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Newfoundland increases income support for essential workers

January 17, 2021  By Greenhouse Canada



Newfoundland has increased support for their essential workers, including those supporting food industries.

Announced Jan. 12, the province has raised the maximum qualifying monthly income threshold from $3,000 to $3,500 for the Essential Worker Support Program.

This will provide financial support to additional essential workers who worked during the pandemic in Newfoundland & Labrador, states Siobhan Coady, the province’s deputy premier and minister of finance.

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The change will allow:

  • Employers who did not previously apply on behalf of eligible essential workers to submit an application;
  • Employers who previously applied for essential workers to now reapply for those workers who earned a maximum gross monthly income up to $3,500; and
  • Eligible essential workers to apply directly if they meet the eligibility criteria and their employer does not apply on their behalf.

“We thank the many essential workers who have been providing critical services during this pandemic. They are not just first responders, but also those on the front lines of retail, healthcare, food sales and the restaurant industry. We are encouraging all employers to help us support their staff through the application process for the Essential Worker Support Program,” says Coady.

The Essential Worker Support Program provides a temporary wage top-up to essential workers employed during Alert Levels 4 and 5 of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is taxable income, as it will be included on an individual’s earnings for 2021.

This program, which is cost-shared with the federal government, will provide a one-time payment to individuals who meet eligibility criteria and who work in professions included in Ottawa’s “Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic” document.

The eligibility period for this program was from March 15, 2020 to July 4, 2020. The application deadline has been extended to February 26, 2021. More information is available online here.


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