Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit (CRCB)

The proposed Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit (CRCB) would provide a $500 taxable benefit for up to 26 weeks per household for workers who miss at least 50% of their normal time at work during a week to care for someone for reasons due to COVID-19.

Reasons that a worker could claim the CRCB include caring for a child under 12 or another family member 12 or over who cannot be left alone without supervision: whose school, childcare, or other type of care program is closed due to COVID-19; whose normal caregiver cannot provide care due to COVID-19; or who is staying home because they have an increased risk of severe health consequences if they become infected with COVID-19.

Eligible workers must have earned at least $5,000 in any of 2019, 2020, or the span of 12 months before they apply for the CRCB and are ineligible for the CRCB if they are receiving certain other benefits (e.g. the Canada Recovery Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, EI benefits). This benefit would be available from September 27, 2020 to September 25, 2021.

PBO estimates total net cost of this measure to be $1.188 billion in 2020-21 and $214 million in 2021-22.