CHNE has prepared a summary of different government assistance programs offered to small business owners, self-employed and seasonal workers in Chéticamp, who play a fundamental part in our local seasonal economy.

Self-employed and Seasonal Workers

The federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), beginning today, would give Canadians $2,000 a month for the next 4 months. The government says the program will include self-employed workers. “If you’ve lost your job because of COVID-19,” Prime Minister Trudeau said on April 5th, “whether you’re full-time contract or self-employed, this new benefit will be there for you.”

People must send their application on different days. Those who are born in January, February or March can apply on Mondays; those born in April, May or June can apply on Tuesdays; for July, August or September, on Wednesdays; for October, November and December, on Thursdays. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are for any month.

The application can be done both online - through a CRA web account - or over the phone. 

The Nova Scotia government is also offering a program meant to help self-employed workers. The Worker Emergency Bridge Fund, worth $20 million, would help laid off workers who do not qualify for insurance. “We will provide a one-time $1,000 payment to bridge the gap between the layoffs and closures and the federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit,” Premier McNeil said on April 2nd.

Seasonal workers would be covered by the federal government’s CERB program for 12 weeks. Those who are already receiving Employment Insurance (EI) or Sickness Benefits will continue to receive them. If their EI ends before October 3rd, 2020, they can apply to the Emergency Response Benefit once their EI stops coming in. The federal government said it’s looking into expanding eligibility for EI but hasn’t revealed any details at the moment. Uncertainty surrounding both the fishing and tourism sectors seem to be pointing towards a delayed or even cancelled season this year. As it stands, seasonal workers who must accumulate a certain amount of hours to receive EI in the fall and winter don’t know if they’ll be able to access it the rest of the year. 

Small Businesses

There have been also announcements for small businesses. The federal government said it will set up the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which would apply to businesses that lost at least 30% of their revenue due to COVID-19. It would compare their revenue in March, April or May to the same months last year. The government would cover up to 75% of employees’ salaries on the first $58 700 earned. The program will be in place from March 15 to June 6, 2020.

The provincial government has also set up a grant for small businesses worth $20 million. Through the Small Business Impact Grant, businesses with 200 employees or less would receive a grant worth 15% of their gross revenue either from April 2019 or February 2020 up to $5 000. The money can be used for any purpose.