New data released Wednesday provides the clearest snapshot ever of how many Canadians accessed it COVID-19 The aid program the government launched hastily at the start of the pandemic.
Statistics Canada unveiled the information as part of its rollout of findings from national census Retrieved in May 2021.
More than 20.7 million people received at least some financial support from the government, with 16.9 million receiving top-ups from existing programs.
Overall, 8.4 million received benefits specifically designed to respond to COVID-19, the agency reported.
Within that category, here’s a breakdown of who got what.
Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
Who was it for: Workers who stopped working or whose work hours were reduced due to COVID-19, and who earned an income of at least $5,000 during 2019.
What did they get: $2,000 for each four-week period, up to a maximum of 16 weeks.
How long was it available: March 15 to September 26, 2020
How many people received: 7,621,950
Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)
Who was it for: Workers who were not able to work for a period of two weeks or who had a 50 per cent reduction in their earnings due to COVID-19, and who were not entitled to employment insurance benefits.
What did they get: $1,000 or $600 for a two-week period, depending on when they applied.
How long was it available: September 27, 2020 to October 23, 2021
How many people got it before the census: 1,150,575
Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)
Who was it for: Employed or self-employed people who were sick or needed to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or had an underlying health condition that put them at greater risk of catching it.
What did they get: $500 for each one-week period, up to six weeks.
How long was it available: September 27, 2020 to May 7, 2022
How many people got it before the census: 231,456
Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)
Who was it for: People who were unable to work because they needed to care for a child under the age of 12 or a family member who needed supervised care _ either because schools, programs or facilities were closed, or because they were sick were, were self-isolating or were at risk of serious health problems due to COVID-19.
What did they get: $500 for each one-week term, up to 44 weeks.
How long was it available: September 27, 2020 to May 7, 2022
How many people got it before the census: 197,335
Canada Emergency Student Benefits (CESB)
Who was it for: Post-secondary students and recent post-secondary or high school graduates are unable to find work due to COVID-19.
What did they get: $1,250 for each four-week period, for a maximum of 16 weeks, plus an additional $750 for each four-week period if they had a disability or dependent.
How long was it available: May 10 to August 29, 2020
How many people received: 732,005
© 2022 Canadian Press