Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) will be extended.
He confirmed this today, saying too many Canadians are still struggling to make ends meet or find jobs.
The benefit provides $2,000 to people without work every four weeks. Most people are on their fourth and final CERB payout presently.
The NDP has also recently confirmed it won’t support proposed Federal Legislation unless the CERB is extended.
“If you’re having troubles finding a job, you shouldn’t also be worrying about whether you’ll hit the limit of your CERB benefits,” says Trudeau. “So right now we’re working on a solution to extend the benefit for people who can’t return to work yet.”
More info is expected to be released later this week. There are no details yet on how long the extension will be for.
In the meantime, the Federal government announced that the Surplus Food Rescue Program opens today, which will get food to communities that need it and help farmers at the same time.
Trudeau is also urging businesses to rehire their entire teams if they can via the wage subsidy or Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), which has recently been expanded to include small businesses like farms.
The new application process for it opens Friday.
We’re focused on keeping you safe as we restart our economy, as well as making sure you have all the help you need to get through these tough times. Watch my update on our government’s response live: https://t.co/km4yb6ThhJ
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 15, 2020
To watch Justin Trudeau’s full June 15th address, see below.
https://www.cpac.ca/en/direct/cpac2/468996/pm-justin-trudeau-provides-update-on-federal-response-to-covid-19-52/