Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that applying for the new Canada Recovery Benefit would be “simple” and that no Canadian would be left behind in the transition to a new pandemic benefit.
But some say the application process has been deeply frustrating and they still don’t know when — or even if — they’ll get the money.
Hajar Pittman told CBC News the application process has been a nightmare.
“I’ve never felt this hopeless,” said the Brampton, Ont. mother of two toddlers. She was on maternity leave when the pandemic hit. She was laid off from her job in the airline industry in June and collected the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) — the benefit replaced by the CRB — throughout the summer.
Pittman said that when she first tried to apply for the new Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) on Monday, she got an error message — “COV-026” — telling her she was ineligible for the benefit without explaining why.
It took hours of phone calls with the Canada Revenue Agency, she said, before a CRA agent suggested that the fact she collected parental leave benefits might be causing confusion in the CRB process. Pittman said she has now requested a letter from Service Canada clarifying her status.
Pittman said she was also told she might have to wait 21 business days for that letter to arrive. Once she gets it, she’ll have to send it on to the CRA — so she has no idea how long the total application process could take.
In the meantime — instead of the $500 per week she could be collecting from the CRB — she has no money coming in. And looking for a job in a pandemic has led her nowhere.
My kids and I are desperate for help, <a href=”https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JustinTrudeau</a> I haven’t been able to apply for the CRB even though I meet all the requirements, <a href=”https://twitter.com/CanRevAgency?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CanRevAgency</a> can’t give me a reason why. Please help <a href=”https://twitter.com/theJagmeetSingh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@theJagmeetSingh</a>
“I’m relying on family and friends and savings that I’ve put away over the years,” she told CBC News.
“I’m just hoping and praying that this will be resolved soon because I don’t know how long I can go without collecting any financial support from the government. I was really relying on that for myself and my children.”
She’s not alone. CBC News has received at least three dozen complaints about access to the benefit.
Tracey Crosson, administrator of the “Canadians on $2000/month CERB support group” on Facebook, said she’s seeing dozens of complaints a day from people struggling to access the CRB.
“People are having a real hard time with it. They’re getting errors and it shouldn’t be that way.”
Confusion over EI applications
Crosson said the comments she’s seen in the Facebook group suggest many people are experiencing problems because they’ve applied for Employment Insurance in the past but are no longer eligible.
Changes to the federal government’s suite of pandemic benefits made more Canadians eligible for Employment Insurance. Those who are eligible for EI are supposed to use it. Those who aren’t are expected to apply for the CRB.
Crosson said Trudeau’s claim that no one would be left behind in the transition from the CERB to the CRB rings hollow now.
“Why is it that there are people slipping through the cracks?” she asked.
(Crosson’s Facebook group was set up by UBIWorks, a non-profit that advocates for universal basic income.)
The Canada Revenue Agency said in a statement that it is aware some applicants are receiving error codes related to their eligibility.
It said when people apply through CRA’s “My Account” online or through the automated phone line, the applications go through a verification process.
“The system checks a variety of data sources to determine eligibility,” the statement said. “For example, the CRA can verify if the $5,000 income threshold has been met, or detect the possibility of fraud. Applicants who are deemed ineligible for CRB may still be eligible for EI.”
The statement noted that as of end of day Wednesday, 497,100 applications had been approved for the CRB.
The agency did not say how many people had been told they were not eligible for the benefit.
Brace for delays, says Service Canada
To handle what’s expected to be an unprecedented number of EI claims and a record number of calls over the coming weeks, Service Canada has almost doubled its complement of specialized call centre agents. It’s still warning people to expect long waits.
Mara Del Bianco said she also got a ‘COV-026’ message telling her she was ineligible for benefits without telling her why. Her problem appears to be similar to Pittman’s — involving a past claim for benefits for which she is no longer eligible.
Del Bianco said she also spent hours on hold with the CRA and Service Canada. She described the process as confused; at one point, she said, she was asked to provide documents by fax.
She also asked for a letter clarifying her EI eligibility. Like Pittman, she’s still waiting for it.
“[I’m] stressed out. Tired,” she said. “Just trying to … I’m trying to keep things afloat.”
For Pittman, it’s been especially maddening to witness what she called a lack of communication between Service Canada and the CRA.
More than anything, though, she just wants her situation resolved quickly.
“I’m left behind. I’m not getting any financial support right now.”
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve because of his lingering calf and Achilles tendon injuries.
The move made Saturday means McCaffrey will miss at least four more games after already sitting out the season opener. He is eligible to return for a Thursday night game in Seattle on Oct. 10.
McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis last week. He was a late scratch for the opener on Monday night against the Jets and now is sidelined again after experiencing pain following practice on Thursday.
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.
The Niners made up for McCaffrey’s absence thanks to a strong performance from backup Jordan Mason, who had 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 32-19 victory over the New York Jets. Mason is set to start again Sunday at Minnesota.
After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.
He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.
Now San Francisco will likely rely heavily on Mason, a former undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who had 83 carries his first two seasons. He had at least 10 touches just twice before the season opener, when his 28 carries were the most by a 49ers player in a regular-season game since Frank Gore had 31 against Seattle on Oct. 30, 2011.
The Niners also have fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. on the active roster. Guerendo played three offensive snaps with no touches in the opener. Taylor had 65 carries for Green Bay from 2021-23.
San Francisco also elevated safety Tracy Walker III from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
BRUSSELS – Canada walked away with some hardware at the Diamond League track and field competition Saturday.
Alysha Newman finished third in women’s pole vault, while Marco Arop did the same in the men’s 800-metre race.
Newman won a bronze medal in her event at the recent Paris Olympics. Arop grabbed silver at the same distance in France last month.
Australia’s Nina Kennedy, who captured gold at the Summer Games, again finished atop the podium. Sandi Morris of the United States was second.
Newman set a national record when she secured Canada’s first-ever pole vault medal with a bronze at the Olympics with a height of 4.85 metres. The 30-year-old from London, Ont., cleared 4.80 metres in her second attempt Saturday, but was unable conquer 4.88 metres on three attempts.
Arop, a 25-year-old from Edmonton, finished the men’s 800 metres with a time of one minute 43.25 seconds. Olympic gold medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya was first with a time of 1:42.70.
Djamel Sedjati, edged out by Arop for silver in Paris last month, was second 1:42.87
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
MILAN (AP) — Bologna’s preparations for its Champions League debut are not going well though it managed to spoil Como’s first Serie A home match in 21 years on Saturday.
Bologna came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw to gather three points from its opening four matches.
Bologna hosts Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Its only other appearance in Europe’s top competition was in 1964 in the preliminary round of the old European Cup.
AC Milan is also winless as it prepares for a Tuesday Champions League match against Liverpool. The Rossoneri hosted promoted Venezia later. Juventus drew at Empoli 0-0.
Como made a great start in the fifth minute when Patrick Cutrone attempted to roll the ball across the six-yard box but it took a huge deflection off Bologna defender Nicolò Casale for an own goal.
Bologna thought it was gifted a way back into the match on the stroke of halftime when referee Marco Piccinini signalled for a penalty following an Alberto Moreno handball, but he revoked his decision and instead gave a free kick because the handball was just outside the area.
Bologna improved after the break but found itself further behind when Cutrone raced onto a through ball and cut inside past a defender and fired into the far bottom corner.
Tommaso Pobega hit the post for Bologna, which finally pulled one back in the 76th through substitute Santiago Castro.
Another substitute helped the visitors snatch a point when Samuel Iling-Junior curled a fine strike into the top left corner in stoppage time.
Unbeaten sides
Juventus, and more surprisingly Empoli, are among six unbeaten sides.
Empoli held Monza and Bologna to draws either side of a shock 2-1 win at Roma. Juventus’ perfect start to the season was ruined by Roma in a goalless draw before the international break.
On Saturday, there were few clearcut chances in Empoli although home goalkeeper Devis Vásquez made spectacular saves to fingertip out a Federico Gatti header and deny Dusan Vlahovic in a one on one with the Juventus forward.
Empoli had a good opportunity in the 73rd minute following an Alberto Grassi one-two with Pietro Pellegri but the finish was straight at Mattia Perin.
The host could have won it right at the death but Gatti flew in with a great sliding block to keep out Emanuel Gyasi’s close-range effort.
Juventus hosts PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday.
