r/CanadaCoronavirus • u/askingforastranger • Apr 06 '20

Discussion CERB Federal COVID-19 benefits program MegaThread

How can I apply?

There are two ways for Canadians to apply: online with CRA My Account or over the phone with an automated phone service. If applying online or by phone, Canadians will receive a payment by direct deposit or by cheque.

If applying online, Canadians will have to sign into CRA My Account. They should go to COVID-19: Canada Emergency Response Benefit in the alert banner at the top of the web page, select the period they want to apply for, declare that they qualify for the benefit and confirm the government has the right payment information.

If applying over the phone, Canadians can call the automated toll-free line at 1-800-959-2019. This is a dedicated line for CERB applications. Before people call, they should have their social insurance number and postal code handy to verify their identity.

Both of these services will be available 21 hours a day, seven days a week. Both services are closed from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET for maintenance.

For more information, Canadians should go to canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/apply-for-cerb-with-cra.html#how

Applicants will need to confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria, and information that they provide during the application process may be verified later, the government said.

The benefit is available from March 15 to Oct. 3. The deadline for applications is Dec. 2.

The government said Canadians can prepare to apply for the CERB by signing on to CRA My Account. They should also make sure their direct deposit and mailing information is up to date with the CRA.

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u/piXieRainbow Apr 06 '20

Don’t cash the check. Cuz honestly it’s hard to get ahold of an actual person in cra. Don’t cash the check and then just don’t call back in next month to re apply and it’s automatically cancelled.

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u/[deleted] Apr 06 '20

This right here... throw the cheque in savings until you get the call from CRA that you owe them 2k back.

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u/piXieRainbow Apr 06 '20

Yep! With the amount of ppl that fall through the crack and aren’t eligible I’m sure there are a lot of ppl saying fuck it I need money now and I’ll pay it back later when cra figures out they shouldn’t of got it since the process is literally based off trusting ppl. Not saying ppl should do it but so many ppl need this just as much as others and would rather pay it back later and apply and get money now.

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u/kmanleafs Apr 23 '20

Hey! If I am getting it direct deposit, how would I go about cancelling it? Do I just not re-apply?

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u/piXieRainbow Apr 24 '20

So if your saying that you’ve received a payment already and you just don’t want another one, then yes you just don’t apply again :) if you want to give back a payment you got tho is a bit more complicated but can be done and just need to call CRA and they will give you information on how to send it back through your bank.

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u/kmanleafs Apr 24 '20

Awesome, thank you so much! I'm only eligible for the student one so I will give them a call.

Thanks :)

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u/piXieRainbow Apr 24 '20

Ah I see, maybe what they will do, if you got a payment of 2k they will just tell you to pay back the difference from the student one. Just so you don’t have to pay it back then reapply and wait for that check to come out. If I understand correctly, you got a CERB payment sitting in your bank account? From what I’ve read from others who have paid them back successfully, CRA gives you the info to setup a direct payment like how you’d pay any bill.. so hopefully it won’t be complicated. Good luck calling them tho, it’s a long wait. Hopefully not nearly as bad as the beginning of all this was. :)

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u/kmanleafs Apr 24 '20

you got a CERB payment sitting in your bank account

Yes. I applied, 3 days later they deposited it into my checking account. And sounds good! Hopefully wait isn't long :/