Receive Up to $1,000 During a 14-Day Quarantine?
There seems to be so little news reports (CTV) on this matter, but I thought I’d bring it up. The short version of the story is that Canadians who are coming back to Canada and forced into a 14-day quarantine can potentially qualify for $500 per week (up to 2 weeks or $1,000) if they have lost wages.
Huffpost gave some additional details explaining that “Canadians who must quarantine after returning from travelling abroad can apply for the federal government’s Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) to quarantine, even if their trip was non-essential. […] The benefit is $500 per week for a maximum of two weeks. To qualify, applicants must be unable to work at least 50 per cent of their scheduled work week due to COVID-19-related self-isolation […]”
Whether there are merits to this benefit or not, there seems to be some backlash by those who did hear about this, which triggered the Employment and Social Development Minister Carla Qualtrough to Tweet this post:
Personally, I can see the rational for wanting to help people out (especially those who made essential trips) with loss wages because they are forced into quarantine against their will. But what about non-essential travel? Conversely, what about the other taxpayers who decided to follow the non-essential travel advisory. Isn’t paying for this might a tough pill to swallow?
What are you thoughts about this matter? Please let us know in the comment section below!
The Prime Minister made it pretty clear in his interview, that the benefit was never intended to finance a person’s quarantine after they travelled. He also made it pretty clear that people who used it as such, may face penalties.
Yes he did, good point Haith!