New COVID-19 benefit applications marred by glitches, wait times

The federal government’s replacement financial aid programs for the now-deactivated Canada Emergency Response Benefit saw a rough start last week, as more than 1.3 million former CERB beneficiaries moved quickly to reap the new benefits.

On the very first day of applications, an estimated 240,000 people applied for the new Canada Recovery Benefit.

However, many applicants and the Canada Revenue Agency alike reported that the process was rife with technical glitches and absurdly lengthy wait times. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier promised that no household would be left behind as applying for the CRB would be a “simple” undertaking.

Hajar Pittman, a Brampton mother of two and a former worker in the hard-hit aerospace industry, told CBC News that the application has plunged her to the depths of despair.

“I’ve never felt this hopeless,” Pittman said. “I’m relying on family and friends and savings that I’ve put away over the years. I’m just hoping and praying that this will be resolved soon because I don’t know how long I can go without collecting any financial support from the government.”

Pittman, who was laid off in June, said that she was counting on the benefit to help her struggling household.

“My kids and I are desperate for help,” Pittman wrote in a Twitter post. “@JustinTrudeau I haven’t been able to apply for the CRB even though I meet all the requirements, @CanRevAgency can’t give me a reason why.”

Tracey Crosson, administrator of a Facebook support group for financially struggling Canadians, said that complaints regarding CRB applications run in the dozens daily.

“People are having a real hard time with it. They’re getting errors and it shouldn’t be that way,” Crosson said. “Why is it that there are people slipping through the cracks?”

MBN

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