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Canada Emergency Student Benefit Update

New regulations under the Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act were recently published which apply retroactively to May 10, 2020. These regulations provide some clarity about the CESB application period, eligibility, the benefit amount, and the benefit duration. For more information about the CESB, including more information about eligibility, please see our previous blog post on this subject.

The CESB application is available through the CRA My Account online portal. Students who want to apply should visit the government's information web-page to determine when to apply.

Application Period

The relevant application period depends on a few factors. Nothing has changed for students enrolled in a post-secondary program between December 31, 2019 and August 31, 2020: such individuals can still apply for the benefit for the period of May 10, 2020 until August 29, 2020. However, the application period for students graduating from secondary school who will commence a post-secondary program before February 1, 2021 depends on the student's graduation date:

  • Secondary students graduating between May 10, 2020 and June 6, 2020 can only apply for the benefit for the period of June 7, 2020 to August 29, 2020; and
  • Secondary students graduating on or after June 7, 2020 can only apply for the benefit for the period of July 5, 2020 to August 29, 2020.

Eligibility

The regulations clarify that students who earn up to $1,000.00 remain eligible for the benefit. Students who earn over $1,000.00 are ineligible.

Benefit Amount

The regulations confirm the government's previous policy statements that eligible students will receive $1,250.00 for every 4-week period they remain eligible, while eligible students with dependants or a disability will receive $2,000.00 for the same period.

Benefit Duration

Eligible students can receive the CESB for up to a maximum of 16 weeks, less the number of weeks the eligible student received the CERB or any other Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit. This means that eligible students cannot receive both the CERB and CESB, and the number of weeks for which an eligible student can receive the CESB decreases by the number of weeks that student received any other emergency response benefit. Students without dependants or a disability should therefore consider applying for the CERB if eligible for that benefit since the benefit amount is $750 greater for every 4-week period. However, it is likely that students who receive but were ineligible for the CERB could be asked to repay the $750 difference or the whole $2,000 CERB amount since the government is relying on applicants to determine their own eligibility and will be auditing the emergency response benefit programs at a later date. It is therefore important to determine your eligibility before applying to an emergency response benefit program to avoid any clawback that could result from an overpayment.

Note: while this blog and the information above provides general information, it does not constitute legal advice. The best way to get guidance on your specific legal issue is to contact a lawyer. For more information about the benefits available to you, or if you have any other questions regarding your employment issue, please contact our office for a consultation with one of our lawyers.
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