Worried about paying the bills during COVID-19?
You can also call 211 for financial, community and/or mental health supports.
Here are some supports which can help:
Service Canada has a dedicated phone line for inquiries regarding Employment Insurance (EI) claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic: 1-833-381-2725.
Important information for workers who have lost their jobs or are unable to work:
The Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan provides an overview of the Federal Government’s announced support for Canadians.
Topics include:
A list of resources on topics including employment insurance, work-sharing program, the labour program and federally regulated workplaces, and the repayment of student loans can be found at Employment and Social Development Canada.
The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, gives income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19.
Federal COVID-19 Emergency Assistance
The Government of Canada has made changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program and introduced recovery benefits to support workers, including the Canada Recovery Benefit, Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.
Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit
On April 29, 2021, the Ontario Government amended the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) to require employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid infectious disease emergency leave because of certain reasons related to COVID-19covid 19. This entitlement is in addition to employees’ rights to unpaid infectious disease emergency leave.
The Government of Canada launched an Insured Mortgage Purchase Program to expand the stable funding available to banks and mortgage lenders in order to ensure continued lending to Canadian consumers and businesses.
Bank of Montreal, CIBC, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank and TD Bank have made a commitment to work with personal and small business banking customers on a case-by-case basis to provide flexible solutions to help them manage through challenges such as:
This support will include up to a six-month payment deferral for mortgages and the opportunity for relief on other credit products.
More information is available at Canada’s Six Biggest Banks Take Decisive Action To Help Customers Impacted by COVID-19.
Toronto Employment and Social Services (TESS) continues to provide critical services to vulnerable residents and is maintaining a level of service to ensure the provision of critical financial benefits and supports for low-income clients and vulnerable residents.
Provision of critical services primarily by phone include:
In-person services are restricted at this time and are provided only for clients with no phone/online access, as services can be accessed over the phone by those in need.
Check the Employment and Social Services section on the Changes to City Services page for updates on impacted services and when they may return to normal service.
If you need help paying for food and housing and are not already receiving Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), you can apply for COVID-19 emergency assistance.
There are interest free loans for low-income households for rental arrears or rental deposits. The Toronto Rent Bank provides interest-free loans to Toronto residents who are behind in their rent or need to move to more suitable housing.
Also learn about Toronto Hydro’s COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), a one-time credit to help with your electricity costs.