On June 5, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government will be contributing $14 billion for a Safe Restart Agreement to aid the provinces and territories in safely reopening over the next six to eight months. This contribution will support funding for personal protective equipment, childcare, assistance to seniors, paid sick leave for workers, and municipal services, among other things. The federal government will work with provincial and territorial governments to implement this new funding agreement.
The Prime Minister also announced a new, one-time payment of up to $600 for Canadians with disabilities to help them address increased costs and challenges related to COVID-19. The government will also be establishing a National Workplace Accessibility Stream to help people with disabilities find and keep jobs, and funding five new projects to help people with disabilities access supportive devices to help them overcome barriers in the workplace.
The Prime Minister also noted in his announcement that approximately 1.2 million Canadians who had previously been accessing the Canada Emergency Wage Benefit (“CERB”) no longer need this help.
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