Under the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), travelers returning to Canada from holiday are eligible to receive up to $1,000 to offset lost income as a result of having to observe the federal 14-day mandatory quarantine restriction..The CRSB gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19..The program is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)..Those eligible for CRSB, can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for a 1-week period, and may apply again for a total of 2 weeks of benefits between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021..The federal government says it’s “actively looking” at options to address a loophole in the CRSB that could see returning travelers receive up to $1,000 for missing work due to quarantine requirements, CBC News reported..“The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit was never intended to incentivize or encourage Canadians to not follow public health or international travel guidelines. We continue to strongly urge all Canadians to avoid non-essential travel,” Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said in a media statement..“The purpose of the CRSB has always been to provide workers with a paid sick leave option where one might not be available through their employer, so that workers did not have to choose between going to work and putting food on the table.”.The benefit is now under fire from critics who say pandemic aid could flow to Canadians completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine after returning from personal vacations and other non-essential travel, said CBC..Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole called on the Liberal government to clarify who is eligible for the funds. .Bloc Québécois Leader YvesâFrançois Blanchet and transport critic Xavier Barsalou-Duval have said under the program, the government is potentially rewarding travellers for flouting public health guidelines by leaving the country..Canadians are currently not prohibited from travelling outside Canada..The Government of Canada advises Canadians to “avoid all non-essential travel outside Canada and to avoid all cruise ship travel outside Canada until further notice.”.As of December 20, there have been 452,170 applications under the program with a payout amount of $226,085,000..Ken Grafton is the Western Standards Ottawa Bureau Chief. He can be reached at kgrafton@westernstandardonline.com
