Service Canada to ask for "unreconciled" CERB payments back

Almost two years after the first COVID-19 case was identified in Canada, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) that provided support to 8 million affected by the pandemic is closed.

Now, some recipients may have to pay some of it back.

According to a release from Employment and Social Development Canada, Service Canada will start reaching out to some individuals who received advanced payments but who went back to work before the additional payment could be reconciled.

“In order to get support out to Canadians as quickly as possible, those who applied for the CERB at the beginning of the pandemic through Service Canada received an advance CERB payment,” said Minister Carla Qualtrough in a statement.

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Many had this advance payment eventually reconciled, but for those who didn’t, they’ll have to pay it back.

“Canadians will not be put into financial hardship by having to repay emergency benefits they received,” reads the statement.

The Government of Canada says they’re going to work with Canadians who need to make a CERB repayment, helping to create flexible payment schedules.

Support remains available for Canadians and businesses facing financial hardship due to #Covid19, including extended and targeted benefits and programs that will help create jobs.

Learn more: https://t.co/P4U0FMmh0d #EconomicRecovery pic.twitter.com/llwkOqlT85

— Finance Canada (@FinanceCanada) November 25, 2021

You can learn more about how to make CERB repayments and check out their full FAQ that helps answer the biggest CERB questions.

When CERB was active, eligible recipients could get payments of $2,000 over a four-week period.

The program was replaced by the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) – which ended on October 23, 2021 and could be replaced by the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit soon. Also, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) may get extended.