Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (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 CRSB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are eligible for the CRSB, you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for a 1-week period.

If your situation continues past 1 week, you will need to apply again. You may apply up to a total of 2 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

If you are eligible for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), you can receive $500 ($450 after taxes withheld) for each 1-week period.To apply for the CRSB, you must meet all the eligibility criteria and be employed or self-employed on the day before your first application period.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the CRSB, you must meet all the following conditions for the 1-week period you’re applying for:

• You are unable to work at least 50% of your scheduled work week because you’re self-isolating for one of the following reasons:
  • You are sick with COVID-19 or may have COVID-19
  • You are advised to self-isolate due to COVID-19
  Who can advise you to self-isolate
  • You have an underlying health condition that puts you at greater risk of getting COVID-19.
  Who can advise you to stay at home due to your health condition
• You did not apply for or receive any of the following for the same period:
  • Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)
  • Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)
  • short-term disability benefits
  • workers’ compensation benefits
  • Employment Insurance (EI) benefits
  • Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits
• You reside in Canada
  
  Definition
• You were present in Canada
• You are at least 15 years old
• You have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• You earned at least $5,000 in 2019, 2020, or in the 12 months before the date you apply from any of the following sources:
  • employment income (total or gross pay)
  • net self-employment income (after deducting expenses)
  • maternity and parental benefits from EI or similar QPIP benefits
  What counts towards the $5,000
• You are not receiving paid leave from your employer for the same period

You need all of the above to be eligible for the CRSB.

If you’re not eligible for CRSB

If you still need financial support, review other options at COVID-19 benefits and services.

Note: Incarcerated individuals in prison or other institutions are not likely to meet all the above eligibility criteria. Those employed and on day parole may be eligible if all criteria are met.

Verifying your eligibility

The CRA will verify that you’re eligible to receive the CRSB. Individuals who are found to have intentionally made fraudulent claims may face additional consequences, such as penalties or possible jail time.

To report suspected misuse, go to: CRA’s Leads program.

If information is missing from your application, we may need you to provide additional documentation to validate your application and complete the process.

How much you receive per period

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) provides a payment of $500 (before taxes withheld) for each 1-week period you apply for. After the CRA withholds 10% tax at source, the actual payment you get is $450 per 1-week period.

Your payment amount will be the same for each period you’ve applied for, even if you worked for part of the week. To be eligible, you must have missed more than 50% of your work week.

If you’re eligible, you may apply up to a maximum of 2 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

 How we calculate your payment

• $500 (CRSB gross amount)
• minus  $50 (10% tax withheld at source)
• equals$450 (amount you receive per period)

Impact on your taxes

The 10% tax withheld at source may not be all the tax you need to pay. When you complete your personal income tax return, you may need to pay more (or less), depending on how much income you earned. You must still report CRSB payments you receive as income when you file your personal income tax return.

The CRA will provide you with a T4A tax information slip at tax time for the amount you received for all CRA administered COVID-19 benefits.

Before you apply

The easiest way to apply will be online through CRA My Account. You can get ready by answering these questions.

When you can apply

You may start applying on the first Monday after the 1-week period you’re applying for has ended. Applications do not renew automatically.

You must apply for each period separately. You may apply for any period you are eligible for that is open for application, including up to 60 days after the period has ended.

Apply online or by phone

Make sure you’re properly set up. Refer to: Before you apply.

1. Apply

   Read the Privacy Statement

   Online:

   Sign in to your CRA My Account Register

   Hours of service for CRA My Account

   By phone:

   Call the automated toll-free line

2. We may validate your application before issuing your payment

   The CRA is validating applications to ensure that payments are available for people who need them most.

   When you apply, we may ask you to provide additional information. Only some people will need to do this, but you may want to prepare before you first apply.

   If your application needs validation

   We may ask you to provide the following items.

   If you are or were an employee
   If you are or were self-employed
   If you receive provincial or federal benefits related to maternity or parental leave

   Your application may take up to 4 weeks to process from the date we receive your complete response. We will contact you once the validation is complete.