Human Resources Committee on May 15th, 2020

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

If there were intensive front-end accountability measures for the CERB, for example, non-critical investigations referred to the integrity service branch, and stop pay orders similar to those in place for employment insurance, what effect would this have had on the timeliness of getting those payments out to Canadians who were in need?

[Benoît Robidoux]

The impact would have been huge. If we had kept with the same approach as for EI, as you provided as an example, it would have been impossible to process all these claims with the speed we did. People would not have received their benefits and they would still be without them as we speak.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

The 7.3 million or more Canadians who have received the CERB would still be waiting for those cheques, likely?

[Benoît Robidoux]

For sure.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

What are we doing about cases of suspected fraud or cheating?

[Benoît Robidoux]

Right now, where there are cases of clear fraud and we can find them early on, we block these payments. This is ongoing and this is what we're doing if there's a clear case of fraud at the entry—

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Will you be able to reclaim—

[Benoît Robidoux]

—that we know of, for example, if we have someone with a SIN of a deceased person in our data bank, there is no payment. There are a few things we do right at the get-go, and there are a few more things we do very quickly after that, which use analytics to make sure that clear cases of fraud are not being processed.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

We're not standing idly by while people take advantage of the system like it's been implied, right?

[Benoît Robidoux]

No.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Thank you, and just a simple yes-or-no question: were you asked to issue this guidance by the Prime Minister?

[Benoît Robidoux]

I was not, for sure.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Were you asked to issue that guidance by the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion?

[Benoît Robidoux]

I was not.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Were you asked to issue this guidance by the minister's office?

[Benoît Robidoux]

I was not.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Thank you very much.

If I have a little more time, Mr. Chair, I have one more question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

You have less than two minutes.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Okay, great.

On a different line of questioning, related to seniors, how will the additional funding for new horizons for seniors roll out and who will be able to access it?

[Benoît Robidoux]

The $20 million for New Horizons for seniors was just announced and approved, so we're looking at it.

Last year, we had a number of applications for the new horizons for seniors program. We had quality projects, eligible projects that we were not able to fund last year, so one of the first things we'll look at are those applications. We'll go back to those who applied to see if they could, as the minister mentioned, modify their proposals to adapt to a COVID situation, as we did for those to whom we provided benefits. We provided them with the flexibility to adapt their proposals. That's the first avenue we'll surely look at very quickly going forward.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Okay, great. Thanks.

I have one other question for you before my time is up.

I know that many vulnerable seniors who were living on a very low income prior to the COVID-19 crisis have been helped dramatically by our government's policies in the past. I'm just wondering whether a study has been done on the impacts of the previous work we've done to help vulnerable seniors get through this crisis. If not, do you think that would be a good study to do in the future?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Please give a short answer.

[Benoît Robidoux]

As we get more data, it would surely be a good study to look at using the income survey, for example.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you.

Ms. Chabot, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Good afternoon, Mr. Robidoux.

Thank you for joining us.

My question is about the new horizons for seniors program. However, first, I will ask a few questions that are not specifically about seniors; they are about the CERB and EI. I will ask these questions because I am trying to get the big picture.

The emergency benefits were very much needed. Contributions were made; they were adopted and enhanced. We know that these benefits will last for a certain period of time. As for the Canada emergency wage subsidy, we heard that it would be extended if necessary. The information was not as clear for the CERB.

If the CERB continues for 16 weeks, or four months, as planned, how will it be dovetailed to regular EI benefits or special EI benefits?