Lucyjane

Hi,
I recently landed in Canada as a PR as my Spouse is Canadian.
Had amazing interviews and received job offers but now they have been retracted as the stores have all closed during this turbulent climate we are all facing.

i was just wondering what the rules are regarding claiming if anything an emergency fund?

in all honesty I would have gone back to England to work but everything has closed there as well.
I just feel a bit stuck money wise.
spouse is obviously supporting me and we have funds but I technically should have been working nearly 3 weeks by now if they hadn’t closed.

thank you in advance

Lucy

Snowy560

if your husband sponsored you he will have signed an undertaking which means he is legally required to support you financially and will have to pay back any money you claim in welfare benefits/social assistance for a period of 3 years after you become a Permanent Resident.
i don't know if the new emergency provisions count as social assistance.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1355&top=14

Lucyjane

We won’t claim anything, I was just double checking in case. I just want to work!
thank you so much for the response
stay safe and well

christmasoompa

Maybe I'm missing something, but if you have funds and can survive on your spouse's salary, then why would you need/want/be eligible for benefits anyway? They're usually reserved for those truly in need.

Jerseygirl

so do millions of Canadians...people with no funds or family to support them. Heck...some are even losing the roof over their heads. I am sorry you have moved at such an uncertain time...but things are tough and are likely to get much tougher.

PMM

Hi

1. One of the criteria for CERB is $5K of Income from a Canadian job in the previous 5 months.

Siouxie

As has been mentioned, your spouse is financially liable for all your expenses - they signed an undertaking. Apart from that as you haven't made any financial contribution to Canada through EI / CPP / Taxes yet, you wouldn't qualify.. although your spouse might be able to claim for both of you, if they have been laid off / become ill!

You might be able to claim something in the UK, if you have only just moved here... perhaps... https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ed-by-covid-19
Stay well, stay safe

scrubbedexpat091

I have been in Canada for 15 years, was in between jobs and should have been working by now at the new job, but they too cancelled because of this situation, and so far none of the programs announced even pertain to me, so I highly doubt you would be able to get anything having never worked in Canada.

Lucyjane

Thank you for the replies PMM and Souixie.

jeremy brewer

Hi
As i understand it

the only way you could claim is if you separated

from day one, the spouse who sponsored has to pay anything you claim until the 3yrs is up


the was a scam i read about

a few years ago an older man married a younger woman, she came to canada and left him
he was stuck with her living costs for 3yrs as he had signed the sponsorship forms

she claimed the government depts just billed him

cheers
jerry

CRAY

I have been told by several sources (some more reliable than others) that what your sponsor is actually liable for is very specific, at least in terms of government/ benefits debt and what they will be 'billed' for.

The term is that they must repay "social assistance" which is applied for by the sponsored person. Ontario, at least only has 2 social assistance programs as far as I am aware. Ontario works, and OSDP. So my understanding is that the sponsor is not liable for things like E.I, GST cheques, CERB etc. I think technically they are liable for the clothes on your back if you really wanted to push the boat, but you'd have to report them I imagine for not meeting those kinds of things. I am more so talking about the debts the government will actually chase you for without the sponsored person reporting their situation to say, social services or something for example .

I will add that I am not an expert. This is just what I have been told. And have looked what "social assistance" is offered in my province of which I did indeed confirm there are only 2 as stated above.

Someone correct me please if they know otherwise

christmasoompa

Here is ‘social services’ as outlined in the regulations -

“social services means any social services, such as home care, specialized residence and residential services, special education services, social and vocational rehabilitation services, personal support services and the provision of devices related to those services,

• (a) that are intended to assist a person in functioning physically, emotionally, socially, psychologically or vocationally; and
  
• (b) for which the majority of the funding, including funding that provides direct or indirect financial support to an assisted person, is contributed by governments, either directly or through publicly-funded agencies.”
  
  And here’s Ontario’s info - https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/p...irectives.aspx
  
  HTH