Who can apply

Status: Ended

Retroactive applications

The CRA is continuing to accept and process retroactive applications until December 2, 2020.

You can apply for periods 5 to 7 through the CRA’s My Account or automated toll-free phone line at 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041.

You can apply for periods 1 to 4 by speaking to one of our agents at 1-800-232-1966. Please note that you may be required to provide additional documentation to the CRA prior to your application being approved.

Find support after CERB

If you continue to need income support, find out if you are eligible for Employment Insurance or other Recovery benefits.

Transition to new COVID-19 benefits

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the $2,000 CERB payment, you must have met the following conditions during the period you are applying for:

You did not apply for, nor receive, CERB or EI benefits from Service Canada for the same eligibility period
You did not quit your job voluntarily
You reside in Canada and are at least 15 years old
You earned a minimum of $5,000 (before taxes) in the last 12 months, or in 2019, from one or more of the following sources:
- employment income
- self-employment income
- provincial benefit payments related to maternity or parental leave
One of the following:
- Your work hours have been reduced because of COVID-19 (see last checkbox below for more details)
- You have stopped or will stop working because of COVID 19
- You are unable to work because of COVID-19, for example because you are taking care of someone
- You have been paid EI regular or fishing benefits for at least one week of benefits since December 29, 2019 and have used up your entitlement to those benefits
One of the following:
- If you are applying for the first time: You have stopped or will stop working, or you are working reduced hours due to COVID-19, and you don't expect to earn over $1,000 in employment or self-employment income (before deductions) for at least 14 days in a row during the 4-week period.
- If you are applying for a subsequent period: You are still not working, or you are working reduced hours due to COVID-19, and don't expect to earn over $1,000 in employment or self-employment income (before deductions), and you expect this to continue during the entire 4-week period.
What counts towards the $1,000 in income you can earn?

You are eligible and ready to proceed

Seeking work opportunities

The CERB is available to provide support to those who are unable to work due to COVID-19. Workers should be seeking work opportunities and/or return to work when their employer makes a request for their return, provided they are able and it is reasonable to do so. You are encouraged to consult Job Bank, Canada’s national employment service that offers tools to help with your job search.

Verifying your eligibility

The CRA will be verifying that you are eligible to receive the benefit. You may receive a notice from the CRA asking you to contact the CRA to validate your application. This is needed to verify your information and process your application.

In cases where claimants have received a payment and are later found to be ineligible, they will be contacted to make arrangements to repay any applicable amounts. Canadians can also report suspected CERB misuse through the CRA's Leads program.

As part of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the CRA will also be comparing employers' payroll records with information provided by CERB claimants to ensure that individuals who have returned to work and who have therefore become ineligible for the CERB repay those amounts.

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Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) with CRA