When to return or repay the CERB

You may want to return or be required to repay the CERB to the department (CRA or Service Canada) that issued you the CERB payment if you:

  • return to work earlier than expected, including being paid retroactively
  • applied for CERB but later realize you are not eligible

Return or repay the CERB to the CRA if you

  • applied for and received the CERB from CRA and Service Canada for the same eligibility period

Information slip issuance

Since the CERB is taxable, you can expect to receive an information slip indicating the total amounts of CERB payments you received in 2020.

However, if you repay all or a portion of the CERB payments you received, regardless of the reason, your account will be adjusted accordingly. You will not receive an information slip for the payment(s) that have been returned prior to December 31, 2020.

We encourage you to repay your CERB before December 31, 2020.

How to return a CERB Payment

If you applied for and received the CERB from CRA and Service Canada for the same eligibility period, please return or repay the CERB to the CRA.

If you applied for CERB through the Canada Revenue Agency
By mail
  • If you still have the original CERB cheque mail it to the address listed below
  • If you received the payment by direct deposit, or deposited the cheque, you can mail your repayment to the address listed below.
    • Make payment out to “Receiver General for Canada”
    • Indicate it is for “Repayment of CERB”
    • Include your Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Mailing Address

Revenue Processing – Repayment of CERB
Sudbury Tax Centre
1050 Notre Dame Avenue
Sudbury ON P3A 0C3

Please do not send cash through the mail.

Online banking with your financial institution
  • Sign in to your financial institutions online banking service for individuals
  • Under “Add a payee” look for an option such as: CRA (revenue) – tax instalment
  • Enter your 9 digit social insurance number as the CRA account number
Using My Account

Beginning May 11, the CRA will offer a convenient way to repay the CERB with a few simple clicks using My Account.

  • Sign in to your CRA My Account
  • Select the ”Proceed to pay” button on the Overview page under the COVID-19 Emergency Support Details
  • Enter the amount you wish to repay
  • Select your payment method of choice

If you don’t have a My Account, sign up for one today or use your My Service Canada account to get direct access to My Account (a convenient link in My Service Canada account lets you jump into My Account, even if you have never signed up).

If you applied for CERB through Service Canada (Employment Insurance (EI) payment)

For anyone who became eligible for EI regular or sickness benefits on March 15, 2020 or later, their Employment Insurance (EI) claim was automatically processed as a CERB payment through Service Canada. Please note you are only to repay once, not to both organizations

If you choose to repay to Service Canada the process to return the payment is as follows:

  • If you still have the original cheque you can return the cheque by mail to the address below.
  • If you do not have the cheque, or have deposited the cheque, you can pay your account using any of the 3 methods as outlined below:
    Online banking
    • Select “Employment and Social Development Canada”
    • Enter your 9 digit Social Insurance Number (SIN). If your financial institution requires 11 characters add the letters “YY” or the numbers “00” to the end of the Client ID
      • Given that each financial institution is different, please try using your SIN with the letters YY after, if this is not accepted by the system, you should input your SIN and the numbers 00. Once the client ID is created the payment can be transferred to Employment and Social Development Canada
    At your financial institution

    Write your Social Insurance Number (SIN) on your cheque or money order and indicate it is for “Repayment of CERB”

    By mail (cheque or money order)
    • Send your payment by cheque or money order (address below)
    • Make your payment payable to: “Receiver General for Canada”
    • Write your SIN on the front of your cheque or money order and indicate it is for “Repayment of CERB”

Please do not send cash through the mail

Mail your cheque or money order to the following payment office:

ESDC Remittances
PO Box 1122
Matane QC G4W 4S7

Since the CERB is taxable, you can expect to receive an information slip on the amount of CERB you received.

Service Canada will reverse the transaction if you repay the CERB for whatever reason, and you will not receive an information slip for that payment.

In order to ensure that the information slips are not issued improperly, we encourage you to repay your CERB before December 31, 2020. If you need more time to repay based on your personal situation, please contact the CRA or visit the CRA payment page to ensure that by December 31st you have made the necessary arrangements to payback based on agreed upon schedule.

Verifying eligibility

The CRA has provided convenient ways for individuals to get the CERB as quickly as possible. Most people are able to complete the application in under 2 minutes, and receive payments through direct deposit within 2 business days.

The CRA also needs to ensure that the CERB was paid to individuals who are eligible.

As a result, the CRA will be comparing the payroll records of employers with the information of CERB claimants to ensure individuals that have returned to work and have become ineligible for the CERB repay those amounts.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application/return-or-repay.html