1. This is a thread for my fellow #Longhaulers who are about to lose access to the #CERB on Saturday. I know some are quite worried about financial supports so this is a look at your options. As you'll see, it's quite a dog's breakfast. #COVID19 #LongCOVID #ApresJ180 #cdnpoli
2. The first stop is Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits. #EI eligibility was frozen in March, so if you were employed or self-employed but paying premiums and had accumulated enough hours for eligibility, you will now transition to EI sickness benefits.
3. It's not clear yet whether a medical note will be required if your illness is due to COVID-19. If it is, it can be signed by a doctor, psychologist, or chiropractor. You do not need a diagnosis to get a note (although you do need a sympathetic health care provider).
4. You'll get up to 15 weeks of benefits with a benefit rate between $400-$573.
If your employer has a Supplemental Unemployment Benefits plan, you may be able to get this amount topped up by your employer.
5. Once your EI eligibility expires or if you don't qualify, your next stop is employer-provided disability programs. These have varying thresholds for disability and will require a medical certificate. Benefits are often set at a percentage of your previous wage or salary.
6. If you were self-employed, unemployed, or your employer does not have a disability program, the next stop is public programs.
At the federal level, there is the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit.
7. If you have contributed to the Canada Pension Plan in 4 of the last 6 years and have a disability that is "severe and prolonged," you can qualify for a CPP Disability pension. The catch is the "severe and prolonged" part.
8. In order to meet the definition of severe, you need to be incapable of working any job, not just your old job. In order to meet the definition of prolonged, your condition must be expected to last a long time or an indefinite duration.
9. These are both high bars for someone with #LongCovid to meet, but not impossible. Some people with #MECFS are receiving a #CPPD pension.
If you qualify, you'll receive a basic benefit of $496.36, plus an amount based on your contribution history.
10. An additional benefit is available if you have children under the age of 18. Note that if you qualify for a workplace disability plan, they can require you to apply for CPPD.
11. If you don't qualify for CPPD, your next stop is provincial disability programs. These programs have only just slightly more generous benefits than provincial social assistance programs, but they at least usually have higher income and asset thresholds for eligibility.
12. They also require a medical certificate. Each province has its own definition of disability and they can be quite restrictive. In Ontario, for instance, you need to have a substantial impairment that is expected to last one year or more.
13. If you are denied access to your provincial disability support program, then the last resort is social assistance. I have already covered the problems with access to #socialassistance in this thread:
14. A few final observations: if you are in the position of needing to apply for CPPD, provincial disability assistance or social assistance, I strongly recommend connecting with a local disability advocate or community organization.
15. They can make all the difference in the world between a successful and a failed application for disability supports.
The second is that you'll notice I've made no reference to the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.
16. That's because, assuming the legislation aligns with the government's proposal, it requires you to miss 60% of your scheduled work week to qualify (and even then you get only two weeks of benefits). If you've been off sick for months with #LongCovid,
17. you probably don't have a scheduled work week. It could not be more clear that the federal government does not recognize #Longhaulers and their need for financial support. A need that will only grow as we enter a second wave this fall.
@cafreeland @CQualtro @PattyHajdu
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