Canadians can now apply to get $300 per week from the lockdown benefit

If you’ve been missing out on work because of restrictions in your province, the government will now give your bank account a boost. The expanded Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB) is accepting applications starting today and most provinces and territories are eligible.

Employees who are out of work as a result of capacity limits of 50% or more can apply for the benefit and get a deposit of $300 per week ($270 after taxes).

You must reside in a designated COVID-19 lockdown region to qualify — the government has provided a list of all the current lockdown regions for you to check before you apply.

You’ll have to meet all of the other eligibility criteria in order to get paid. According to the application checklist, you need to be making 50% less per week compared to last year as a result of lockdown measures.

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You’ll also be eligible if you are unable to earn money or are unemployed right now because of the measures. In other words, you won’t qualify if you quit,  voluntarily stopped working, or refused reasonable work.

Plus, eligible Canadians can’t collect other benefits for the same period, like EI or the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.

The CRA will then verify your qualifications for the CWLB and may ask you for additional info for your application.

Once you’ve gone through the checklist, you can apply online through your CRA My Account, or by phone. You’ll have to reapply weekly to keep getting payments and the process is the same each time.

The CWLB will run until May 7 and all of the details are outlined right here.