List of Covid-19 Support Resources for Ontario & BC
Hi Everyone. We hope that everyone is staying healthy and keeping their family safe. Since each of us are affected by the Covid situation in their own way, we did our best put a list of support resources together for everyone in an effort to help us navigate through this challenging time. We hope you find this useful.
Canada Wide
Ontario
British Columbia
Canada Wide
Ontario
Government of Ontario:
- Call: 1-888-789-4199 (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services – they handle benefits and financial help for Ontarians).
- You might also contact the constituency office of your MPP. You can look up your MPP here: https://www.ola.org/en/members/current
- You might also contact your local municipal office.
- Call 2-1-1 for information about support in your community
Ontario Works
Ontario Works helps people who are in financial need. It offers two types of assistance:
- Financial assistance
- Employment assistance
https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/ow/
Rent Support
The province has suspended evictions (approving new ones or enforcing evictions) in the current health emergency.
In some communities, you may be able to get a low-cost loan to help cover your rent:
• Toronto: 416-924-2543
Emergency Support
The Emergency Support Benefit will provide up to $5.0 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment.
Emergency Care Benefit
The Emergency Care Benefit will provide up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks. This flat-payment Benefit would provide income support to:
Parents with children who require care or supervision due to school closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.
Application for the Benefit will be available in April 2020, and require Canadians to attest that they meet the eligibility requirements. They will need to re-attest every two weeks to reconfirm their eligibility. Canadians will select one of three channels to apply for the Benefit:
1. by accessing it on their CRA My Account secure portal;
2. by accessing it from their secure My Service Canada Account; or
3. by calling a toll free number equipped with an automated application process.
Goods and Services Tax credit (GSTC) payment amounts
The Government is proposing to provide a one-time special payment by early May 2020 through the GSTC. This will double the maximum annual GSTC payment amounts for the 2019-20 benefit year.
The average boost to income for those benefitting from this measure will be close to $400 for single individuals and close to $600 for couples. This measure will inject $5.5 billion into the economy.
Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment amounts
The Government is proposing to increase the maximum annual CCB payment amounts, only for the 2019-20 benefit year, by $300 per child.
The overall increase for families receiving CCB will be approximately $550 on average; these families will receive an extra $300 per child as part of their May payment. In total, this measure will deliver almost $2 billion in extra support.
Corporate Tax Payments
The Canada Revenue Agency will allow all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due, as well as installments, under Part I of the Income Tax Act. No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period.
British Columbia
Government of BC:
Call: 1-888-COVID-19
Text: 1-604-630-0300
You might also contact the constituency office of your MLA. You can look up your MLA here: https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members
You might also contact your local municipal office.
Call 2-1-1 for information about support in your community
Rent Support
The provincial government has put a moratorium on evictions for renters in apartments run by B.C. Housing and says they are working to make this happen for renters in affordable and subsidized housing.
Annual rent increases has been temporarily frozen.
You might be able to get a very low-cost loan to cover your rent from a rent bank in:
• Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Hope, Agassiz, Harrison: (604) 850-6639
• Richmond: (604) 279-7077
• Kamloops, Ashcroft, Barriere, Cache Creek, Chase, Clearwater, Secwepemc First Nations, North Okanagan and Columbia-Shuswap Regional Districts : (250) 374-2119
• Surrey, White Rock, Delta: (604) 596-2311
• New Westminster: (604) 526-2522
• Sunshine Coast:(604) 885-5881, ext. 243
• Vancouver: (604) 566-9685
• Prince George: (250) 562 6325
• North Vancouver: (604) 983-9488 ext. 316
BC Emergency Benefit for Workers
The BC Emergency Benefit for Workers will pay a one-time $1,000 payment in May for people in BC getting EI or the CERB. Applications will open soon.
BC has a toll-free number to connect you to the help you need: 1-888-268-4319