Canada Recovery Benefits Act

Marginal note:Eligibility

• 17 (1) A person is eligible for a Canada recovery caregiving benefit for any week falling within the period beginning on September 27, 2020 and ending on May 7, 2022 if

  • (a) they have a valid social insurance number;

  • (b) they were at least 15 years of age on the first day of the week;

  • (c) they were resident and present in Canada during the week;

  • (d) in the case of an application made under section 18 in respect of a week beginning in 2020, they had, for 2019 or in the 12-month period preceding the day on which they make the application, a total income of at least $5,000 from the following sources:

    • (i) employment,

    • (ii) self-employment,

    • (iii) benefits paid to the person under any of subsections 22(1), 23(1), 152.04(1) and 152.05(1) of the Employment Insurance Act,

    • (iv) allowances, money or other benefits paid to the person under a provincial plan because of pregnancy or in respect of the care by the person of one or more of their new-born children or one or more children placed with them for the purpose of adoption, and

    • (v) any other source of income that is prescribed by regulation;

  • (e) in the case of an application made under section 18 in respect of a week beginning in 2021, they had, for 2019 or for 2020 or in the 12-month period preceding the day on which they make the application, a total income of at least $5,000 from the sources referred to in subparagraphs (d)(i) to (v);

  • (e.1) in the case of an application made under section 18 in respect of a week beginning in 2022, they had, for 2019, 2020 or 2021 or in the 12-month period preceding the day on which they make the application, a total income of at least $5,000 from the sources referred to in subparagraphs (d)(i) to (v);

  • (f) they have, as an employee, been unable to work for at least 50% of the time they would have otherwise worked in that week — or they have, as a self-employed person, reduced the time devoted to their work as a self-employed person by at least 50% of the time they would have otherwise worked in that week — because

    • (i) they cared for a child who was under 12 years of age on the first day of the week because

      • (A) the school or other facility that the child normally attended was, for reasons related to COVID-19, closed, open only at certain times or open only for certain children,

      • (B) the child could not attend the school or other facility because

        • (I) the child contracted or might have contracted COVID-19,

        • (II) the child was in isolation on the advice of a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, person in authority, government or public health authority for reasons related to COVID-19, or

        • (lll) the child would, in the opinion of a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner, be at risk of having serious health complications if the child contracted COVID-19, or

      • (C) the person who usually cared for the child was not available for reasons related to COVID-19, or

    • (ii) they cared for a family member who requires supervised care because

      • (A) the day program or facility that the family member normally attended was, for reasons related to COVID-19, unavailable or closed, available or open only at certain times or available or open only for certain persons,

      • (B) the family member could not attend the day program or facility because

        • (I) the family member contracted or might have contracted COVID-19,

        • (II) the family member was in isolation on the advice of their employer, a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, person in authority, government or public health authority for reasons related to COVID-19, or

        • (lll) the family member would, in the opinion of a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner, be at risk of having serious health complications if the family member contracted COVID-19, or

      • (C) the care services that are normally provided to the family member at their place of residence were not available for reasons related to COVID-19;

  • (g) no income referred to in any of the following subparagraphs was paid or was payable to the person in respect of the week:

    • (i) benefits, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Employment Insurance Act,

    • (ii) allowances, money or other benefits paid to the person under a provincial plan because of pregnancy or in respect of the care by the person of one or more of their new-born children or one or more children placed with them for the purpose of adoption,

    • (iii) a Canada recovery benefit or a Canada recovery sickness benefit,

    • (iii.1) a lockdown benefit, as defined in section 2 of the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit Act, and

    • (iv) any other income that is prescribed by regulation;

  • (h) they have not, in respect of the week, been granted paid leave or been paid under a plan that provides for payment for the care or support of another person; and

  • (i) they were not, at any time during the week, required to quarantine or isolate themselves under any order made under the Quarantine Act as a result of entering into Canada or

    • (i) if they were required to do so at any time during the week, the only reason for their having been outside Canada was to

      • (A) receive a medical treatment that has been certified by a medical practitioner to be necessary, or

      • (B) accompany a person who has been certified by a medical practitioner to be incapable of travelling without the assistance of an attendant and whose only reason for having been outside Canada was to receive a medical treatment that has been certified by a medical practitioner to be necessary, or

    • (ii) if, as a result of entering into Canada, they were required to isolate themselves under such an order at any time during the week, they are a person to whom the requirement to quarantine themselves under the order would not have applied had they not been required to isolate themselves.

• Marginal note:Income from self-employment

  (2) For the purpose of paragraphs (1)(d) to (e.1), income from self-employment is revenue from the self-employment less expenses incurred to earn that revenue.

• Marginal note:Definition of family member

  (3) In subsection (1), family member, in respect of a person, includes anyone whom the person considers to be like a close relative or who considers the person to be like a close relative.