Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) explained

The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) was introduced as one of three measures to help those who don’t qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) and still need assistance, now that CERB has ended.

The CRCB is available from September, 2020 to October 23, 2021. This benefit will provide $500 per week for up to 26 weeks. The benefit paid out for each week will be $450, which is $500 less withholding tax of $50.

Who is eligible for CRCB?

To be eligible for the CRCB, applicants must:

• Be resident and present in Canada during the week
• Be at least 15 years old on the first day of the week
• Have a valid SIN
• Be employed or self-employed on the day before the period for which application is submitted
• Have earned at least $5,000 in 2019 or in 2020
• Have missed a minimum of 50 percent of the time they would have worked, whether employed or self-employed to care for a child (under 12 years of age) or to provide care to a family member that requires supervised care due to:
  • the school, daycare, day program or care facility being closed or operating under an alternative schedule during the pandemic;
  • the child or family member being unable to attend school, daycare, day program or their care facility because they may have contracted COVID-19 or would be at high-risk if they did; or
  • the regular caregiver being unavailable due to COVID-19
• Not have received other paid leave for the same period
• Not have received CERB, the EI emergency response benefit, CRB, CRSB, short term disability benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, any EI benefits or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits for the period for the which application is being submitted

How do I apply for CRCB?

Individuals must apply for the CRCB on CRA’s website for each week being applied for. This would include an attestation that they continue to meet the requirements.

Individuals can apply for a maximum of 26 weeks during the eligibility period; however, the two weeks do not need to be taken consecutively. The application must be completed no later than 60 days after the end of the two-week period they are applying for. Only one person per household is able to apply for the benefit per week and the 26-week maximum limit applies per household.

To expedite receipt of the payment, individuals should register for direct deposit as payment will likely be received in half the time. Furthermore, applicants should have filed their 2019 tax return, otherwise, it may cause delays with their application. Applications can be made through CRA’s My Account or by phone.

The CRCB is currently open for application as of October 5, for the one-week period of September 27 to October 3, 2020. Each week starts on a Sunday and ends on the following Saturday. The application for subsequent weeks will open on the Monday after the end of the one-week period.

Learn about the other measures introduced by the government for those who require assistance and don’t qualify for EI now that CERB has ended.

If you have questions about any of these programs, reach out to your local Grant Thornton advisor.