Discussions

HI! Does anyone know of any help that students can get during this pandemic? I know that if you had a job, there are options. However, what about the students who had summer jobs that hadn't started yet and are now on hold or cancelled? Are there any options for them?

If you made over 5k in your last summer job then I believe you qualify for CERB, if you didnt work last year (or didnt make 5k in the previous 12 months) then at this time i believe there is nothing.  
 
I think they were thinking if you didnt work before you dont need income this year but unfortunately with the rules a few people are falling through the cracks , like recent Grads, hopefully their parents can keep them in the house for now or people who make just a few shifts but dont have enough ei hours yet ect

As of right now you must've been working to qualify for cerb. Even people who lost their job a week before aren't eligible. It's the "stopped working" that's letting the "unable to work" fall through the cracks. If you had a job lined up you might qualify as a season worker under the changes Trudeau announced today. If you didn't have a job lined up yet, he said more help is coming for students so watch his daily updates

There was an announcement today that something is coming for people in your position. There are plans in the works but the specifics haven't been announced yet.  
 
A bunch of new groups were i:ncluded today including seasonal workers, part-time workers, and people who have lost a lot of their income, but not all, retroactive to March 15.  
 
https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/15/cerb-eligibility-expanded-to-part-time-and-seasonal-workers-trudeau-says/

Doesnt it fall under [i]or because you lost your employment for other reasons beyond your control[/i] ?  
 
if you had an offer but they are shut down ATM I would say that is lost employment due to Covid but of course how they interpret the wording could be different, unfortunately you cant get them on the phone to ask  
 
so imo (very personal opinion) if you think you qualify and apply and receive funds I believe that the worst that will happen is you will have to pay it back. It would be nice for some clarity and you have to make your own decisions, I in no way advocate applying if you think you don't qualify but if you read the rules and think you do then apply.  
 
or wait until absolutely necessary and hope for more clarification or other programs that you think you meet better

Ok I just looked up the criteria on CRA but no changes posted, with these changes and promises to add more i would wait to make sure if you are able  
 
I think its great the=at they are now going to let you work some, since many people have drastically reduced hours but not ZERO income

To apply you must declare that you stopped working because of covid. So anyone who lost their job before covid/ not due to covid isnt technically covered. If you had an offer (and can prove that offer) it seems to depend on how you interpret the wording of the legislation, because you didn't technically stop working due to covid if you hadn't started yet

yes I agree, definitely up for interpretation and i can see it going either way. the word "lost" could mean lost job offer imo but if they decide it mean quit working then qualification would be different . And with CERB thrown together in a rush I'm sure it will somewhat depend on who you get on the phone , for a while anyway, so to me if in doubt only apply if you really really need it and be prepared for them to claw it back, but if in real need then getting a loan isnt so bad

The big way people are excluded is that the government isnt using the word "lost" or "unable" in regards to it. They use the word "stopped". The actual bill (c13) says its for people who've ceased working. For anyone who isnt sure, the cra cerb page has a checklist of the criteria you must meet. There is one qualification about having stopped EI this year that is slightly different from the actual application though.

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application/confirmation.html  
 
[i]You have stopped [b]or[/b] will stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, [b]or[/b] because you are unable to work due to illness, [b]or[/b] because you [b]lost your employment [/b] for[b] other reasons beyond your control:[/b] and either[/i]  
 
this is from the CRA web site, while not the act, it is the guild lines so i think losing a job offer due to covid is [i]lost work beyond your control [/i] but basically i am saying what GhOsTID is saying, if you need it apply and work out what the interpretation of the act is after, when all the changes are done

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/apply-for-cerb-with-cra.html?employee=I%20was%20an%20employee&fulltime=No&parttime=No#quest  
 
That's the link to the cra one with the check of criteria. The checklist is the same as the declaration you must make to qualify.