value of Canada Student Grants will be doubled, the expected contributions from students and spouses will be exempted from the calculation of a student’s financial need, and the cap on Canada Student Loans will be increased from $210 to $350 per week of study.

These measures are in addition to the recent pause on repayment and interest for student loans for the period of March 30 to September 30.

B. Who is eligible to receive the CESB?

The CESB is available to students who are enrolled in a post-secondary education program leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate; or who ended their studies no earlier than December 2019. It is also available to recent high school graduates who are enrolled in PSE in the fall.

C. Do students need to do anything to receive this benefit?

In order to receive the CESB, students will have to complete an application and be required to attest that they are not eligible for the CERB. Eligible students must reapply for the CESB every month.

D. Why is the government increasing the student loan burden for students?

The Government will increase the Canada Student Grants amount by doubling it to up to $6,000 as well as expand their eligibility. To ensure that students are not left with ‘unmet needs’, the Government will increase the cap on student loans, which has not changed since 2005.

Any increase in student debt is expected to be mitigated by the recent lowering of the interest rate on Canada Student Loans and enhancements to the Repayment Assistance Plan.

5.b Canada Emergency Response Benefit - Questions and answers

Official title: HUMA appearance on special measures for COVID-19 – April 24, 2020- Questions and answers

1. Eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit

What is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit provides temporary income support to workers who have stopped working related to COVID-19.

Individuals who are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits, or who have recently exhausted Employment Insurance regular or fishing benefits may also be eligible.

The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit provides $500 per week for a maximum of 16 weeks.

The Benefit is available from March 15, 2020, to October 3, 2020. You can apply no later than December 2, 2020 for payments retroactive to within that period.

Is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit taxable?

Yes.

The Benefit will need to be reported as income when recipients file their income tax for 2020.

What are the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The Benefit is available to workers:

  • Residing in Canada, who are at least 15 years old;
  • Who have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular or fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020;
  • Who had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and,
  • Who have not quit their job voluntarily.

When submitting their first claim, they cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of the claim.

When submitting subsequent claims, they cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of their new claim.

What are considered valid reasons for stopping work?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to those who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, for example:

  • They have lost their job;
  • They are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19;
  • They are taking care of others because they are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19; and/or
  • They are taking care of children or other dependents because their care facility is closed due to COVID-19.

This is not an exhaustive list - there may be other reasons related to COVID-19 why someone might stop working and be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

The most important point is they cannot quit their job voluntarily.

Can someone who chooses not to work even if their job is there – for example they have someone who is immunocompromised at home – receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to those who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19 but do not voluntarily quit their job.

Someone who stops working at the request of their employer for reasons related to COVID-19 would be eligible. Similarly someone who has to stop working to take care of a family member or who is placed into quarantine or is sick because of COVID-19 would also be eligible.

Does someone need to be laid off to access the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

No.

Workers who remain attached to their company can receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if they meet the eligibility requirements. They will be required to confirm when they apply that they have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19.

If someone goes on unpaid leave are they eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes.

A person would be eligible provided the unpaid leave is for reasons related to COVID-19. They will be required to confirm when they apply that they have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19.

If an employee has stopped working but is still receiving benefits from their employer (e.g. medical) are they eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes.

Stopping work does not mean that the employee has severed all ties with their employe The employer can continue to provide non-cash benefits to the employee and these will not impact their eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

What happens if someone has received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and is then rehired and paid their salary retroactively funded the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy?

Rehired individuals may have received, or continue to receive, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

Depending on the specific situation, these individuals may be required to repay some or all of the amounts they received. More information to come on this shortly.

Can foreign workers and international students receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes.

Foreign workers and international students may be eligible provided they are residents of Canada, have a valid Social Insurance Number and meet the other eligibility criteria.

The income that counts toward the $5000 does not have to be earned in Canada.

Can emergency support workers (for example volunteer firefighters) receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit even if they are paid a nominal honoraria?

Yes.

Emergency support workers, such as volunteer firefighters, would be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit provided they have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19 and are not earning more than $1000 in in employment and/or self-employment income for a period of at least 14 consecutive days within their first four week benefit period and for the entire four-week benefit period of any subsequent claim

2. Applying for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit

There have been situations where clients have received double payments, how would this have happened?

With two organizations administering the CERB independently, there may be situations where clients mistakenly applied for the benefit through both streams, which would result in a double payment.

For example, millions of workers who applied for EI benefits were processed for the CERB and received a payment through Service CanadIf they were not aware that the payment was coming, they may have applied through CRA in error and thereby received a double payment – one from each organization.

Based on an analysis conducted, there have been 221,320 duplicate payments to clients.

Service Canada and CRA are working together to ensure that these situations are reconciled and payments to eligible clients do not exceed the maximum allowable benefit of $8,000 over a 16 week period.

For any Canadians who did receive a payment in error, they will have to repay the CERB benefits for which they are not entitled and will receive a letter from the CRA providing them with further information about how to repay one of the payments to the CR

Additionally, CRA has now implemented a validation check at the application stage. If the applicant has already been approved for benefits with EI/Service Canada, they will be redirected to continue through the EI stream. They will not be able to continue further with the CRA-CERB application.

Do Canadians have to reapply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit every four weeks?

Yes.

Canadians are expected to reapply and confirm they remain eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

For claimants who applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) through Service Canada and the Employment Insurance program, and meet the eligibility requirements, they will receive a $2000 initial payment. They will then be paid $1000 every two weeks based on the biweekly reports submitted to the maximum of 16 weeks.

For claimants who have applied for the CERB through the Canada Revenue Agency, they will receive a payment of $2000 for a 4-week period (the same as $500 a week), for up to 16 weeks. Their eligibility periods are fixed in 4-week periods, and can re-apply for the CERB for subsequent eligibility periods should their situation continue.

Can an individual still receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit from Service Canada if they are unable to complete their biweekly reports?

No.

Completion of the biweekly reports is required in order for the individual to confirm they remain eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

3. Benefit delivery

How many claims have been processed?

Since March 16, 2020 (as of April 22):

  • 3.43M claims have been received.
  • 3.12M claims have been processed.
  • 7.97M benefit payments were processed (this covers all benefit types and the direct to PSPC payments).
  • $9.9B in benefits paid.

What are you doing to ensure the timely delivery of benefits?

The Department is putting in place strategies to ensure the timely delivery of benefits:

  • We have redeployed significant number of staff from other functions to focus on processing.
  • We are focused on processing new claims and leaving adjustments aside.
  • We are deploying strategies to increase automation and increase self-service opportunities for clients.
  • With the new flexibilities in the Act, we have taken additional steps to radically speed up our processing capability by implementing streamlined design changes.

Taken together these measures will ensure we get Canadians the benefits they need when they need them most.

We have been able to get payments out to the overwhelming majority of applicants ahead of our EI service standard of 28 days.

What are you doing to address wait times when people call into the call centres?

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the EI Call Centre is experiencing an unprecedented volume of calls, impacting accessibility and increasing wait times. Since March 15th, the call demand is significantly higher than what is expected during normal circumstances resulting in increased wait times. The current average wait time is approximately 2 hours.

The current EI phone (1-800-206-7218) is receiving an overwhelming amount of calls and we are working hard to increase the capacity of this service. A great number of clients should be able to resolve their enquiry through our CERB informational automated service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is 100% accessible to clients. As well, the CERB call centre, which is a new 1,500 agent call centre which opened on April 6th, is available for clients who have already applied through EI for CERB, has shortened wait times and 100% accessibility. The telephone reporting service for EI has been 100% accessible outside core hours of operation and we are adding capacity so it will be 100% accessible during the core hours as well.

4. Income thresholds

What counts towards the $1,000 in income?

The $1,000 includes employment and/or self-employment income. This includes among others: tips earned while working; non-eligible dividends; honoraria (e.g., nominal amounts paid to emergency service volunteers); and royalties (e.g., paid to artists).

However, royalty payments received from work that took place before the period for which a person applies for the CERB do not count as income during that specific benefit period.

Pensions, student loans and bursaries are not employment income and therefore, should not be included in the $1000.

Applications will be verified against tax records to confirm income.

What income types count towards the $5,000 in employment and/or self-employment income?

The $5,000 includes all employment and self-employment income. This includes among others: tips declared as income; non-eligible dividends; honoraria (e.g., nominal amounts paid to emergency service volunteers); and royalties (e.g., paid to artists).

For those people applying through the CRA and are not eligible for Employment Insurance, they can also include maternity and parental benefits received from the Employment Insurance program and/or similar benefits paid in Quebec under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.

Pensions, student loans and bursaries are not considered employment income and should not be included.

Does being in receipt of severance impact a person’s eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

No.

A severance payment does not impact their eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

5. Students

If a student had a summer job lined up but hadn’t started yet and was told that the job is no longer available because of COVID-19 can they receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

No.

The Benefit is only available to individuals who stopped working as a result of reasons related to COVID-19.

If you are looking for a job but did not stop working, you are not eligible for the Benefit.

For example, if you are a student who had a job that ended last summer and were planning on looking for a job for this summer but had not yet started working, you are not eligible for the Benefit.

However, these students could be eligible for the proposed Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB). The proposed CESB will provide emergency financial relief to both students enrolled in postsecondary education programs that lead to a degree, diploma or certificate and recent postsecondary graduates who ended their studies no earlier than December 2019 who had planned to work part-time or full-time and the work is no longer available. The CESB is proposed to provide $1,250 a month for up to four (4) months. An additional $500 a month – or $1,750 – will be available to students with disabilities, and with dependants.

If I am a student who was working part-time during the school year but lost my job because of COVID-19 am I eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes.

A student in that situation could be eligible provided they meet the criteria which include having earned $5000 in the past 12 months or 2019 and have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19.

If they do not meet the criteria for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, they may still be eligible for the proposed Canada Emergency Student Benefit. The proposed CESB will provide emergency financial relief to both students enrolled in postsecondary education programs that lead to a degree, diploma or certificate and recent postsecondary graduates who ended their studies no earlier than December 2019 who had planned to work part-time or full-time and the work is no longer available.

If an international student has met all of the eligibility criteria for Canada Emergency Response Benefit, but once they lost their jobs and classes were moved online they left Canada to return home, would they qualify?

No.

To be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, a person must be reside in CanadAn international student who has returned home is no longer residing in Canada and is therefore ineligible.

6. Self-employed

Are incorporated business owners eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes in certain situations.

An individual who owns an incorporated business, is actively engaged in the business, and receives remuneration for their work would be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) if they have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19 and meet the eligibility requirements.

In the case of a self-employed person, this could include:

  • A self-employed person who is mandated to temporarily close their business due to COVID-19;
  • A self-employed person who stops operating their business that is not currently viable due to COVID-19; or
  • A self-employed person who stops working and is not earning more than $1000 in self-employment income for the 4-week period.

Can a self-employed person choose to stop operating their business because of COVID-19 and be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes in certain situations.

A self-employed individual who stops operating their business because it is not considered financially viable due to COVID-19 or because it has been requested to do so by the relevant authorities, would be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit provided they meet the other eligibility criteri

7. Employment Insurance

Do individuals get to choose between collecting the Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit and collecting Employment Insurance regular Benefits?

No.

If they became eligible for Employment Insurance prior to March 15th, their claim will be processed under the pre-existing Employment Insurance rules.

If they became eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits March 15th onward, their claim will be automatically processed through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

They cannot exit the Employment Insurance system to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit before the end of your Employment Insurance benefit period.

They also cannot get the Employment Insurance benefits and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for the same period.

Does receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit affect the weeks of entitlement for Employment Insurance Benefits?

No.

Getting the Canada Emergency Response Benefit does not impact an individual’s Employment Insurance benefits entitlement.

Will claims for other Employment Insurance benefits beyond regular and sickness (e.g. maternity, parental, caregiving, fishing and work sharing) be transferred automatically to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

No.

Other Employment Insurance benefits (including maternity, parental, caregiving, fishing and work sharing) will continue to be delivered through the existing Employment Insurance system.

Can people who have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefit entitlement but are unable to find work due to COVID-19 eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes.

They are eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if they are a former Employment Insurance claimant who used up their regular or fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020, and are unable to find work due to COVID-19.

The date for which they would potentially become eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit would be the week following their last Employment Insurance benefit payment or March 15, 2020, whichever is most recent.

They cannot receive EI benefits and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit for the same period.

Will beneficiaries need to continue to meet the pre-existing eligibility requirements, including number of hours, for Employment Insurance benefits should they need to apply once they finish receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

If a beneficiary applies for Employment Insurance regular benefits, fishing benefits, or special benefits—such as sickness, maternity, parental or caregiving benefits—after receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, they will need to meet the eligibility requirements of the Employment Insurance program.

Are claimants who indicate they will be going on maternity/parental benefits later in their claim eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The rules applying to EI maternity and parental benefit claims have not changed.

Workers who will be going on maternity and parental leave soon may apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if they meet the eligibility criteri

Claimants who have indicated to Service Canada that they intend to claim EI maternity and parental benefits in the coming weeks are currently processed under the traditional EI rules. This interim approach is intended to facilitate the future transition from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to EI maternity or parental benefits. A permanent approach is under development. Entitlements to EI maternity or parental benefits will not be reduced as a result of this transition.

8. Interaction with provincial/territorial benefits

Can people receive support from their province/territory and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Yes.

Provided it is allowed in their province or territory, they may also receive provincial or territorial support payments at the same time you receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

How will the Government of Canada ensure that provinces and territories do not claw back the support they provide because people are receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The Government of Canada has requested that provinces and territories treat the Canada Emergency Response Benefit in a similar fashion as they treat other benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit.

This means that money received through CERB would not be considered as income when determining the eligibility and amount of benefits provided to Canadians. If not considered income, there wouldn’t be a requirement to claw back funds from vulnerable Canadians.

6. Processing times for CERB

Official title: Issue/Background: Processing times and volumes for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) applications and calls

As of April 21, 2020, 9.2 million applications have been received for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and over 96% of the applications have been processed. The CERB, jointly delivered by both Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency, provides temporary income support to workers who have stopped working due to COVID-19 or who are eligible for Employment Insurance.

To respond to the unprecedented demand, Service Canada has redeployed approximately 3,000 staff to support the delivery of EI and the CERB. This includes establishing a new 1,500 agent call centre dedicated to support clients calling about the CERB. In recent days, with this new call centre, Service Canada has more than tripled the number of calls being answered by agents. The Department is also actively hiring new staff and adding additional capacity to its phone system which will allow more callers to get through to the automated response system on their first attempt. Nonetheless, even with all of these measures, there is tremendous demand on our call centres and we appreciate Canadians’ patience and understanding.

7. Canada Summer Jobs 2020 and MP feedback

Issue

Flexibilities were introduced to Canada Summer Jobs 2020 to support employers and youth in the context of COVID -19. Members of Parliament have been asked to identify new organizations that provide essential services in their community that could offer quality safe jobs for youth, while also providing feedback on projects received via the call for applications.

Key facts

  • On April 8th, the Prime Minister announced temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs 2020.
  • All funded employers will be eligible to receive a wage subsidy up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum wage; offer part-time placements; offer placements until February 28, 2021; and, amend jobs activities to support the delivery of essential services.
  • Outreach has been undertaken and webinars were held on April 16 and 17 with Members of Parliament to support them in their role to provide feedback on eligible projects and to identify new organizations.

Response

  • Temporary changes introduced for Canada Summer Jobs 2020 are aimed at helping employers hire the workers they need to continue to deliver essential services and provide youth access to quality, safe jobs.
  • However, we know that even with these flexibilities, some employers may not be able to hire youth this year amid the current pandemic.
  • We want to leverage Members of Parliament’s knowledge of the circumstances in their communities by asking them to identify additional local employers that provide essential services in their community to help address the COVID-19 situation even if they did not apply for Canada Summer Jobs funding.
  • These changes will help youth stay connected to the labour market, save money for their future, and find quality jobs in safe, inclusive, and healthy work environments.

Background

CSJ provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create quality job placements for youth in safe, inclusive and healthy work environments.

79,279 quality jobs for youth were created through Canada Summer Jobs 2019.

The Canada Summer Jobs 2020 call for applications was open from January 30, 2020 to February 28, 2020. The Department received approximately 37,000 applications to support the creation of over 147,000 jobs representing approximately $897M in funding. Jobs could start as early as May 15, 2020.

The budget for Canada Summer Jobs 2020 is $263M in order to create 70,000 jobs with an average duration of 8 weeks, 35 hours.

MPs can participate in the CSJ program by promoting it to potential employers, identifying local priorities, providing input on project lists and notifying selected employers.

MP feedback

On April 9th, MPs were invited to identify local organizations that provide critical services that had not applied for CSJ funding but could be solicited to submit an application to offer job placements and provide feedback on eligible projects received through the call for applications held in February 2020. The Department also introduced a new MP Feedback tool to streamline the process from previous years.

The Department held webinars on April 16 and 17 to support MP’s to provide feedback and identify new organizations.

During the webinars, MPs raised concerns that there is no additional funding for the new employers they were asked to identify. They noted that with the increase to the wage subsidy, the number of total jobs offered in their riding would be lower this year than last. They also expressed concerns that they were asked to provide feedback on the list of recommended employers before the Department confirms whether these employers will be able to create a job for a youth in a safe environment. MPs have also asked for clarifications on how funding would be allocated between additional projects identified and projects from the call for applications.

It is expected that even with the flexibilities, there will be employers who will not be able to hire youth this year amid the current pandemic and that the withdrawal rate this year will increase from previous years where withdrawals range from 12% to 16% of approved employers.

Since MPs were invited to provide feedback on April 9, 2020, an extension was provided and they now have until April 24 to provide feedback on the list of eligible employers and identify additional employers, should they wish to do so.

Following MP Feedback, the Department will contact all employers recommended for funding in late April and early May to discuss the flexibilities and confirm their participation with the intent to have jobs begin by Mid-May and support employers as early as initially planned. The Department will prioritize funding for the new employers based on the level of priority identified by MPs either as immediate, ahead of the projects received through the call for applications, or potential investment if funding from their constituency budget becomes available.

MP feedback tool

Service Canada has implemented a new tool to simplify the review process for MPs. Feedback will be accurately captured by clearly denoting projects from the call for applications to be funded, projects to be funded if resources become available and projects not to be funded even if funding becomes available in the constituency budget.

The constituency budget initially provided for 48 constituencies in the new feedback tool was incorrect due to an administrative error. The constituency budget should have reflected the same amount allocated in 2019. MPs have now received a revised feedback tool with correct amounts. The Department remains available to support MPs in using the new tool and answer any additional questions they may have about the process.

Key contact/

Name: Jacinthe David

Title: Director

Phone number: 613-404-6948

Approved by/

Name: Patricia Wilson

Title: Director General, LMSDPO

Phone number: 819-219-1255

Date

Date approved in ADMO / COO:

8. Vulnerable populations and COVID-19

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to address COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable Canadians?

Key facts

  • COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations less prepared to deal with the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic. Risks of stress, hardship and abuse rise as isolation increases and gaps emerge in the social supports on which these Canadians rely. In-person and often in-home contact as well as group activities play a key role in supporting vulnerable populations.
  • As part of Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government announced, on April 21st, $350 million for an Emergency Community Support Fund to help community organizations adapt frontline services for vulnerable Canadians during the pandemic.
  • Demands on community support programs are growing rapidly at a time when the number of volunteers is falling. Significant challenges are emerging as front-line staff work to adapt and deliver essential services while minimizing social contact.
  • The Emergency Community Support Fund will help to ensure safe, uninterrupted service to vulnerable Canadians such as seniors, children and youth at risk, people with disabilities, women and members of the LGBTQ2 community during COVID-19.

Response

  • One of the most important roles of our Government during this pandemic is to support vulnerable Canadians, including seniors, children and youth at risk, people with disabilities, women and members of the LGBTQ2 community.
  • The need to reduce social contact to limit the spread of COVID-19 has opened gaps in programs for vulnerable people. It has led to:
    • New challenges in connecting vulnerable persons with the supplies or services they need (e.g. too few volunteers to deliver meals or take seniors to medical appointments);
    • Elimination of in-person, one-on-one support for vulnerable persons (e.g. cancellation of friendly visits to elderly people or in-home supports for persons with disabilities); and
    • Cancellation of group programs (e.g. cancellation of day programs for seniors).
  • The Government will work alongside a small number of national intermediaries, such as the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and Community Foundations of CanadThese intermediaries will channel funds through their regional and local partners to local community organizations who support a wide range of vulnerable populations.
  • The Government anticipates that community organizations receiving funding will, for example:
    • Increase volunteer-based home deliveries or transportation services (e.g. delivery of medications or accompanying/ driving seniors or persons with disabilities to appointments).
    • Scale up help lines that provide information and support (e.g. increasing access to the 211 service of the United Way).
    • Provide training, supplies and other supports required so that volunteers can continue to make their invaluable contribution to the COVID-19 response.
    • Replace in-person one-on-one contact and social gatherings with virtual contact through means like phone calls, texts, teleconferences or the internet.
  • The intermediary model will focus investments on community-identified immediate needs through local organizations with an intimate knowledge of local priorities. It also provides the flexibility to offer additional support and address the different needs of communities as the pandemic evolves.

The Emergency Community Support Fund complements other recently announced measures to support charitable and non-profit organizations in addressing COVID-19-related issues for vulnerable Canadians.

Background

Community organizations are on the frontlines, serving critical community needs both in times of stability and crisis. Many vulnerable Canadians, such as seniors, children and youth at risk, people with disabilities, women, racialized communities such as Black Canadians and members of the LGBTQ2 community rely on these organizations, and that reliance often rises in times of hardship. They provide meals to isolated seniors, services to children and youth at risk, shelter for the homeless, support for those fleeing domestic abuse, addiction counselling, settlement services for recent immigrants, and countless other contributions.

Over the last number of weeks, the Government has heard from stakeholders serving vulnerable populations, such as Children First Canada, Down Syndrome Resource Center Canada, United Way Centraide Canada and the Canadian Red Cross.

These stakeholders raised concerns and offered suggestions on how the Government could best provide support in this challenging time. Stakeholders provided up-to-date information on COVID-19 realities, such as the challenges of pivoting services to keep clients safe while at the same time meeting rising demand.

To-date, the Government of Canada has announced a number of initiatives that support charitable and non-profit organizations in addressing COVID-19-related issues. Examples include: $100M for Food Banks and Local Food Organizations, $9M to United Way Canada through the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support isolated seniors in all regions across Canada, $157.5M in additional funding to the Reaching Home-funded communities to support people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak, and $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities.

The $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund will complement these investments and support community organizations serving vulnerable populations to adapt and reorient their services in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Emergency Community Support Fund will be delivered through the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP) of ESDC. SDPP is a flexible and responsive program focused on supporting children and families, including seniors, persons with disabilities and Black Canadians. ESDC has pioneered innovations in federal funding to charities and non-profits, and has found the intermediary model to be an efficient mechanism that can rapidly distribute funds in a manner that is responsive to community needs.

To support a wide range of community organizations serving vulnerable populations, the Emergency Community Support Fund will rely on three main intermediaries, the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and the Community Foundations of Canada.

Those three intermediaries will:

  • Flow funding quickly to local organizations that need it the most,
  • Conduct fair and transparent assessment processes,
  • Minimize duplication through national and local coordination, and
  • Be accountable for the use of the funds and its results.

In addition, ESDC will work with the Canadian Red Cross to train and equip the volunteers of community organizations to safely provide services; and the United Way to explore the enhancement of the social services helpline 211.

Prepared by/

Name: Jessica Slade

Title: Policy Analyst

Key contact/

Name: Susan MacPhee

Title: Director, Social Programs Division

Phone number: 613-567-3607

Approved by/

Name: Monika Bertrand

Title: Director General, Social Innovation and Community Development Directorate

Phone number: 613-315-4598

Date: April 18, 2020

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

9. Support for charities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Issue

Charities in Canada are requesting supports to withstand the pandemic’s economic disruptions and to pivot their services to support vulnerable groups through COVID-19.

Key facts

  • Charities and non-profits employ 2.4 million people across approximately 170,000 organizations (86,000 charities and around 90,000 non-profits). They added $169 billion to gross domestic product in 2017 (8.5% of GDP). Community charities and non-profits (those outside the health, education and business sectors) employ 611,000 people.
  • Charities and non-profits range from very large to extremely small organizations. They work at the local, regional, provincial/territorial and national levels and are active in almost every area of social, economic, environmental and community life. They provide meals to isolated seniors, services to children and youth at risk and people with disabilities, shelter for the homeless, support for those fleeing domestic abuse, addiction counselling, settlement services for recent immigrants, assistance to urban Indigenous people and other countless contributions.
  • COVID-19 will have a significant negative economic impact on the charitable and non-profit sector. Income has already fallen as charities and non-profits have realized steep drops in sales of goods and services (28% of income to community charities and non-profits in 2017) and donations (18% of income in 2017).
  • Imagine Canada, an umbrella group for the charity and non-profit sector, modelled the pandemic’s economic impact on charities (excluding hospitals, universities and colleges). Because of the pandemic, it is estimated that registered charities could see financial losses of between $9.5 billion and $15.7 billion, and layoffs of between 118,000 and 194,000 of 2.4 million total employees.

Response

The Government of Canada sees charities and non-profits as vital partners in the fight to overcome the health, social and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why we are working with partners to increase the support to ensure organizations on the front lines of COVID-19 can continue to serve those Canadians who need it most

Most recently on April 21, 2020, the Government announced an investment of $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.

This announcement builds on the work that has been done for vulnerable Canadians, including increased support for those experiencing homelessness, help for women and children fleeing violence, counselling services for children and youth, and support for seniors.

Charities and non-profits can also apply for economic supports offered as part of wider COVID-19 response measures including the Canada Emergency Business Account, Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Temporary 10% Wage Subsidy and the Work Sharing Program if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Workers and volunteers in the charitable and non-profit sector who meet the requirements are also eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Background

Over the last number of weeks, the Government of Canada has heard from a large number of stakeholders who have requested support to address impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

On March 20, 2020, Community Foundations of Canada wrote to the Prime Minister to propose a

$1 billion federal contribution to a $1.5 billion fund to keep charities and non-profits in operation. Community Foundations of Canada’s network of 191 community foundations would contribute the other $500 million.

On March 25, 2020, Employment and Social Development Canada received a proposal from United Way for a $150 million Community Response Fund, which included an endorsement for the economic modeling done by Imagine Canada, which demonstrated the need for an $8 billion emergency sector stabilization fund. Additionally, United Way offered its support for the measures suggested by Community Foundations of Canada.

On March 25, 2020, the Emergency Coalition of Canadian Charities, a group of 120 charity leaders, wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau to outline COVID-19’s threat to charities and to call for help. The Coalition proposed an emergency stabilization fund of at least $10 billion to allow charities to stay afloat, pay staff and continue essential services during the pandemic.

The Department has also been hearing from organizations about immediate challenges facing charities and non-profits and actions required to address these needs. This includes Children First Canada, Vanier Institute of the Family, Canadian Camping Association and Boys and Girls Clubs of CanadImagine Canada, an organization representing the charitable sector, has also written to the Government of Canada to request support on behalf of the sector.

Imagine Canada, Community Foundations of Canada, United Way, the Chantier de l’économie sociale and others have written to the Government of Canada to explain the dire circumstances in which many charities and non-profits find themselves and to seek help. Imagine Canada, with the support of more than 200 major organizations across the country, proposed an $8 billion stabilization fund to preserve charities and non-profits.

The Government of Canada is taking measures to help support charities to ensure that vulnerable Canadians can get the supports they need during the COVID-19 crisis. The Government has made investments to support charities and non-profits including:

  • $9 million through United Way Centraide Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors including the delivery of groceries, medications, or other needed items, or personal outreach to assess individuals' needs and connect them to community supports;
  • up to $50 million to women's shelters and sexual assault centres, including facilities in Indigenous communities, to help with their capacity to manage and prevent an outbreak;
  • $7.5 million in funding to Kids Help Phone, a registered charity, to provide young people with the mental health support they need during this difficult time;
  • $100 million for organizations across the country including Food Banks Canada, Salvation Army, Second Harvest, Community Food Centres of Canada, Breakfast Club of Canada, and local-level organizations who serve people experiencing food insecurity; and,
  • $350 million to the Canadian Red Cross, Community Foundations of Canada and the United Way Centraide Canada to provide funding to ensure business continuity for charities and non-profits who have already started trying to adapt their frontline services to address the social inclusion, well-being and safety needs of vulnerable Canadians during COVID-19.

If they meet the eligibility requirements, charities and non-profits can also apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Temporary 10% Wage Subsidy, and the Work Sharing Program. Workers and volunteers in the charitable and non-profit sector who meet the requirements are also eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Charities and non-profit corporations that are eligible for the Canada Emergency Business Account can apply for interest-free loans of up to $40,000, a portion of which can be forgiven if the loan is repaid on or before December 31, 2022. Some charities and non-profits (large organizations who, in normal times, can count on a predictable income) might be able to manage the burden of a loan; many (small organizations of unpredictable income) might not.

Citations / Key quotes

“While COVID-19 is affecting all Canadians, some people are more at risk to the impacts of the pandemic. Recent announcements will further help our most vulnerable Canadians and ensure organizations have what they need to help. Canadians need to look out for one another in these difficult times. We will get through this together.”

The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“The Government of Canada strives to support the most vulnerable in our communities. This pandemic means that some of our fellow Canadians need help now, more than ever. That is why we are working with partners to increase the support to ensure organizations on the front lines of COVID-19 can continue to serve those Canadians who need it most.”

The Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Prepared by/

Name: Jessica Slade

Title: Policy Analyst

Key contact/

Name: Susan MacPhee

Title: Director, Social Programs Division

Phone number: 613-567-3607

Approved by/

Name: Monika Bertrand

Title: Director General, Social Innovation and Community Development Directorate

Phone number: 613-315-4598

Date: April 21, 2020

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

10. Federal Covid-19 measures and their implications for persons with disabilities

1. Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Description

A taxable flat-rate benefit for four months, from April 2020 to July 2020.

Amount (to individuals)

$2,000/month

Eligible individuals/Actors

Those eligible are:

  • Worker has earned $5000 in previous year
  • has stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19 but did not quit their job, not receiving EI, not receiving employment income
  • The Canada Emergency Response Benefit will be accessible through a secure web portal starting in early April. Applicants will also be able to apply via an automated telephone line or via a toll-free number.

Implications for PWDs

Workers with disabilities more likely to have precarious employment, they would be more likely to be laid off and less likely to have EI coverage.

Workers who are caregivers of children and adults with disabilities provided they meet the earnings threshold and are not receiving EI benefits would be more likely than other workers to receive the CERB. The loss of support services due to the pandemic would make it necessary for many of these caregivers to stay at home.

2. Expanded access to CERB and support for essential workers (April 15, 2020)

Description

Changing the eligibility rules to:

  • Allow people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting CERB.
  • Extend CERB to seasonal workers who exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to undertake their usual seasonal work due to COVID-19.
  • Extend CERB to workers who recently exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to find a job or return to work because of COVID-19.

Amount (to individuals)

Can now earn up to $1, 000 per month while collecting CERB.

Eligible individuals/Actors

Eligibility criteria made more flexible:

  • Workers and seasonal workers who recently exhausted their regular EI benefits and cannot find employment due to COVID-19 are entitled.
  • Workers earning up to $1,000 a month can still collect CERB.

Implications for PWDs

Similar to original CERB announcement: rate of low- and modest-income is higher among Canadians with disabilities, and workers with disabilities are more likely to have precarious employment (thus more likely to be laid off and less likely to have EI coverage).

As a result of the above, the exemption for $1,000 in earnings per month and continued aid for those who exhausted EI will help many PWDs.

3. GST Special Payment

Description

One-time special payment to individuals eligible for the Goods and Services Tax credit (based on 2018 filing data). To be available for early May.

Amount (to individuals)

Approx. $400 for single individuals, $600 for couples

Eligible individuals/Actors

Available to those currently receiving the GST credit, no application required.

GST credit is available to any low and middle income Canadian resident age 19 and over (credit phases out at $49,649 in net family income for individuals with no children)

Implications for PWDs

Rate of low- and modest-income is higher among Canadians with disabilities than among their peers without disabilities. As a result, persons with disabilities and, in particular those with severe disabilities, are likely to disproportionately benefit from this measure. Finance estimates about 85 percent of single DTC eligible individuals will qualify for this payment as well as about 50 percent of DTC eligible individuals who are coupled.

4. Improved access to Employment Insurance sickness benefits

Description

The one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits is waived for new claimants who are sick, quarantined or directed to self-isolate. Medical certificates are not required for these claims.

Claimants struggling to apply due to quarantine can also apply later and have their claim backdated to cover the period of delay. Claimants can also apply online or call to access services.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Available to EI eligible individuals

Implications for PWDs

Rate of low- and modest-income higher among PWDs, so immediate access to income support will be of significant help to PWDs. Persons with disabilities are more likely to need to self-isolate due to pre-existing conditions.

On the other hand, persons with disabilities are somewhat less likely than their peers without disabilities to be EI eligible (due to more tenuous labour market attachment).

Alternative means of access to EI services provides more options for PWDs who require accommodations for transportation/delivery. Waiving medical certificate requirement also supports PWDs who would require accommodation for accessing medical support and preparing documentation during quarantine.

5. Increasing the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

Description

This will provide an extra amount per child through the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for 2019-20. This benefit will be delivered as part of the scheduled CCB payment in May.

Amount (to individuals)

$300/child

Eligible individuals/Actors

The CCB is paid to parents or others primarily responsible for the care of a child under 18. It is an income-tested benefit based on family net income. Because it is phased out gradually most Canadian parents/guardians receive at least some CCB.

Families currently receiving the CCB will receive the additional $300 amount. No additional application is required.

Implications for PWDs

This measure will assist parents/guardians of children with disabilities and parents/guardians who have disabilities themselves in the same way as others, but there is no special provision for their additional expenses. There is no increase to the Child Disability Benefit.

6. Canada Emergency Student Benefit

Description

Provide support to students and new graduates who are not eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Available from May to August 2020.

Amount (to individuals)

  • $1,250 per month for eligible students
  • $1,750 per month for eligible students with dependents or disabilities.

Eligible individuals/Actors

Students and new graduates who are not eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Implications for PWDs

Research by the National Educational Association of Disabled Students shows that students with disabilities are less likely to find employment throughout their studies, including summer employment and part-time work during the school year. This additional income is even more vital during COVID-19, where there are less employment opportunities and access to campus services, which can include accommodative housing, assistive technology, and course material in alternative formats at a reasonable prices.

7. Double Canada Student Grants for eligible students

Description

Double Canada Student Grants for all eligible full-time and part-time students in 2020-21.

The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents would also be doubled.

Amount (to individuals)

  • Up to $6,000 for full-time students in 2020-21.
  • Up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020-21.
  • Up to $4,000 (currently $2,000) for Students with Permanent Disabilities
  • Up to $400 per month (currently $200) for Students with Dependents

Eligible individuals/Actors

  • 2020-21 academic year.
  • PWDs who are eligible for Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities.
  • Caregivers of PWDS who are eligible for Canada Student Grants for Students with Dependents.

Implications for PWDs

support to help them in their post-secondary studies during COVID-19.

On average, students with disabilities are less likely to find employment opportunities throughout their PSE career. COVID-19 presents additional costs for this demographic, as there are now less employment opportunities and access to campus accommodative services.

8. $350M for Emergency Community Support Fund

Description

$350 million to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.

Replacing in-person, one-on-one contact and social gatherings with virtual contact through phone calls, texts, teleconferences, or the Internet.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Funding is earmarked for the following:

  • increasing volunteer-based home deliveries (e.g. delivery of groceries or medications);
  • increasing volunteer-based transportation services (e.g. accompanying or driving seniors or persons with disabilities to appointments);
  • scaling up help lines that provide information and support;
  • providing training, supplies and other required supports so volunteers can continue to make their invaluable contributions to the COVID-19 response; and
  • replacing in-person, one-on-one contact and social gatherings with virtual contact through means such as phone calls, texts, teleconferences or the Internet (e.g. seniors centres without walls).

Implications for PWDs

Persons with disabilities are identified as a target beneficiary.

Persons with disabilities are expected to disproportionately benefit from all eligible activities that receive funding, as they largely involve reducing barriers for people who otherwise cannot access essential supplies and services.

In addition, this funding responds directly to needs identified by the disability community to develop training for volunteers and to develop virtual contact measures to replace in person services.

9. Enhancing the Reaching Home initiative

Description

Continue to support people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $157.5M in funding to the Reaching Home initiative. The funding could be used for a range of needs such as purchasing beds and physical barriers for social distancing and securing accommodation to reduce overcrowding in shelters.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across CanadThis program provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.

Implications for PWDs

Persons with disabilities and chronic health conditions, especially mental health-related, are generally reported to be over-represented in the homeless population, although limited data is available. Some research suggests that persons with disabilities are more at risk of hidden homelessness which could be a particular at risk group during this crisis. Not clear if any specific funding is being targeted to the needs of the homeless population with disabilities.

10. Government of Canada connects Canadians with mental wellness supports during COVID-19

Description

A portal dedicated to mental wellness on Canada.ca/coronavirus. The service will connect Canadians to peer support workers, social workers, psychologists and other professionals for confidential chat sessions or phone calls, and will make it easier to find credible information and help address mental health and substance use issues.

Investment of $25 million, announced April 15, 2020

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Free, accessible support for anyone reaching out via phone, text, mobile app or online website.

Implications for PWDs

PWDs at all stages in life have less access to credible services and resources as a result of COVID-19. Loss of access to peer networks and the need for physical distancing also exacerbates symptoms for people with stress disorders, depression, and many other conditions.

This service is also particularly helpful for young people with disabilities, as mental-health related disabilities are the most prevalent type of disability among young Canadians.

11. Funding for Kids Help Phone

Description

$7.5 million in funding to support counsellors and trained volunteers working at Kids Help Phone—an e-mental health service phone line that offers counseling to children in need in both official languages.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Free, accessible support to any young person reaching out via phone, text, mobile app or online website.

Implications for PWDs

Mental-health related disabilities are the most prevalent type of disability among young Canadians. This funding could also increase professional services tailored to particular disabilities and mental health conditions.

12. Funding for food banks and local food organizations

Description

The Local Food Infrastructure Fund is investing $100 million to organizations that support people and communities experiencing food insecurity:

  • $50 million to Food Banks Canada.
  • $20 million divided evenly between Salvation Army, Second Harvest, Community Food Centres Canada, and Breakfast Club of Canada.
  • $30 million for local-level organizations who serve people experiencing food insecurity.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Eligible activities for this funding include the purchase of food, support for the transportation and distribution of food, hiring temporary help to fill volunteer shortages, and activities to implement biosecurity measures, such as the purchase of personal protective equipment, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among volunteers and clients.

Implications for PWDs

Food Banks Canada estimates that about 1 in 5 of those accessing food banks are on provincial disability supports.

Access to food banks and local food organizations is more difficult during COVID due to (1) increased demand and (2) self-isolation measures. Part of the funding is to find innovative ways to overcome these access barriers, and PWDs are disproportionately affected by these barriers.

13. Indigenous Community Support Fund

Description

$305 million for a new, distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. This funding will also provide support to regional, urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

The Indigenous Community Support Fund will be distributed as follows:

  • $215 for First Nations;
  • $45 million for Inuit;
  • $30 million for Métis Nations;
  • $15 million for regional and urban Indigenous organizations.

Implications for PWDs

About a third of the Indigenous population in Canada identifies as having a disability. The extent to which Indigenous persons with disabilities will benefit will depend upon specific initiatives and projects and how individual communities choose to allocate resources.

14. Health and social support for northern communities

Description

$72.6 million to Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut to support their COVID-19 health and social services.

Up to $17.3 million to support northern air carriers.

$15 million in non-repayable support for businesses in the territories to help address the impacts of COVID-19.

$25 million to Nutrition North Canada to increase subsidies so families can afford much-needed nutritious food and personal hygiene products.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

  • $72.6 million to help territories address critical priorities to minimize outbreak.
  • $17.3 million for aircraft carriers to ensure supply of food, medical supplies, and other essential goods and services to remote communities.
  • $15 million in non-repayable support to help businesses with costs not covered by other Federal measures.
  • Funding for Nutrition North Canada will subsidize a list of foods and essential items, such as cleaning and personal hygiene products.

Implications for PWDs

21.2% of the population of the territories identify as having a disability with a slightly higher prevalence among women. As such persons with disabilities are likely to disproportionately benefit from these measures. Persons with disabilities living in isolated, northern communities face additional barriers and risks to accessing essential services, including food, hygiene products, medication, etc.

This funding is intended to aid many Indigenous communities in northern communities. About a third of the Indigenous population in Canada identifies as having a disability.

15. Funding for community services to Canadian seniors

Description

$9 million in funding to United Way Canada for local organizations to support services to Canadian seniors (delivery of groceries, medications, and other needed items and personal outreach to assess individual needs).

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Senior citizens and local community organizations for senior citizens that are supported by United Way.

Implications for PWDs

37.8 percent of Canadians 65 and older identify as having a disability. Among those over 75 years of age this rises to 47.4 percent. Seniors disproportionately experience more barriers due to disabilities, and they are more likely to lose access to vital support services due to self-isolation and quarantine. This funding should help ensure that support services continue.

16. Support for women’s shelters and sexual assault centres

Description

Supporting women and children fleeing violence, by providing $40M in funding to Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), $30M of which will address immediate needs of shelters and sexual assault centres.

Up to $26M to Women’s Shelters Canada for roughly 575 violence against women shelters across the country.

Up to $4M to the Canadian Women’s Foundation for sexual assault centres across the country.

10M to Indigenous Services Canada’s shelters on reserves and in Yukon.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Women’s shelters and sexual assault centres

Implications for PWDs

Women with disabilities are much more likely than other women to be victims of abuse and violence. According to a DAWN study on violence against women 60% of women with disabilities are likely to experience some form of violence in CanadWomen with disabilities are also more prone to be victims of abuse by caregivers which could escalate during the crisis. Research suggests that women with disabilities are less likely to get the support they need at women’s shelters for accessibility reasons. The funding announced does not provide any conditions for accessibility of services.

17. Moratorium on student loan repayments

Description

Six-month interest-free moratorium on the repayment of Canada Student Loans. No payment will be required and interest will not accrue during this time.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Available to all student loan borrowers. No application required.

Implications for PWDs

Would be of benefit to those persons with disabilities currently participating in PSE and those who entered the labour market.

Persons with disabilities are less likely than their peers without disabilities to be participating in post-secondary education. Those that are participating in PSE, however, are more likely to have lower household incomes and to rely on financial aid (including student loans). Those with severe and permanent disabilities who are the least likely to be able to work would already have access to loan forgiveness through other mechanisms in the student loan program (e.g., Severe and Permanent Disability Benefit).

18. Wage subsidies

Description

Wage subsidies of up to 75 per cent for qualifying employers, for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020.

Amount (to individuals)

Up to $847/week

(75 per cent of a salary on the first $58,700)

Eligible individuals/Actors

Available to any employer (private or non-profit) who experiences a decrease in revenues of at least 30 per cent. Size of employer does not matter.

No employee-specific eligibility requirements

Implications for PWDs

Persons with disabilities are more likely to work in some of the more heavily affected sectors (Accommodations and Food Services; Retail Trade; and, Not-For-Profit)

19. Support to protect Canadian jobs

Description

Over $1.7 billion for targeted measures, including:

  • $675 million for small and medium-sized businesses that cannot access existing COVID-19 support measures.
  • $287 million for rural businesses and communities, including access to capital.
  • $500 million to set up COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations to help organizations support artists and athletes.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Funding for businesses that face unique barriers.

This includes small and medium-sized business that cannot access existing COVID-19 support measures and rural businesses/ communities that need access to capital during the outbreak.

Funding for Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Organizations will help artists and athletes.

Implications for PWDs

PWDs are more likely to work in some of the more heavily affected sectors (Accommodations and Food Services; Retail Trade; and, Not-For-Profit). They also face additional barriers while living in remote communities that rely heavily on fewer businesses and organizations.

A large amount of cultural, heritage, and sport organizations assist artists and athletes who face unique barriers, like discrimination: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding.html

20. Changes to Canada Summer Jobs program to help businesses and young Canadians affected by COVID-19

Description

Increase to wage subsidy: private and public sector employers receive up to 100% of the provincial/territorial minimum wage for each employee.

Extension to end date for employment to February 28, 2021.

Allow employers to adapt projects and job activities to support essential services.

Allow employers to hire staff on part-time basis.

Help create up to 70,000 jobs for youth aged between 15 and 30.

Amount (to individuals)

N/A

Eligible individuals/Actors

Competitive process. Eligible employers (private, public, and non-profit) who submit application for wage subsidies are assessed based on 3 criteria:

  • Provide quality work experiences for youth.
  • Provide youth with opportunity to develop and improve their skills.
  • Respond to national/local priorities to improve access to labour market for youth facing unique barriers.

Implications for PWDs

Expanding this program encourages more employers to hire and assist PWDs.

Employers who accommodate employees with disabilities are eligible for additional funding and flexible work schedules options.

Under assessment criteria, points are awarded to employers who provide services to PWDs or intend to hire youth with disabilities.

21. Extending the Work-Sharing program

Description

Extend the maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program from 38 weeks to 76 weeks. The Work-Sharing program is offered to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers. Their lost earnings are then offset by Employment Insurance payments.

Amount (to individuals)

Varies

Eligible individuals/Actors

Available to EI-eligible, core employees (year round permanent full-time or part-time employees who are required to carry out the everyday functions of normal business activity)

Implications for PWDs

Would benefit those persons with disabilities currently working for an employer who must scale-back operations. It ensures that they retain their employment and all corresponding benefits (including any health benefits).

Canadians with disabilities may be somewhat less likely than those without disabilities to qualify for this measure given that they are somewhat less likely to qualify for EI and to qualify as ‘core employees’ (due to more part-time or temporary work).

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