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General information by telephone

Answers to top questions

I wasn’t eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) before, am I now?

The CERB is now available if you earned $1,000 (before taxes) or less during an eligibility period or if you received regular EI benefits for at least 1 week since December 29, 2019 and you are no longer eligible for EI benefits.

If this applies to your situation, you may be eligible to apply for a previous period, starting March 15, 2020.

Get more details under Who can apply, or read more about Income Requirements.

Get help with your specific CERB case or application (EI or CRA)

The CERB is being jointly delivered by Service Canada (using EI) and the Canada Revenue Agency.

You must contact the department you applied with.

If you are not sure who you applied with

You should contact CRA if:

  • the application you filled was very short
  • you applied through CRA My Account or applied with an automated phone service
  • you were encouraged to apply on a specific day of the week, depending on your month of birth
  • you were asked what period of eligibility you were applying for and then had to certify that you met the eligibility requirements

Note: It is possible you may have logged in to My Service Canada Account and then switched to CRA My Account

You should contact Service Canada if:

  • you applied online and did not need to enter a user ID or password. The application by telephone was not available
  • you were asked several questions, similar to an employment insurance (EI) application, including the type of EI benefits you were applying for and the name of your former employer
If you applied for the CERB with CRA
Ask about the status of your CERB payment

Contact the CRA at:
1-800-959-8281

Update your address or direct deposit information

Contact the CRA at:
1-800-959-8281

Questions about reapplying for the CERB

Contact the CRA at:
1-833-966-2099

If you applied using Employment Insurance (Service Canada)
Ask about the status of your CERB payment

Contact Service Canada at:
1-833-699-0299

Update your address or direct deposit information

Contact Service Canada at:
1-800-206-7218

Missing your access code for EI reports

If it's been 15 days since your application and you still are missing your access code, contact Service Canada at:
1-800-206-7218

Get help with EI reports

You will need to complete EI reports over the phone or file your EI reports online to keep receiving the CERB.

Get help with your EI reports:
1-800-206-7218

More about Employment Insurance (EI)

All other inquiries for applications on or after March 15th

Contact Service Canada at:
1-833-699-0299

All other inquiries for applications before March 15th

Contact Service Canada at:
1-800-206-7218

Get help applying:

Questions about eligibility or how to apply (including applying for other periods)

Find answers to common questions:
1-833-966-2099

If you are unable to apply via My Account or by phone

Contact the CRA at:
1-800-959-8281

How do I return or repay CERB?

You may want to return or repay the CERB if you:

  • return to work earlier than expected
  • applied for CERB but later realize you’re not eligible

How to return or repay your CERB payment with CRA

Getting CERB if you already applied for Employment Insurance

If you’ve already applied for EI, you will get CERB automatically. You don’t need to apply again, but you must continue to do your Internet report every 2 weeks.

More about Employment Insurance (EI)

Do I need to reapply for CERB?

Eligibility periods are fixed in 4-week periods.

If you applied through CRA

If your situation continues, you can re-apply for CERB for an additional 4-week period, to a maximum of 16 weeks (4 periods).

Find out on which day you should apply

If you applied through Service Canada (EI)

You do not have to reapply, but you must continue to do your Internet report every 2 weeks.

I applied for CERB, when should I expect to get the money?

You should get your payment in 3 business days if you signed up for direct deposit. If you haven’t, you should get a cheque in about 10 business days. There is no waiting period.

More about Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Find answers to other CERB questions

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General assistance by telephone

Telephone service hours

Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm (your local time)

Wait time: What to expect

Times are displayed in minutes (min) and seconds (s). Last updated July 2 at 9:40 am Eastern time.

Current wait time

0 min 02 s

Current wait time

Of all the callers in queue, this is the longest wait time.

Average call length

5 min 22 s

Average call length

This is the average length of time that our callers spend speaking with a live agent.

The length of time you spend speaking with a live agent may vary depending on:

  • the reason for your call
  • the type of help you need

Callers waiting

2

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