The CERB, eligibility rules have been expanded to:
- Allow people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the CERB.
- Extend the CERB to seasonal workers who have exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to undertake their regular seasonal work as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Extend the CERB to workers who have recently exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to find a job or return to work because of COVID-19.
These changes will be retroactive to March 15, 2020. The application portal has been updated to reflect these changes.
Essential workers
The Government of Canada will work with provinces and territories through a new transfer to cost-share a temporary top-up to the salaries of low-income essential workers that the provinces and territories have deemed essential in the fight against COVID-19.
Provinces and territories will be able to provide their low-income essential workers (those who earn less than $2,500 per month), with a top-up.