As COVID-19 is increasing economic uncertainty and insecurity across the country, companies are cancelling co-op placements and full-time positions alike. To support students and recent graduates, the Federal government created the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB).
This taxable benefit provides eligible students with $1,250 a month for four consecutive months, from May to August 2020.
You may be able to get an additional $750 for each 4-week period if you meet at least one of the following requirements:
- You have a disability
- You have at least one child under 12 years old, or other dependants
Before you start, make sure you check your eligibility with our handy Instagram post! Also note:
- You cannot apply for the CESB if you have applied for CERB or EI
- If you are currently unemployed, you will eventually have to show proof that you are actively applying for a job
If you determine that the CESB is right for you, you’ll be able to apply this weekend! Here is a screen-by-screen breakdown of what that process looks like.
Step 1: Determine your eligibility periods with the chart below.
If you are eligible for the May 10 – June 6 period, you can apply beginning Friday May 15, 2020. If you are not, you can check the earliest day you can apply here.
Step 2: Go to CRA MyAccount. You should see the screen below. Choose from one of these two options to log in. If you use online banking, you can choose “Sign-in Partner Login / Register” and sign in the same way you would to your online banking. (For the purpose of this walk-through, we will be demonstrating sign-in via sign-in partner.)
Step 3: When you click “Sign-in Partner Login / Register” you will get this pop-up. If it is your day to apply, click the “Sign-in Partner Login / Register” button again.
Step 4: Click on the logo of your bank or credit union. If your bank or credit union isn’t on the list, you will have to navigate back to the login screen and login via CRA. If you do not have a CRA login, this video shows how to sign up for one.
Step 5: You will be taken to your online banking sign-in screen, with a “Secure Key Concierge” logo in the top right corner. This is what that screen looks like for TD Canada Trust; all the interfaces are pretty similar.
Step 6: After you have logged in via your online banking details, you will be taken to a screen that looks like this. There will be a light cyan box specifically about COVID-19 Emergency Support. Click the “Apply” button in that box.
Step 7: Select the support payment that you’re applying for (CESB). Note that you cannot apply for CESB if you have already applied for CERB or EI!
Step 8: Indicate whether or not you have a disability and/or a child under 12 or other dependants.
Step 9: You will be taken to this screen, which breaks down the Eligibility for CESB. If you meet the criteria, click on “Select a period”. A drop-down menu will appear that says “May 10, 2020 to June 6, 2020” (that will be the only option for now).
Step 10: You will be taken to a screen to certify that you meet all of the criteria. You will need no documentation to prove your eligibility. (The $5000 you are required to have earned could have happened between either January 1 2019 to January 1 2020 or April 11 2019 to April 11 2020.)
Step 11: You will be taken to a screen to confirm that your banking information is correct. Make sure the money is being deposited into an account you have access to! If it is not, click “update direct deposit” and navigate through that process.
Step 12: That’s it! You’re done! You should get your deposit in three business days!
Hopefully this was helpful! Remember that you will have to re-apply for the next month! Make sure you set up a reminder on your phone, online calendar, or planner to go through the process again the week of June 8. (You will still have to be actively looking for work to remain eligible!)
We will update this doc if any part of the process changes. If you are looking for other types of information or support right now, check out CSI Supports.
