Who can qualify for the CRB benefit?
Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)
It is for people who do not qualify for Employment Insurance (EI). This includes most people who are:
- self-employed, or
- independent contractors, sometimes called gig workers.
To qualify for the CRB, all of the following must apply to you:
- you live in Canada, are at least 15 years old, and have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- you stopped working due to COVID-19 and are available and looking for work or you're working but making less money because of COVID-19
- you're not eligible for EI
- you had at least $5,000 in income in 2019 or 2020
- you did not quit your job voluntarily, which likely means you were fired or laid off
To qualify, you must also lose at least 50% of your normal weekly income during the two-weeks that you apply for the CRB. You can't get the CRB if you voluntarily work fewer hours than normal.
Your "normal income" means your average weekly income:
- during 2019, or
- in the 12 months before you apply for the CRB.
The CRB will pay $500 a week for up to 26 weeks.
- But, if you make more than $38,000in 2020 or 2021, you'll have to pay some of it back at tax time.
- For every dollar you make over $38,000in 2020 or 2021, you'll have to pay back 50 cents. This means that if you make $40,000 in 2020, you'll have to pay back $1,000.
- And, if you make $46,000 or morein 2020, you'll have to pay back all the money that you got from CRB.