Continue to look for work

If you are able to work, you must be actively looking for a job at least 3 days per week to be eligible to receive the CESB for that period. If you still cannot find work due to COVID-19, you can re-apply for each CESB eligibility period that you are eligible for.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may ask you to provide information later to verify that you have been looking for work during the eligibility period(s) you have applied for, so it is important to keep track of your ongoing job search activities. The CRA may ask you to provide:

• dates you applied for jobs or searched for jobs online, including tools or websites used, type of work you looked for, and your search results
• emails sent and responses from prospective employers, including their names and contact information
• emails, screenshots or other documents showing:
  • job applications you submitted
  • job interviews (in-person, by phone, or virtually) you attended
  • job search workshops or job fairs (virtual or in-person) you attended
  • regular contact with an employment agency
• links to job postings or screenshots of job ads, flyers within your local area

Registering with the Government of Canada Job Bank is an easy way for you to show that you are actively looking for work. Once registered, the Job Bank will notify you of current jobs available in your field and location, as well as jobs available in essential sectors. You can also use the Job Bank to find tips to help you update your resume and explore career options. By using the Job Bank, you can keep track of your job search activities in one place.

Validating your application

The CRA is validating applications in order to maintain public confidence in Canada’s tax system and ensure that payments are available for people who need them most.

We may need some more information before processing your application.

If you need to validate your application

If you receive a notice asking you to validate your application, you must call the toll-free number provided in the notice.

We may ask you to call us for any of the following reasons:

• Confirm the personal information we have on file
• Verify that you meet the eligibility criteria
• Review your account activity if we detect any suspicious behaviour

To complete our validation, we may also ask you to provide some additional documents as they apply to your situation.

Reviewing your eligibility

We will review the information we have in our records and consider the supporting documents that you provide to establish your eligibility.

We may contact third parties, including the document issuing authorities, to authenticate the contents of the supporting documents you provide.

It can take 2 to 3 weeks to process your file from the date we receive your complete response. We will contact you once the validation is complete.

If you received a CESB payment that you are not eligible for, we will contact you to make arrangements to repay any amounts you may owe. Canadians can also report suspected CESB misuse through the CRA’s Leads program.

Re-apply for the CESB

To re-apply for another CESB period, you must continue to meet all the eligibility criteria. For each period you are applying for, be sure one of the following still applies:

• you are unable to work due to COVID-19
• you are actively looking for, but cannot find work due to COVID-19
• you are currently working during the COVID-19 pandemic, but your income from employment and self-employment has been $1,000 or less (before taxes) during the 4-week period you are applying for

You must re-apply for each 4-week period separately. The final eligibility period is August 2 to August 29, 2020. Applications will not be accepted after September 30, 2020.

To find the earliest day to re-apply for each period, go to: Determine when to re-apply.

When to expect your payment

If you are eligible for the CESB, you can expect $1,250 for the 4-week eligibility period you applied for, or $2,000 for those who have dependants or a disability.

The fastest way to get your payment is to make sure your direct deposit is set up. Direct deposit is paid in 3 business days, otherwise you should get a cheque in about 10 business days.