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

To be eligible to receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) from Service Canada you must meet the following criteria:

• you are a resident in Canada
• you are 15 years of age or older at the time of application
• you have not quit your job voluntarily
• you are not receiving and have not applied for the CERB from the Canada Revenue Agency
• you are not receiving Employment Insurance benefits for the same benefit period
• you have earned a minimum of $5,000 in employment income (insurable earnings) in the 12 months prior to your application or in the 2019 calendar year
• you have stopped or will stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, or because you are unable to work due to illness, or because you lost your employment for other reasons beyond your control; and
  • you have stopped or will stop working for at least 7 consecutive days in the first 2-week period for which you are claiming benefits; or
  • you did not receive more than $1,000 in combined employment or self-employment income over 4 successive weeks that you were receiving the benefit.

You are also eligible to receive the CERB from Service Canada if you have been paid Employment Insurance regular or fishing benefits for at least a week since December 29, 2019 and if you meet the following criteria:

• you have used up your entitlement to those benefits; and
• you did not receive more than $1,000 in combined employment or self-employment income over 4 successive weeks that you were receiving the CERB.

You can apply if you meet these eligibility criteria.

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