Financial Support Services
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HOUSING
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Support |
Description |
How to Access |
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Bill deferral, payment plans, as well as crisis funding is available. |
Call 1-800-BC-HYDRO or apply online. |
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No rent increases are allowed in BC, effective April 1. |
No action needed. Contact RTB with questions. |
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Provides up to $500/month towards rent, paid directly to landlords. |
Apply with BC Housing. |
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Mortgage payment deferrals available for CMHC-insured loans. |
Check with your lender. |
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Check with your lender about payment deferral options. |
Check with your lender. |
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Existing shelters still active and additional emergency options may be available. |
Call 2-1-1 or search online. |
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PERSONAL INCOME WORKFORCE |
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Support |
Description |
How to Access |
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Employment Insurance (EI) |
Existing EI benefit continues to be available. Provides up to $573/week to people who have lost income. |
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One-week waiting period has been waived. |
Call 1-833-381-2725 or apply online. |
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Provides $2000/month to workers who lose income due to COVID-19, including contractors and self-employed people. |
Check back early April for application instructions. More info here. |
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One-time additional tax-free payment of $1000 to those on EI or CERB. |
Check back for application instructions. |
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INCOME SUPPLEMENTS FOR PEOPLE |
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Support |
Description |
How to Access |
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One-time boost of up to $600 per eligible couple, $400 for eligible individuals in May. |
Benefit is paid out according to your income tax return. More info here. |
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One-time boost of up to $564 for eligible families of 4 and $218 for eligible individuals in an enhanced payment in July. |
Children under 18 years old must be registered for the CCB to qualify. No other action is needed; benefit is paid out according to your income tax return. More info here. |
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Canada Child Benefit (CCB) |
One-time boost of $300 per child in May. |
No action if you are already registered for CCB. Otherwise, apply online. |
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Youth in care will not age out of services during the pandemic. Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program payments will continue despite school closures and training interruptions. |
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Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program payments will continue to former youth-in-care despite school closures and training interruptions. |
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Existing Income Assistance program continues to be available for those in need with no other resources. |
Apply online, by phone at 1-866-866-0800, or visit your local office. |
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Existing Disability Assistance program continues to be available. See also full list of additional supports here. |
Apply online, by phone at 1-866-866-0800, or visit your local office. |
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Existing programs continue to be available, including:
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OTHER SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE |
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Support |
Description |
How to Access |
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Hospital parking |
Parking is free of charge at all health authority owned/operated health care sites. |
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Monthly payment deferral for up to 90 days with no penalty. |
Call 1-800-665-6442 or apply online. |
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Child care providers receiving emergency government funding cannot charge parent fees for any periods of closure or for vacant spaces and must reserve spaces for families, starting April. |
Check with your provider to see if they are in this program. |
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Six-month interest-free moratorium on repayment, starting April. |
Repayment will be paused automatically. |
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Six-month interest-free moratorium on repayment, starting April. |
Repayment will be paused automatically. |
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Fare-free boarding on all buses. Enter through rear of the bus, unless accessible loading is required. |
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Minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) has been reduced by 25% for 2020. |
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Emergency loan of $5000 available to Canadians travelling abroad. |
Dial +1 613-996-8885 or send an email. |
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Filing due date is deferred to June 1. Payments owed are deferred until after August 31. |
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BUSINESSES (GENERAL) |
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Support |
Description |
How to Access |
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Bill deferral and payment plans. |
Call 1-800-BC-HYDRO. |
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Covers up to 75% of wages for businesses, charities, and non-profits that have lost more than 30% of their revenue. Max subsidy of $847 per week per employee, backdated to March 15. |
Check back for application instructions. |
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Financing support for small and medium-sized businesses. Available mid-April.
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Speak with your financial institution. Learn more. |
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Payments owed are deferred until after August 31. |
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Payments for Employer health tax (EHT), provincial sales tax (PST), municipal and regional district tax, tobacco tax, motor fuel tax, and carbon tax are deferred until after Sept 30. Scheduled April 1 increases to provincial carbon tax and PST are deferred. |
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Cut of 50% for business and industry property classes, to be passed onto tenants on triple-net leases. |
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Payments owed deferred to June 30. |
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Payments owed deferred to June 30. |
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See more re: Businesses. |
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BUSINESSES (BY SECTOR) |
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Support |
Description |
How to Access |
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Emergency funding is available for child care providers that stay open and that close. |
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$3-million Arts and Culture Resilience Supplement to give operating and eligible project clients a supplement of up to $15,000. Clients will receive a 50% advance on 2020-21 funding. |
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Simplified process for Canada Book Fund and Canada Periodical Fund. Journalism Tax Measures. |
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CRTC Part I licence fees waived. |
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Tourism operators in national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas will have payments on commercial leases and licences of occupation deferred without interest until September 1. |
Wait to be contacted by Parks Canada. |
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Seafood growers, shellfish farmers, and processors, will have access to the $5 billion Farm Credit Canada loan program. |
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Access to the $5 billion Farm Credit Canada loan program. |
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Rents paid on ground leases waived. |
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FUNDING BOOSTS TO CHARITIES FOR PROGRAM DELIVERY |
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Support |
Description |
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Funding boost to Food Banks British Columbia, who will distribute the money among food banks province wide. |
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Funding boost to Kids Help Phone, which provides young people with mental health support. |
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Funding boost to United Way Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors, such as: Delivery of groceries, medications, or other needed items, or personal outreach to assess individuals’ needs and connect them to community supports. |
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