Newmarket resident Nancy Burke said she never sought out the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB.
After a two-week layoff from her construction company near the start of the pandemic, she said she sought employment insurance, and the system pushed her to get CERB. Although receiving it was easy, she said she was cognizant of payback coming.
But with the Canada Revenue Agency now looking to get back the $2,000 from her, she said the repayment process has difficulties. She said she made errors on the way but would have preferred to have avoided taking the payment.
“That was the heartache we had. I didn’t want the $2,000, I didn’t want the CERB, I just wanted regular unemployment insurance,” she said.
Newmarket residents are among some Canadians getting notices from the CRA about repaying the financial help provided during the pandemic, with notices getting sent out starting May 10. Although the money was first sent to help those laid off or unemployed get by, the CRA maintained that some Canadians would have to repay benefits.
Burke said she attempted to repay right away but was told to delay. After putting the repayment in the wrong CRA account a year later during tax season, she said she faced significant struggles and spent weeks trying to get her CERB payment accounted for by the CRA.
“It is kind of my fault, but just to clear this whole screwup, it's more pain,” she said.
Burke is not alone, with other area residents reporting having to repay or applying for EI but getting CERB instead.
Rosemary Arnold indicated it came as a surprise when two members of her family received notices to repay.
“We didn’t even get an explanation, just an invoice for $2,000. It took five phone calls to get this answer: you weren’t off work long enough,” she said. “What practice is it to advise people two years later? We already paid income tax on it.”
CRA media relations said the organization is sending repayment notices to those later determined to be ineligible for CERB or who self-identify that they received more money than entitled to.
“We recognize that receiving this type of correspondence can be stressful. As such, we will work with all impacted individuals to ensure that any questions they may have about these letters are answered with a compassionate approach,” the CRA said.
The organization said it used an “attestation-based” approach to ensure rapid delivery of CERB, with information only getting verified later.
The agency said it would be flexible for Canadians who may struggle to repay.
"The CRA understands that, due to COVID-19, individuals may find it challenging to meet their financial obligations, and we remain committed to supporting Canadians during these challenging times. We want to help impacted individuals resolve any issues, and our agents will work with them on a case-by-case basis,” it said.
Burke said she did appreciate how quickly the money was available — within 24 hours — and that her two daughters, who got CERB as students, do not have to repay. Still, she said she would have preferred if she could have avoided getting onto CERB.
“How I did the payment was more of the headache,” she said. “We didn’t really want it."
