UPDATE: How to Apply for EI and Other Coronavirus Emergency Funding

Five days ago, news came that more than half a million Canadians had applied for employment insurance. Today, Prime Minister Trudeau upped that number to more than 1 million.


More than 12,000 civil servants are now working on processing the claims, and 143,000 have been processed to date.

READ: 44% of Canadian Households See Job Loss or Reduction Due to COVID-19

As a result, Trudeau announced a new program, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which will provide $2,000 a month for the next four months to anyone affected by COVID-19. The CERB combines two benefits programs announced last week in an effort to streamline the process. Those who have lost their job, are home ill with coronavirus, or simply not receiving payment from their job, will be eligible.

The government expects that direct deposits will start being made within 10 days of the application portal coming online (it will be live soon, but was not yet at the time of Trudeau's announcement).

Finance