Thank you.
Just to recap, the proposed legislation would provide $300 a week in income support to eligible workers, available for the duration of the lockdown order up until May 7, 2022.
For the purpose of the benefits, the proposed legislation would define the lockdown order as a lockdown imposed by a competent authority that, for reasons related to COVID-19, would require the closure to the public of non-essential businesses and services for at least 14 consecutive days in a region, or would require that persons stay at home for reasons related to COVID-19 and that this obligation be enforced for 14 consecutive days in a region unless they have to go out for essential reasons.
Eligibility rules for the lockdown benefit are similar to those that were in place for the Canada recovery benefit, so that means having a valid SIN. Also, they need to be 15 years old or older and be a resident and present in Canada. They need to attest that they had at least $5,000 in earnings in 2020 or in the preceding 12 months, if applying in 2021, or have earned this amount in 2020-21 or the preceding 12 months, if applying in 2022.
It also includes attesting that they have lost their employment or self-employment or have experienced a reduction of at least 50% of their average weekly income due to the lockdown order and that they have not quit their employment and would be returning to work when reasonable to do so. They would also attest that their loss of employment or income or a decision not to return to work is not due to refusal to comply with the vaccine mandate and that they filed an income tax return in respect to the applicable tax year. Also, they must not be isolating or in quarantine due to international travel. As well, it provides for the benefit to be available for both workers who are ineligible for EI and who are eligible, as long as they are not paid EI for the same week in which they would be receiving this benefit. Similarly, to receive the benefit, workers would need to attest that they are not receiving the Canada recovery sickness benefit, the Canada recovery caregiving benefit or the the Quebec parental insurance plan benefit for the same week.
For triggering the benefit, the proposed legislation would enable the Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of ESDC, to designate by order a “lockdown region” that meets the definition in the legislation for eligibility purposes. It would also provide the authority for the Governor in Council to amend, by regulation, the definition of a “lockdown order”; to amend the number of consecutive days a lockdown needs to be in place for designating a region; to prescribe other sources of income for purposes of eligibility for the benefit; and to extend the availability of the benefit, if needed, until a date no later than July 2, 2022.
The benefit would be delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency, using the same platform as for the recovery benefit. The act would come into force upon royal assent and access to the benefit would be retroactive until October 24, 2021, which means that it can go back to the date when a lockdown order became effective if it was after October 24.
Very quickly, part 3 of the act proposes amendments to the Canada Recovery Benefits Act that would extend the Canada recovery caregiving benefit and the Canada recovery sickness benefit from November 20, 2021, to May 7, 2022, to ensure that workers who need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 or stay at home to care for a child or family member due to COVID can continue to access income support.
It would also add two extra weeks to each benefit, for a maximum of six weeks for the sickness benefit and 44 weeks for the caregiving benefit. The proposed legislation would provide authority for the Governor in Council to change the end date to access the benefit to July 2 if needed. As well, access would be retroactive to November 20, 2021, upon the coming into force of the legislative amendments, so there would be 60 days to make an application from the date of this coming into force.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's my overview.