Through the Chair, thank you so much for your question, Mr. Green, and for inviting me back to speak.
We have been tracking the impact of the CERB since the early days of the pandemic, around April 2020, when it had interactions right away with people who were on social and income assistance in most provinces and territories.
The lowest-income people in our communities were experiencing clawbacks because they received the CERB, and they received the CERB at that time because they were being told by their caseworkers, by CRA and by government discourse, “Apply for these benefits. We are leaving nobody behind.” Threshold eligibility requirements were changing constantly, especially in those early days.
We've been asking for a CERB repayment amnesty. We are coming into the third year of the need for this.
Over time, what we all know has happened, especially over the past year, is this unprecedented rise in inflation when food costs—food inflation—are outpacing overall inflation. People do not have the money to deal with CERB debt, and they are really struggling to meet their basic needs. These are our basic human rights.
We have government obligations and commitments—multiple commitments that we've made—and things are so dire for people, especially over this last year. It is really when you're in the community and speaking with constituents that you can see there is nowhere for people to turn. I think we've all seen these pictures of people lined up outside food banks. Social assistance and disability assistance programs are what people are turning to, but those are leaving them in destitution.
People are having a really hard time. Putting a debt that goes up to $14,000 onto these folks and asking them to enter into repayment plans of $5, $10 or $15 a month, which is a debt they would carry for 40 years, goes against all of our obligations and commitments, and it puts a lot of pressure on these folks.