COVID-19 Benefit Repayments Are Coming & Here's Who'll Have To Pay The Money Back

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has confirmed that it will be contacting Canadians about CERB and CRB repayments "to ensure that those who received COVID-19 individual benefits were eligible for them."

Starting Wednesday, May 11, the federal government will be sending "Notices of Redetermination" to Canadians who incorrectly received COVID-19 emergency benefits and may have to return the money.

According to a statement from the CRA, the notices will "inform Canadians of the debts that have been established on their CRA accounts."

As many as 8.9 million Canadians received CERB payments between March and October 2020, according to CBC News.

The benefit offered $2,000 per month to workers who lost their jobs or experienced reduced income due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns.

Launched as an "emergency support" in the early days of the pandemic, the program was based on attestation. This meant it was up to individual applicants to determine if they were eligible to claim the money, rather than the CRA.

It was ended in October 2020 and replaced by updated COVID-19 benefits, including the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB).

Now, those who incorrectly claimed pandemic payments will be expected to pay up.

"The Government has been clear throughout the pandemic that while there will not be any penalties, individuals will have to repay the emergency benefits for which they were not entitled," reads a message from the CRA.

The agency says that those who do receive a letter, but still believe they are eligible for the money they claimed, can contact the CRA and provide additional details to help validate their claim.

The feds say there will be no interest or penalties applied to repayments owed, although they acknowledged that the notices "can be stressful" to receive.

This latest series of correspondence from the CRA follows the Notices of Debt that Employment and Social Development Canada began sending back in November 2021.

Those who received a CERB advance payment of $2,000 in 2020 — but did not remain on CERB long enough to fully reconcile that payment — were warned that they likely owe money to the feds. More of these same letters are expected to be sent this year.

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