The federal government has reclaimed over $2 billion in Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments paid out during the pandemic to ineligible recipients due to inadequate verification methods, according to the Department of Employment. The department said in a recent briefing note obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter that over 1.1 million Canadians had fully repaid their CERB debts…

In late 2021, Tressa Mitchell was dealing with doctor’s appointments for her ailing mother when she got a call from the Canada Revenue Agency seeking information to verify her eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Mitchell, who has a lung condition, took time off work as a cashier in…

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)—a union that represents more than 120,000 federal public servants across the country—has voted in favour of a strike mandate. “PSAC members are feeling squeezed along with everyone else. Our members have been without a contract since 2021. And today, an overwhelming majority of our members have told us they…

A total of 620,310 Canadians who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) but were deemed ineligible for it have not repaid any of their CERB debt, states the response from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to an MP’s recent Inquiry of Ministry. The CRA further states that 264,546 Canadians deemed ineligible for the benefit…

Insolvency trustee Doug Hoyes encounters a lot of Canadians with money troubles, but he’s become particularly sympathetic to the plight of young people who find themselves financially underwater. For more than a decade, his Ontario−based firm Hoyes Michalos has been crunching bankruptcy and insolvency numbers for its annual “Joe Debtor” analysis, with its latest results…

Federal Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier will not disclose to parliamentarians how many federal employees have been fired for defrauding a pandemic-relief subsidy program intended for Canadians who were struggling with unemployment. MPs have repeatedly sought to obtain the number from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) after a committee learned in February that a number of employees in…

After conducting an investigation, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) said it is not convinced of the “validity” of a radio show caller who claimed to be an agency employee that fraudulently received COVID benefits. On Feb. 9, the Alex Pierson Show was contacted live on the air by a male caller claiming to be a…

The RCMP confirmed on Feb. 14 that investigations are ongoing with regards to individuals who defrauded the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), but wouldn’t say on what scale. “The RCMP confirms that it has received fraud complaints from the Government of Canada in relation to its Covid programs,” spokesperson Cpl. Kim Chamberland told The Epoch…

A federal department responsible for handing out financial benefits to Canadians who stopped working during the COVID-19 pandemic has fired 49 of its own staff who applied for and received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) while they were still employed. Testifying before the Commons public accounts committee on Jan. 2, Mary Crescenzi, assistant deputy…

A federal department responsible for handing out financial benefits to Canadians who stopped working during the COVID-19 pandemic has fired 49 of its own staff who applied for and received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) while they were still employed. Testifying before the Commons public accounts committee on Jan. 2, Mary Crescenzi, assistant deputy…