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The federal government is expanding the eligibility of some key COVID-19 benefit programs to include workers who lost at least 50 per cent of income due to the new restrictions and capacity limits introduced by almost all provinces and territories across Canada.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland today announced the federal government’s intention to temporarily expand eligibility for Lockdown Program and Worker Lockdown Benefit included in Bill C-2 which became law on December 17, 2021
According to the news release, eligible Canadians can receive $300 or $270 after taxes for each week provided they have lost 50 per cent or more of their income as a result of new restrictions.
Ottawa is also changing the eligibility of Local Lockdown Program to include businesses that are subject to capacity restrictions of 50 per cent or more.
“The Omicron variant is a real and serious threat to the health and safety of Canadians and the capacity of our health care system. In light of the public health situation and new restrictions in a number of provinces, we are temporarily expanding eligibility for key support measures offered for workers and businesses,” said Chrystia Freeland announcing the proposed changes. “The federal government will continue to help Canadians through the pandemic and ensure Canada’s economic recovery leaves no one behind.”
Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit:
The proposed changes to the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit would temporarily expand the definition of a public health lockdown order to also include provincial orders involving capacity restrictions of 50% or more.
The changes would also include reducing the minimum number of days a lockdown order needs to be in place to meet the new definition to 7 consecutive days, down from 14 consecutive days.
The benefit provides income support of $300 per week to workers whose employment is interrupted as a result of a specific government-imposed public health lockdown and who are unable to work due to such restrictions and who have lost 50 per cent or more of their income as a result.
The temporary changes are effective from December 19, 2021 to February 12, 2022.
The government says, the definition of Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit would revert to the original definition after February 12th – a lockdown order is an order made because of COVID-19 that requires premises where commercial activities or services are carried out to be closed to the public for at least 14 consecutive days in a region. In addition, these would be for non-essential services – i.e. services that are not essential to preserving life, health, public safety, and basic societal functioning.
Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit is available from October 24, 2021, to May 7, 2022.
The applications will open once government passes these changes to Bill C-2.
Local Lockdown Program:
Ottawa is also planning to expand the initial eligibility requirement that organizations be subject to a lockdown. Local Lockdown Program provides businesses that face new local lockdowns with up to the maximum amount of support available through the wage and rent subsidy programs.
The changes to the Local Lockdown Program means that businesses can qualify for the benefit if:
- One or more of its locations is subject to a public health order that has the effect of reducing the entity’s capacity at the location by 50 per cent or more, and
- Activities restricted by the public health order accounted for at least 50 per cent of the entity’s total qualifying revenues during the prior reference period.
In addition, the government intends to temporarily lower the current-month revenue loss threshold from 40 per cent to 25 per cent. Employers would continue to need to demonstrate current-month losses only, without the requirement for a historical 12-month revenue decline.
The rate would start at 25 per cent for eligible organizations with a 25-per-cent current-month revenue decline, increasing thereafter in proportion to current-month revenue loss up to a maximum rate of 75 per cent for those with a current-month revenue decline of 75 per cent or higher.
The temporary changes would be in effect for qualifying periods from December 19, 2021, to February 12, 2022.
The Local Lockdown Program is available from October 24, 2021, to May 7, 2022.
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Mowlid j sajac from Ontario Toronto
I Left my job November 19/2021
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I can’t work I have pain every day until Now I need help 💞💞💞 thank you again everyone
I wonder when the CRA will update the application page?