Canada Launched A New COVID-19 Benefit But Literally Nobody Is Eligible For It Right Now

Just days after parliament officially passed the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit, it’s become clear that nobody is actually eligible to receive it.

On December 18, 2021, the federal government announced that royal assent had been given to Bill C-2, which created the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB) and extended other support benefits.

The CWLB offers $300 per week (before tax) to employed and self-employed people who are unable to work due to a COVID-19 lockdown in their area.

The feds say that eligible claimants can get paid for any time their region is in a pandemic-related lockdown between October 24, 2021, and May 7, 2022.

However, no one in Canada can actually apply for it as there are no parts of the country considered to be formally under lockdown.

“The CWLB is only available when a COVID-19 lockdown order is designated for your region,” the federal government explains. “Your region may be designated if the lockdown lasts for 14 days or more.”

Applications for the benefit will only open "if a COVID-19 lockdown region is designated."

While there are no official lockdowns, many shops, bars, restaurants and similar establishments have been forced to close or reduce their capacity limits due to the Omicron variant.

In Quebec and Ontario, rising case numbers have forced businesses to drastically restrict capacity or even close down entirely.

On December 21, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on the federal government to expand the CWLB to all workers impacted by public health policies, as well as to those affected by capacity limits.

He went on to describe the updated COVID-19 supports as “almost non-existent” and “highly inadequate.”

When the new benefit was originally announced in October, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland described it as a move from "broad-based support" to "more targeted measures."

At the time, she cited Canada’s high vaccination rates and economic recovery as reasons for the changes to Canada’s COVID-19 benefits.

UPDATE: On December 22, the federal government announced plans to expand eligibility for the CWLB, enabling a larger number of workers to apply for it.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.