Canada's Covid-19 Response
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The great thing about building a blogger network is that yous can make friends with people from around the world. In writing about US policies and politics, I oft neglect to consider what other countries are doing. It makes sense, since I live in u.s.a., that most of my policy posts volition be about u.s.. But, sometimes its interesting to compare. So, I asked one of my Canadian friends to write most Canada's response to Covid-19, every bit a invitee post here (and I wrote well-nigh the US response for her audience!).
Here is a brief run down of Canada'due south Covid-19 response, written by Canadian Blogger Tara from Our Bill Pickle.
Canada'south Covid-19 Response
Recapping Canada'south response to the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging.
Each province has its own approach (granted, there are certainly areas of alignment), federal efforts underway touch on a wide variety of different groups across a broad multifariousness of different sectors. This includes individuals, businesses, specific sectors and organizations that assist Canadians.
And there are changes every mean solar day. Canada's COVID-xix Economic Response Plan appears to very much be a living document, field of study to change as new data is received. This is a skillful matter.
One thing y'all won't detect when you look at Canada'south plan is the virtually well-known chemical element of the economic response in the United States: stimulus cheques.
Instead, the Government of Canada offers something different: the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
What is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?
In brief, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit – or CERB — is the main back up program put in place for individuals whose employment situation has been impacted by COVID-19.
CERB was announced on March 25, 2022 and was created past rolling two previously appear programs – the emergency intendance benefit and the emergency support benefit—into a single, more streamlined plan.
Through CERB, eligible workers who have stopped working or those whose hours have been reduced due to COVID-19 are eligible for a taxable benefit of $2,000 every four weeks for upwardly to 24 weeks. Originally, the program was set to be in place for xvi weeks, merely on June 16, the federal government appear it would be extended for an additional 8 weeks. This was done in recognition of the reality that there are nevertheless challenges associated with restarting the economy.
The do good is available from March 15, 2020, to Oct 3, 2020. There are options for retroactive payments within that menstruum if the application is fabricated no later than December 2, 2020.
Who is Eligible for the Canada Response Benefit?
What makes CERB unlike from a stimulus cheque program is the fact that not every Canadian is eligible to receive this do good. Instead, CERB focuses on providing support to those whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19.
The broad eligibility requirements for CERB are straightforward: you must be residing in Canada, at to the lowest degree 15 years old, and you lot tin can't take quit your job voluntarily.
When it comes to the reason why you lot're not working, there are three scenarios that brand you eligible for this benefit: you've stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19; you are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits; or you take exhausted your Employment regular benefits or Employment Insurance fishing benefits betwixt December 29, 2022 and Oct three, 2020.
The final broad criterion: you lot must have employment or cocky-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2022 or in the 12 months prior to the appointment of your awarding.
To clarify eligibility for specific situations, the Government of Canada has included data for several different groups, from self-employed folks to new parents right on the awarding class. At that place's likewise a very detailed question and answer document available here. =
The awarding progress is completed online and includes a questionnaire to help determine if CERB is the correct do good program for you. The benefit is scheduled to arrive inside 10 days of the canonical application.
What are the Pros of the Canada Response Benefit?
Ane of the most interesting pieces of commentary I have seen about CERB since it launched was in the Earth and Mail. The piece, which you can read here, speaks to how CERB is essentially an unintentional experiment with Universal Basic Income.
Melanie did a bully primer on Universal Bones Income here but the gist is simple: this is a system where the authorities pays all its citizens a monthly stipend to spend on whatsoever they desire or need without oversight.
I piece of the Globe and Mail commentary stood out to me:
"The largest experiment in basic income that anyone could imagine has been forced upon us by COVID-xix. It has produced a national awareness that any Canadian, except for the very wealthy, might need an income top-up for reasons completely beyond their control.
In the "lessons learned" procedure that will follow the pandemic, we have a historic opportunity for Ottawa, the provinces and territories to reshape cash transfers for Canadians who have low incomes, regardless of the reason why.
COVID-19 could create a legacy: an income-support system that is efficient, non-stigmatizing, encourages piece of work and is sufficient to provide better health outcomes and liquidity for people and communities. This would be a streamlined national reform vital to the economics of rebuilding and recovery."
I beloved this accept and hope the thought put forth in that second paragraph comes to fruition when we're in a place down the road to really assess what worked and what didn't work with our COVID-19 response.
A smaller betoken, just another important detail about CERB is that it doesn't mean yous tin't make whatever money. During the four-calendar week benefit period, you can earn up to $i,000. Depending on your situation, the ability to pinnacle-upwards your CERB benefit might make a difference for your family.
What are the Cons of the Canada Response Benefit?
The main criticism of this plan, peculiarly every bit countries effectually the world start to look at recovery from the showtime wave, is that it is a disincentive to work.
Dan Kelly, the president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, told Global News:
"We certainly have members who are telling u.s. that when they call their workers and ask them to come back, the worker says, 'You know, I'k good. My bills are being paid. I'm but going to take the residue of the summer off, see how things go and give me a call in the fall."
In the aforementioned article, Kelly best-selling this isn't the only reason some workers aren't returning – health concerns as well as lack of reliable childcare are also influencing factors. But the reality is there are some folks who will exist making more on CERB than they do at their jobs – and that's sad.
While I would personally question how widespread the first reason for not returning to work is, I don't doubt that it is a challenge for businesses to navigate. In fact, one local store in my area noted in a newsletter they were not sure when they could reopen due to all staff being unavailable. It wasn't clear why that was the case – if it was because of the benefit or one of the myriads of other reasons – only it is a reality many businesses are facing.
One step the federal government has taken to address this is to include on the application course beginning July 5, 2022 an attestation that the bidder is looking for and willing to get back to work.
The other affair to note near CERB is that information technology is income you need to report on your taxes – and cypher is taken out of it. Depending on your scenario, this might not be a huge trouble, since you're bringing in less money in full general, but information technology is important to continue in mind.
Final Thoughts
At that place is no perfect economic solution for COVID-xix.
This pandemic is non a situation anyone ever could take predicted. In many means, it seems like we're all merely trying to find a way to handle it – and that includes our governments.
Is CERB a perfect plan? No. But in my opinion, in that location tin't exist a perfect programme. I recollect that'southward cogitating of the reality that nosotros live in a globe that is rife with inequality. We don't accept programs to absolutely accost this when times are skilful, let alone when things are hard.
All that beingness said, I like that through CERB, the Canadian government seems to exist focused on helping those who need financial support almost. That's not to say I retrieve a programme that gives stimulus cheques to all (or, at to the lowest degree, most) of the population is bad – I tin can certainly call up of some ways I would spend a stimulus check! – I but adopt this approach. To me, it reflects what I think most when I think nigh Canadian values – mainly, caring for others. Canada'southward not a perfect country and we don't smash that all the fourth dimension, but I feel CERB represents a genuine effort to meet people where they are and provide a hand up.
Tara is a writer and personal finance blogger who lives in Atlantic Canada. Her web log, Our Bill Pickle , focuses on the good, bad and ugly of living existent life with (very) real debt. When she's not writing about money, she's tweeting virtually hockey, reading romance novels and/or drinking coffee.
Source: https://partnersinfire.com/lifestyle/canadas-covid-19-response/
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