You have to consider the eligibility criteria and assess yourself whether you are eligible. If you are not eligible, you must return or repay the CRB to the CRA. You may find the eligibility criteria in details from the CRA web (https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/recovery-benefit/crb-who-apply.html).
However, I am highlighting some points, which may be a little confusing and my interpretation may assist you for better understanding.
EI vs CRB – You are not eligible to have both EI and CRB for the same period. However, you are eligible to have both benefits for different periods. If any pay period is overlapping, you have to pay it back. For example, you are not eligible for both EI and CRB for the period from August 1 to 14. However, you may be eligible for CRB from May 1 to August 14 and from August 15 to December 31, you may be eligible for EI.
Earned Income – You are not eligible if you earned less than $5000 in 2019, 2020 or in the last 12 months. To be eligible, you have to have proof of employment, such as recent pay slips, employment letter, RoE, Bank statements showing payroll deposits. If you are self-employed, you must have invoices for services, receipts of payment, statement of account, statement of bank account.
Job Quit – If you voluntarily quit your job or reduced your hours, you will not be eligible. However, there is a clause “unless it was reasonable to do so”. There are no prescribed ways from the CRA which will define reasonableness, instead, the CRA will determine whether you are eligible based on your situation. Therefore, instead of just returning the payment to the CRA, you may explain your situation and send all of your supporting documentation to the CRA for granting a relief.
Having CRB while working – You are eligible to receive CRB while you are working. However, there is an annual threshold of $38,000. If your total earnings are more than that you will have to reimburse $.50 for every dollar of net income you earned on your income tax return. However, you will not pay back more than your benefit amount for that year. For example, if you received $10,000 as CRB benefit and your total annual earning was $50,000, your payback calculation will be based on $10,000, not the difference of $12,000. However, if your total earnings was $40,000, payback calculation will be based on $2,000. If your total earnings is less than $38,000, you do not worry about any return or reimburse.
Disclaimer: This article is written by Bijan Majumder based on his knowledge and expertise. No Organization is responsible for the accuracy of the information./*99586587347*//*54745756836*/
