Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Financial Aids and Services
Read the latest Public Health Agency of Canada facts on Coronavirus.
For individuals
Employment Insurance
Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits provide up to 15 weeks of income replacement and is available to eligible claimants who are unable to work because of illness, injury or quarantine, to allow them time to restore their health and return to work. Canadians quarantined can apply for Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits.
If you are eligible, visit the EI sickness benefits page to apply.
Service Canada is ready to support Canadians affected by COVID-19 and placed in quarantine, with the following support actions:
- The one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits will be waived for new claimants who are quarantined so they can be paid for the first week of their claim
- Establishing a new dedicated toll-free phone number to support enquiries related to waiving the EI sickness benefits waiting period
- People claiming EI sickness benefits due to quarantine will not have to provide a medical certificate
- People who cannot complete their claim for EI sickness benefits due to quarantine may apply later and have their EI claim backdated to cover the period of delay
Important: If you are directly affected by the COVID-19 because you are sick or quarantined and you have not yet applied for EI benefits, please submit your application before contacting us. This will allow us to better serve you and prevent delays in establishing your claim.
If you have already completed the application for EI sickness benefits whether you are sick or quarantined and would like to have the one-week waiting period waived, call the new toll-free phone number below. It is important to note that no other request will be actioned on this phone line. We will take action only for sick or quarantined clients affected by the COVID-19 for which the application for sickness benefits has been filed.
- Telephone: 1-833-381-2725 (toll-free)
- Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-529-3742
If you are experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever, difficulty breathing or you are in self-isolation or quarantine, do not visit or enter any Service Canada office. As an alternative, you may access our services online or by calling 1 800 O-Canada.
Canada Child Benefit
- Eligible recipients will receive $300 more per child with their regular May CCB payment.
- If you have previously applied for the CCB, you do not need to re-apply.
- For more information on the Canada Child Benefit such as how to apply and eligibility requirements, go to Canada child benefit or call 1-800-387-1193.
Canada Student Loans
- To support student and apprentice loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has announced its plan to pause the repayment of Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans until September 30, 2020, with no accrual of interest. Pending parliamentary approval, these measures will become effective March 30 2020. This will include pre-authorized debits. These measures will provide relief to nearly 1 million CSLP borrowers in repayment. We will provide more details shortly.
- Proposed legislation would temporarily pause the repayment of Canada Student Loans.
- Effective March 30, 2020, all student loan borrowers will automatically have their repayments suspended until September 30, 2020. No payment will be required and interest will not accrue during this time. Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause.
- These measures will provide relief to nearly 1 million CSLP borrowers in repayment.
- Students who are currently studying can continue to apply for Canada Student Loans. There will be no change to the application process. If a borrower wishes to apply for student financial assistance during the pause, they should apply through their Province or Territory of residence.
Passport services
Canadians with urgent travel needs may obtain passport services if they:
- have a serious illness, or must tend to the serious illness or death of another individual they have had a relationship with;
- suffer from economic hardships due to loss of job or business (the cost of an airline, bus or train ticket does not constitute economic hardship); or
- must travel for humanitarian grounds, supported by the requesting organization.
If you meet one of the above criteria, you may contact the Passport Call Centre at 1-800-567-6868 or fill out the Service Canada e-form.
If you do not meet the above criteria, or are experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever, difficulty breathing or you are in self-isolation or quarantine, please delay submitting your passport application until further notice.
Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Where to find your SIN
If you don’t remember your SIN, there may be ways you can find it yourself. You can find your SIN in the following places:
- on your income tax return
- on your tax slips (T4s, T5)
- on your record of employment
- RRSP contribution, or
- you can request your SIN from your employer
Applying for a SIN
We are still accepting SIN applications but will no longer be accepting them at our in person Service Canada Centers. We recommend that those applying carefully review the following instructions.
Non urgent applications
We request that you refrain from applying for a SIN at this time. We will update this page once more information becomes available.
Urgent applications
If your request is urgent, you can send your application by Canada Post or use a courier service. Service Canada will send the response using the same service you used to send your application (either Canada Post or courier). You will need to attach a note explaining why the request is urgent to your application. Please review the Applying for a SIN page for more information on the documents you need to provide with your application.
SIN issuance and delivery for mailed applications
If you sent your request by Canada Post, we would recommend you visit their website and consult posted delivery standards and review any applicable service delivery interruption web notices as delays may affect the timely receipt and processing of your application
If you sent your application via courier, verify with the courier service to confirm delivery of the application.
If your application is urgent, you can check the status by calling: 1-866-274-6627.
Employers can contact Service Canada's Social Insurance Registration Office at 1-866-274-6627 or 1-506-548-7961 if outside of Canada (long distance charges will apply) to confirm an employee’s SIN.
Temporary residents renewing expiring or expired SINs
Employers must ensure that employees with a SIN beginning with the number “9” are authorized to work in Canada and have a valid immigration document.
If you have applied for renewal of your work or study permit and your current permit has expired before a decision is made, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations provides you the right to continue working or studying under the same conditions as long as you remain in Canada. This is referred to as “implied status”. You retain implied status until a decision is rendered by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For more information regarding “implied status”, visit the IRCC website or call the IRCC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100.
In your workplace
Employment Insurance - Record of Employment
If your employees are directly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and they are no longer working, you must issue a Record of Employment (ROE).
When the employee is sick or quarantined, use code D (Illness or injury) as the reason for separation (block 16). Do not add comments.
When the employee is no longer working due to a shortage of work because the business has closed or decreased operations due to coronavirus (COVID-19), use code A (Shortage of work). Do not add comments.
When the employee refuses to come to work but is not sick or quarantined, use code E (Quit) or code N (Leave of absence), as appropriate. Avoid adding comments unless absolutely necessary.
Work-Sharing Program
The Work-Sharing program is implementing temporary special measures to support employers and employees affected by the downturn in business caused by COVID-19. The new temporary special measures are available to employers impacted directly or indirectly by COVID-19. The measures allows for eligible employers to retain skilled employees and workers to remain employed during the temporary downturn in business due to COVID-19. The temporary special measures will:
- extend the Work-Sharing agreements by an additional 38 weeks
- wave the mandatory waiting period between agreements
- ease the recovery plan requirements
Access the Work-Sharing page to learn more about the program and its requirements.
Access the Work-Sharing temporary special measures page to find out if you are eligible for temporary special measures.
Labour Program and federally regulated workplaces
In this section
Responding to the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) in federally regulated workplaces
There may be concerns from employers and employees in Canadian federally regulated workplaces about coronavirus and questions about how to prevent exposure in their workplaces.
Workplace parties should consider whether doing certain tasks puts employees at greater risk of exposure to coronavirus. Also consider whether the Hazard Prevention Program needs extra controls or protections.
To change the Hazard Prevention Program, the employer must consult the policy or workplace health and safety committee or representative.
The employer must inform and train employees on any changes to the Program, including any new personal protective equipment they provide.
Are you an employer or employee in a federally regulated workplace? Do you have concerns or questions about coronavirus? Contact the Labour Program at 1-800-641-4049 (toll-free).
Roles and responsibilities
The Labour Program is responsible for administering Part II of the Canada Labour Code (the Code).
The Public Health Agency of Canada is responsible for preparing for and responding to any infectious disease emergencies that may happen in Canada.
Employers are responsible for protecting the health and safety of their employees while at work.
Employer responsibilities under Part II of the Canada Labour Code
Employers are responsible for protecting the health and safety of employees at work. They are required to implement preventative measures to ensure employees are not exposed to conditions that could be harmful to their health or safety while working.
If there is a risk of exposure to COVID-19 for employees while working, employers must:
- identify the risk
- assess the risk, and
- implement proper controls through their Hazard Prevention Program
If the employer requires personal protective equipment, they must provide training and procedures to employees. Employees must comply with the employer's procedures.
Employee rights under Part II of the Canada Labour Code
Under the Code, employees have 3 basic rights:
- the right to know
- the right to participate, and
- the right to refuse dangerous work
Definition of danger: "any hazard, condition or activity that could reasonably be expected to be an imminent or serious threat to the life or health of a person exposed to it before the hazard or condition can be corrected or the activity altered."
For more information about refusal to work under Part II of the Code: Right to refuse dangerous work
Hazard Prevention Program
Supporting the Internal Responsibility System, the employer must make all revisions to the workplace Hazard Prevention Program by consulting with:
- the policy health and safety committee
- the workplace health and safety committee, or
- the workplace health and safety representative
Employees must be provided with training on the hazard and the safe work procedures that will protect them. Employers must keep training records.
Employees’ entitlements and leaves of absence
The Code provides employees in federally regulated workplaces with a number of job protected leaves if they are ill or if they need to take care of their family. This includes:
The Code establishes minimum requirements. If a collective agreement or arrangement providing better protections exists, the most favourable provisions apply.
For more information: Types of leaves offered to employees in federally regulated workplaces
Reporting requirements
Employees are required to report hazardous occurrences to their employer. This includes reporting their own potential exposure to COVID-19 that caused or is likely to cause illness to themselves or to any other person.
Employers are required to:
- report continued refusals to work to the Labour Program as soon as possible once all workplace investigations have taken place
- contact the Labour Program at 1-800-641-4049 (toll free). An official delegated by the Minister of Labour will follow up with employers to review Code requirements related to refusals to work
- investigate instances of employees with confirmed COVID-19 resulting in exposure to other employees, and for preventing recurrence of exposure, and
- report known cases of employees confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 in the workplace using the Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Report
Information and resources
Information about coronavirus and prevention for employers:
Information on workplace health and safety, and federal labour standards:
Contact the Labour Program
- Telephone: 1-800-641-4049 (toll-free)
- Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-800-926-9105