The Government of Canada will begin accepting applications for the federal Emergency Response Benefit next week, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his latest public address on Sunday.
Anyone who has lost their job or paycheque as a result of COVID-19 may be eligible to receive temporary income support of up to $500 a week for a maximum of 16 weeks.
Applications will open according to the individual’s month of birth, starting Monday with those born in January, February and March.
Approved individuals will receive payment in three to five days if they select direct deposit as their method of transfer, or a maximum of 10 days if they choose to receive the benefit by mail.
Trudeau went on to say that the best thing Canadians can do during this time is to follow the advice of public health officials, to not only protect their health but that of their loved ones and society as a whole.
“Wash your hands and stay home except for getting critical things like groceries and medication and try and make that trip only once a week. If you do have to go out, keep a safe distance of at least two meters with others, that’s how you can keep doing your part.”
Those with a specialized skill set, however, may have a role to play in the federal response to the pandemic he said, should they choose to apply.
Health Canada is in the process of building an inventory of volunteers that provinces and territories can pull from to provide more support for front line workers. Roles of which could include but are not limited to, tracking cases and tracing contact, as well as collecting and reporting data.
Those interested in lending a helping hand are asked to register online at Canada.ca/coronavirus before April 24.
The Government of Canada will also be offering temporary full-time jobs to reservists in the Canadian Forces, with the same pay and benefits of regular personnel over the coming months.
Find more information on Trudeau’s media briefing and the following presentation by Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer of Canada, here.
Watch the live-streamed presentation by Justin Trudeau in the video below.
