Feds to outline COVID-19 support plan to replace CERB

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) — The Trudeau government is set to unveil its plan to help millions of Canadians struggling to find work during the COVID-19 pandemic as the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit winds down.

The CERB ends next month, so the Liberals are turning to existing systems to replace the monthly $2,000 of support amid the health and economic crisis.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough will be outlining the transition plan Thursday.

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About four million Canadians will be switching from the CERB to the regular Employment Insurance program, but sources suggest there will also be a new support system for the more than two million workers who don’t qualify for EI.

At the end of July, the federal government promised a type of COVID-19 benefit that would fill the gaps for those who don’t qualify for EI, such as gig or contract workers.

The federal government will use existing tools to create the new support, and it will be done through regulations instead of legislation. This is important since the prime minister prorogued Parliament this week, meaning any bills that need to go through the House of Commons can’t be dealt with until late September at the earliest.