Hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have lost their income due to COVID-19 are hoping to qualify for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a monthly stipend of $2,000 that will last up to four months.
Within hours of the federal government accepting applications on Monday, more than 240,000 people have successfully applied, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a press conference on April 6.
He addressed criticism surrounding the benefit, as it currently isn’t available for gig workers, volunteer firefighters and other professions like contractors who work less than 10 hours per week.
University and college students are also part of multiple groups “falling between the cracks,” Trudeau said. “If you are working reduced hours,