Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB)

Good News for Our Members!

We have consulted with CUPE National and have been advised that many of our members, including many international student members, will qualify for the federal government’s Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB).

Members with contracts expiring in April, will qualify for CERB in mid May provided they meet the following eligibility criteria, this includes international student members as long as they have a SIN number:

  • must have had $5,000 in employment income, self-employment income, or maternity or parental leave benefits for 2019 or in the 12-month period preceding the day they make the application
  • must have made less than $1,000 of income (employment or self employment) for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of your claim.
  • who have not quit a job voluntarily
  • Applicants must be unable to work because you lost employment for reasons beyond your control (i.e. contract is up at the end of April) and it is doubtful you can get work due to the impact that COVID-19 has had on the labour market

You can find the eligibility requirements on the government CERB website. The next eligibility period to apply for CERB is May 10th to June 6th, 2020.You can find a table of eligibility periods at the CUPE National CERB Q&A site.

Graduate Student Members and Elective Academic Leaves of Absence

Some members may be considering taking an elective academic leave over the summer term. Academic leaves are governed by FGS and are not part of the Collective Agreement (more information can be found here). However, full-time student status is an eligibility requirement for Unit 1 work, therefore taking an elective leave makes you ineligible for summer TAships.

If you have already signed a contract for S1/SU terms (term start date of May 11th) and are considering an elective academic leave for the Summer term please contact your Chief Steward, Alison Fisher.

Graduate student members without signed summer contracts who wish to take an elective academic leave are encouraged to submit a leave of absence form to FGS as soon as possible, and inform their hiring units that they will no longer be a graduate student, and therefore will not be eligible for a TA contract.

CUPE National COVID-19 Updates

During this pandemic, the situation for workers and the federal government response has been changing quickly.  CUPE National is in regular (at least weekly) communication with government officials advocating for our members in relation to CERB, Employment Insurance benefits, and other work and health & safety related issues.

CUPE National representatives were successful in persuading government officials that assistance was needed not just for workers who have lost work directly due to COVID-19 but also for contract workers whose contracts have come to an end during a pandemic, and are now looking for work when jobs are scarce. This update to the original CERB criteria is especially important for our members.

Members should check the CUPE National COVID site regularly for the most up to date information and download the latest CUPE National Fact Sheet on CERB.

Frequently Asked Questions


Should I apply for CERB through Service Canada or through Canada Revenue Agency or both?

Members who are eligible for regular EI benefits should apply through Service Canada, EI claims will be automatically processed through the CERB. Members who would not be eligible for regular EI benefits should apply through the CRA. See the federal government’s CERB FAQ for more details.

Normally, a member would need to accumulate at least 600 insurable EI hours in the last 52 weeks, at the time of applying for EI to be eligible. Most Unit 1 members whose primary work is through their York teaching contracts would not typically have enough hours to qualify for EI.

  • A 1.0 Course Directorship at York is considered to be 535 hours for EI purposes.
  • A 1.0 TA-ship is considered to be 356 hours for EI purposes.

For example; TAs typically would not qualify for regular EI (unless they have insurable hours from other workplaces) and should therefore apply for CERB through the CRA. Unit 2 members with more than one CD would likely have 600 insurable hours and should therefore apply through Service Canada.


I have worked 600 insurable EI hours over the last 52 weeks and therefore qualify for EI. Should I apply to EI or for CERB?

If you are a member who does qualify for EI, then you should apply for EI through the Service Canada website as you normally would.  More information can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html


I am a Unit 1/3 member who has a scholarship that I receive every semester in my student account.  Will my scholarship disqualify me from applying to CERB?

While scholarships are considered “non-taxable”, they can be counted as income if used for that purpose.  However, they are not taxed at the same rate as regular employment income.

We have been informed that as long as you let the government know whether you received scholarship monies at the time of your application and how much you received, and provided that you meet the other CERB criteria, you should still qualify for CERB.


What about my student loan or bursaries?  Do these monies disqualify me from applying to CERB?

According to the federal government, student loans and bursaries do not affect eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.


What if I plan to take an academic leave of absence for the summer of 2020?  Can I still qualify for CERB?

Unlike the Student Relief Benefit, CERB does not require you to be a student at the time of application.  As long as you fulfill the CERB-specific eligibility criteria, you are eligible regardless of your student status in the summer of 2020.


I am a Unit 1 member who has a fractional TA contract in May.  I receive part of my employment income as Grant-in-Aid through my student account.  Is this considered employment income?

This is not completely clear; while the money is defined as a “grant”, it is received through your employment contract and would probably be considered employment income.  At this point, we are advising members to declare the grant-in-aid to the government at the time of your application.  Provided that you meet the other CERB criteria at the time of your application, it is our understanding that you should still qualify for CERB.


While my employment contract at York is finished at the end of April, I have another part time job that provides me with $950 in income a month.  Do I still qualify for CERB? And will I be eligible for the full amount of CERB ($2000 a month) or will my income be reduced from the total CERB amount?

As long as you make $1000 or less in employment or self-employment income in a month, you can still qualify for CERB as long as you meet all of the other eligibility criteria. You will be able to earn up to $1000 on top of or in addition to the full amount of CERB.  However, if you begin to earn more than $1000 a month, you will need to declare this to the government and you will be required to pay the CERB benefit back.


Is CERB taxable?

Yes, CERB is taxable.