Income Support for Individuals Who Need it Most | Mar 19, 2020
For Canadians without paid sick leave (or similar workplace accommodation) who are sick, quarantined or forced to stay home to care for children, the Government is:
Waiving the one-week waiting period for those individuals in imposed quarantine that claim Employment Insurance sickness benefits. This temporary measure is in effect as of March 15, 2020.
- Waiving the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits.
- Introducing the Emergency Care Benefit providing up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks. This fiat-payment Benefit would be administered through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provide income support to:
- Workers, including the self-employed, who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.
- Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent, but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.
- Parents with children who require care/supervision due to school closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.
Learn more about Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses by visiting www.canada.ca.