Extended lockdown benefit for Canadian workers comes into effect

The Government of Canada announced on Thursday that an extended eligibility for the Canada Worker Continuation Benefit (PCTCC) is in effect.

Also read: Ottawa has expanded eligibility for certain purposes in response to Omicron

Canadians living in areas affected by lockdowns or capacity restrictions can now access PCTCC.

This benefit provides $ 300 per week income support to eligible workers who are directly affected by the COVID-19-related regulatory action, which means they lose 50% or more of their income. Workers in the newly appointed Containment Regions can apply for the benefit in advance from Thursday, December 19, 2021 to February 12, 2022.

While supporting economic recovery, the government says it is committed to providing Canadians with the support they need to counter the impact of the evolution of the Omicron variant.

Cases of fraud and suspicious activity will continue to be monitored and new regulations will be put in place to protect the integrity of programs and ensure that only eligible Canadians receive benefit payments, the federal government added.

Currently, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut are included in designated areas. The list will be updated as regional and regional governments implement changes to the limits imposed by the Public Health Authority.

Eligibility criteria for PCTCC are as follows:

• Earned at least $ 5,000 in 2020, 2021 or 12 months before the application date;
• Filed a tax return for 2020;
• Work or provide service in a designated contingency area;
• Faced with one of the following consequences: job loss, inability to execute contracts as a self-employed employee, living in a fixed contingency area with an average weekly decrease in income of at least 50% compared to the previous year.

Also to see