New data released Wednesday provides the clearest snapshot yet of how many Canadians accessed the COVID-19 support programs the government hastily rolled out at the beginning of the pandemic.
Statistics Canada unveiled the information as part of its rollout of findings from the national census taken in May 2021.
More than 20.7 million people received at least some financial support from the government, including 16.9 million who received top-ups from existing programs.
In total, 8.4 million received benefits specifically designed to respond to COVID-19, the agency reported.
Within that category, here’s the breakdown of who got what.
Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
Who it was for: Workers who stopped working or whose work hours were reduced due to COVID-19, and who had made at least $5,000 in income during 2019….