After CERB: Transitioning to recovery benefits

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Transition from CERB to Employment Insurance (EI)

The Government of Canada announced changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program and new recovery benefits that continued to support workers.

The CERB closed to retroactive applications on December 2, 2020. You can no longer apply for this benefit.

If you received the CERB through Service Canada

After you received your last CERB payment, you must continue completing reports. In most cases, you did not need to apply for EI benefits. If you were receiving the CERB when it ended in early October 2020, we would have automatically reviewed your file and your record of employment (ROE), then started a claim for EI regular benefits if you qualified. If you did not qualify, you would have been notified by mail.

In a few cases, some workers needed to apply for EI benefits, including those who received CERB through Service Canada but stopped receiving it before the CERB ended in early October 2020.

Additionally, you needed to apply for EI after your CERB ended if:

  • you have a SIN that starts with a 9
  • you’re self-employed, or
  • you declared that you returned to work full-time on your CERB report
If you need sickness benefits instead of regular benefits

You can declare on your reports that you’re unable to work for medical reasons and you could receive up to 15 weeks of sickness benefits.

If you received the CERB through the Canada Revenue Agency

If you believe you might be eligible for EI, you can apply for EI benefits after the end of your last CERB eligibility period. Visit EI benefits and leave to determine which benefit is right for your situation and to apply online.

Apply for Employment Insurance

Recovery benefits

Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)

The CRB closed to retroactive applications on December 23, 2021. You can no longer apply for this benefit.

The Canada Recovery Benefit provided eligible workers with up to 54 weeks of income support for those who were not eligible for EI and were either not employed or self-employed due to COVID-19, or had their employment/self-employment income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19. The first 42 weeks were paid at $500 per week (taxable, tax deducted at source), and the remaining 12 weeks were paid at $300 per week (taxable, tax deducted at source). All new Canada Recovery Benefit recipients on or after July 18, 2021 also received a rate of $300 per week. This benefit was paid in 2-week periods. The CRB ended on October 23, 2021. If you were eligible, you could have applied for open CRB periods, up to 60 days after each period ended.

Learn more about the Canada Recovery Benefit

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

CRCB ended on May 7, 2022

If you are eligible, you can only apply for open CRCB periods, up to 60 days after each period has ended. The last period for the CRCB is period 84 (May 1 to 7, 2022) which will be open for application until July 6, 2022.

Find out which periods are still open for application.

The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) provided $500 per week (taxable, tax deducted at source) for up to 42 weeks per household for workers unable to work for at least 50% of the week because they had to care for a child under the age of 12 or family member because schools, day-cares or care facilities were closed due to COVID-19, or because the child or family member was sick and/or self-isolating or was at high risk of serious health complications because of COVID-19. This benefit was paid in one-week periods and was available from September 27, 2020 until May 7, 2022.

Learn more about the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

CRSB ended on May 7, 2022

If you are eligible, you can only apply for open CRSB periods, up to 60 days after each period has ended. The last period for the CRSB is period 84 (May 1 to 7, 2022) which will be open for application until July 6, 2022.

Find out which periods are still open for application.

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) provided $500 per week (taxable, tax deducted at source) for up to a maximum of 6 weeks, for workers who were unable to work for at least 50% of the week because they contracted COVID-19, self-isolated for reasons related to COVID-19, or had underlying conditions, were undergoing treatments or had contracted other sicknesses that, in the opinion of a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, person in authority, government or public health authority, would have made them more susceptible to COVID-19. This benefit was paid in one-week periods and was available from September 27, 2020 until May 7, 2022.

Learn more about the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit

Questions and answers

Questions about the Canada Recovery Benefits

Please read these questions and answers for more details.

Questions about the temporary changes to EI

Please read these questions and answers for more details.

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