The Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)*, Pro Bono Ontario, and law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP have partnered on a public interest project: the “CERB/CRB Pro Bono Program.” This program will provide pro bono legal support to eligible people in Ontario dealing with CRA requests for repayment of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and/or the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB).
These temporary pandemic relief benefits were available between March 2020 and September 2021 to anyone who lived in Canada, earned $5000 of employment or self-employment income within a specified time frame, who had reduced or lost work due to pandemic-related issues, and who met other eligibility criteria.
By the end of 2021, both temporary programs had ended. However, years after these emergency benefits were received and used as intended, many individuals who received CERB and/or CRB now find themselves having to prove to the CRA that they were eligible to receive these benefits. If they cannot prove eligibility, they are required to repay all of the money they received through the temporary pandemic benefits programs. For some individuals, this could amount to tens of thousands of dollars owed to the CRA. Some individuals have experienced these dollars being recouped by the CRA, without prior warning or consent, out of other government benefits they receive and rely on.
Community legal clinics across Ontario have been flooded with requests for support from people living on low incomes who are not able to prove eligibility for a variety of reasons, and simply do not have the funds to repay the CRA, even at a low monthly rate. Community legal clinics have also observed that several individuals who have reached out for support on this issue do not qualify for legal aid services or representation, despite living on low incomes. Their lives will be made much harder should they be forced to repay this unforeseen debt.
ISAC, Osler, and Pro Bono Ontario recognize the need to provide legal supports for individuals who live on low incomes and who are facing CRA debt that they cannot afford to pay. In order to assist those people who received CERB and/or CRB and who were later improperly assessed with an overpayment, a new public interest project has been launched. The project will consist of:
- Pro bono legal support for judicial review applications of CRA decisions, and/or CRA internal reviews, where the individual meets eligibility and other requirements;
- Educational materials with information for self-reps who cannot access or don’t qualify for legal services.
To learn more and apply for support, click here.
Note: Legal support and representation from the program is not guaranteed. There are eligibility requirements associated with the provision of pro bono support, and support is subject to the capacity and discretion of the program. For more information about eligibility requirements, click here.
For media inquiries, contact:
- Pro Bono Ontario: Kirsti@probonoontario.org
- Income Security Advocacy Centre: info@isac.clcj.ca
For all other inquiries, contact:
- Pro Bono Ontario: info@probonoontario.org
- Income Security Advocacy Centre: info@isac.clcj.ca
*ISAC is a specialty legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario.