CERB announcement August 20
Federal officials announced yesterday that the Canada's CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) will be extended another four weeks into September.
CERB will now be in place until September 27, 2020, extending the program from six months to 28 weeks. Deputy Prime Minister and new Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement during a news conference in Ottawa.
This means anyone who has reached the maximum payout of six periods (of four weeks each) can now claim the benefit one more time. This brings the maximum payment period to 28 weeks.
Freeland also says the benefit extension is part of a new COVID-19 aid package that will cost the Federal Government $37 billion.
The program has already paid out more than $69 billion to more than 8.6 million recipients. That's more than a quarter of Canada's adult population.
The CERB launched in April this year as part of the government's response to mass employment in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligibility requirements for the benefit remain the same as when it began in the Spring. The requirements are available online with Service Canada.
