How to pay your bills while under quarantine

A high number of Quebecers are now in isolation because of the Coronavirus Covid-19 situation. Among them, many people are unable to work because the nature of their jobs doesn’t allow them to work from home. Some, like those in the cultural, retail or restauration sectors have been prevented from working by new rules put in place by the government to prevent transmission of the coronavirus.

How can people pay their bills (rent, utilities, etc.) and pay their taxes in a crisis situation? This week, the governments of Quebec and Canada provided some answers.

A delay for filing taxes

The due date for tax filings will be extended until June 1st

The Canada Revenue Agency will allow all taxpayers to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today and before September 2020.Loosened group insurance policies

If you are a full-time worker and are part of a group insurance plan, you might already know that in the case of sickness that leaves you unable to work, typically you only begin to receive insurance payments after seven (7) days without working and upon the receipt of a doctor’s note.

These restrictions have been loosened by the government. Now, workers on sick leave will receive payments starting the first day of absence and are not required to provide a doctor’s note in order to avoid overwhelming hospitals and clinics. All cases of isolation are covered by the new policy, whether a person is infected or under preventative isolation. The only condition for approval is to not be working.

Employment Insurance from day one for those who are not covered

Among full-time workers, many still do not have access to a group health insurance plan because their employer does not offer one, or because they have not yet completed their three-to-six-month probationary period.

Quebec’s Loi sur les normes du travail allows for two paid sick days for workers who have worked at a job for three uninterrupted months. This small benefit is simply not enough to cover the costs a sick person will incur during this period of uncertainty.

This is why the federal government has announced that workers are now eligible for Employment Insurance benefits from the first day of not working, regardless of whether a person stopped working for preventative isolation or because their job has stopped due to the crisis.

A program to help other workers

There are many workers who are not covered by a group insurance plan and who are not eligible for Employment Insurance. This group includes self-employed workers.

The Quebec government acted quickly to create the Programme d’aide temporaire aux travailleurs touchés par le nouveau coronavirus (PATT). The payments that will be provided by PATT will be based on the maximum allowable amount determined by the federal Employment Insurance program. Self-employed or salaried workers who are eligible could receive up to $573 per week for a two-week isolation period.

These payments are non-taxable and can be extended if the worker must extend their period of isolation.

Temporary Income Support for Workers and Parents

For Canadians without paid sick leave (or similar workplace accommodation) who are sick, quarantined or forced to stay home to care for children, the Government is introducing the Emergency Care Benefit providing up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks. This flat-payment Benefit would be administered through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provide income support to:

• Workers, including the self-employed, who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.
• Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent, but do not quality for EI sickness benefits.
• Parents with children who require care or supervision due to school closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.