Canada Emergency Student Benefits

Canada Emergency Student Benefits Act – Legislation tabled
April 29, 2020
Bill C-15 was tabled in respect of CESB. Some items of note:

1) Students must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or registered as an “Indian under the Indian Act”. Applications must be made by the end of September. Also, they must have met any of these three conditions:

been enrolled, at any time between December 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, in a post-secondary educational program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate;

graduated from secondary school in 2020, has applied for enrollment in such a post-secondary educational program that is scheduled to begin before February 1, 2021 and plans to enroll in the program if their application is accepted; or
be a member of a class of persons that is prescribed by regulation.

2) Payments will be made in respect of 4-week periods. (presumably they will match the CERB and CEWS prescribed periods).

3) For reasons related to COVID-19 and whether as an employee or in self-employment, they are unable to work, are seeking work and unable to find it, or are working but are paid less than the amount determined under the regulations, during the four-week period for which they apply for the benefit

4) The cannot receive any employment or self-employment income other than prescribed by regulation (the PM verbally indicated that this would be limited to $1,000*), EI benefits, CERB, maternity/paternity benefits, or other prescribed income.

5) The payment will be prescribed (the PM verbally announced that it will be $1,250/month* or $1,750/month* with dependents or if they have a disability*).

No interest is payable on any amount owing to Her Majesty in right of Canada under this Act as a result of an erroneous payment or over-payment.

* There are reports that these figures may change due to Parliamentary negotiations.

BIll C-15

This entry was posted in BLOG, COVID-19. Bookmark the permalink.