Workers who lose their livelihood with the closure by Quebec of certain non-essential businesses will be able to touch the brand new federal benefit in the event of confinement, formalized by Parliament just a few days ago.
The office of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland confirmed to the Duty Monday that employees or the self-employed who find themselves without income Tuesday following their workplace closure will be eligible for the Canada Worker Containment Benefit, which offers $ 300 per week.
This particularly affects employees of cinemas, theaters, sports halls, spas, bars and casinos in Quebec, who must temporarily close their doors because of new health measures decreed Monday by the Legault government.
This new containment benefit, similar to the popular Canadian Emergency Benefit (CEP), is part of Bill C-2, which received Royal Assent last Friday. Unlike the assistance provided in this bill for businesses, benefits to workers are conditional on a situation of confinement in a province or region.
Workers who do not have access to employment insurance were no longer entitled to the Canada Economic Recovery Benefit (PCRE) since October 23, leaving some self-employed workers still in difficulty during the pandemic, such as artists .
Technical containment
According to the law, confinement is defined by the shutdown, by a competent authority, of non-essential business activities or by the establishment of a stay-at-home order. These measures must last for a period of at least fourteen consecutive days, unless a regulation reduces this period.
Quebec was not yet technically in containment before Monday. At a press conference last Friday, the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, indicated that “the Canadian government will quickly be able to help them [les travailleurs] financially ”, if ever the circumstances pushed the province to confine its population.
Since the federal law is very recent, Ottawa has not yet announced the procedure to be followed to be entitled to it. An announcement must be made “in the coming days” on this subject, said Guillaume Bertrand, communications advisor in Minister Freeland’s office.
Companies did not need a lockdown to receive wage and rent subsidies. Certain sectors, such as tourism, accommodation, catering or the arts and culture, can benefit from support of up to 75%, on the condition of demonstrating losses due to the pandemic. The hardest hit companies in all sectors can benefit from a similar subsidy, the rate of which is set at 50%.