ALL INDIVIDUALS
Federal
Special GST/HST Credit Payment
As of April 9, 2020, a special GST/HST credit payment for low- and modest-income families will be made:
- $400 for individuals
- Close to $600 for couples
Eligibility
People will get the payment automatically if they normally receive the GST/HST credit.
See more details about the special GST/HST credit
Provincial
B.C. Climate Action Tax Credit
The Province is increasing and expanding the B.C. Climate Action Tax Credit in July 2020.
The one-time enhanced payment is:
- Up to $218 per adult or first child in a single parent family
- Up to $64 per additional child
In July 2020, eligible families of four will automatically receive a combined B.C. Climate Action Tax payment up to $564, and eligible individuals will receive a combined B.C. Climate Action Tax payment up to $218.
The enhanced B.C. Climate Action Tax Credit will be paid in July 2020 combined with the federal GST/HST credit payment.
Eligibility
Approximately 86% of British Columbians will see additional support from this enhancement.
People will get the payment automatically if they are eligible when filing their 2019 tax return.
It is very important for people to file their income taxes so they can qualify and receive their benefits as quickly as possible.
The CRA has up-to-date guides on how to file your taxes quickly online
See more details about the B.C. Climate Action Tax Credit
ICBC
Payment Deferral
ICBC clients currently on a monthly Autoplan can defer their payments for up to 90 days with no penalty.
Cancellation and Re-Plating Fees
Temporary changes now in effect include:
- Waiving the $30 fee when you cancel insurance
- Waiving the $18 plating fee when you choose to reinstate the policy on your vehicle
- Suspension of insurance for fleet vehicle customers
Driver insurance can be cancelled by getting in touch with your insurance broker.
Eligibility
Payment Deferral
Residential and commercial customers currently on a monthly Autoplan payment.
Deferrals also available to commercial and fleet vehicles.
Apply for ICBC payment deferral online
Cancellation and Re-Plating Fees
Customers will be required to remove the plate from their vehicle while it is not insured and the vehicle must be kept off the road.
Customers who reinsure May 30th or thereafter will be able to re-use their plate. Customers reinsuring prior to that date will be issued a new plate at no charge and at that time are expected to surrender their plate.
See more details about cancellation and re-plating fees
BC Hydro Payment Relief
BC Hydro rates will be reduced by 1% on April 1, 2020.
- BC Hydro has halted all service disconnections because of non-payment during COVID-19
- BC Hydro residential customers who are not working because of COVID-19 will receive credits to cover electricity bills – three times their average monthly bill over the past year at their home. The credit does not have to be repaid
- BC Hydro customers can defer bill payments or arrange for flexible payment plans with no penalty
- Customers who are dealing with job loss, illness or loss of wages due to COVID-19 can use BC Hydro’s Customer Crisis Fund grant program for up to $600
Eligibility
British Columbians who are customers of BC Hydro.
Apply for BC Hydro payment relief online
Private
FortisBC Customer Recovery Fund
Residential FortisBC customers can sign up for the COVID-19 Customer Recovery Fund to automatically have their bills deferred from April 1 to June 30, 2020.
- A repayment schedule, free of interest or additional fees, will be set up and payments can be spread over a full year
Eligibility
FortisBC customers
Apply for the Customer Recovery Fund
Federal
Canada Child Benefit
In May 2020, a temporary increase to the Canada Child Benefit will provide up to an extra $300.
Eligibility
People who already receive the Canada Child Benefit.
See more details about the Canada Child Benefit
Crisis Texting Service for Kids of CAF Families
Children and youth of military families across Canada can access a 24/7 confidential, free texting service for mental health and wellbeing support in both English and French.
Eligibility
Children and youth of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members
See more details on the Crisis Text Line
Provincial
Child Care for Essential Service Workers
As of March 31, 2020, the Province is matching essential service workers with child care in their communities.
Child Care Resource Referral Centres in 38 B.C. communities are community-based hubs reaching out to essential service workers in their area.
Eligibility
All B.C. essential service workers with children under the age of five.
Review the list of essential services in B.C.
Request temporary emergency child care
CYSN Emergency Relief Support Fund
Eligible B.C. families with children with special needs can access the Emergency Relief Support Fund, which provides $225 per month for the next three months (April-June 2020). The emergency funding will support 50% more of the eligible families that are currently awaiting services.
- Families with children in care on a special needs agreement or a voluntary care agreement will not have to make monthly maintenance payments for the duration of the pandemic period
- Supported Child Development and Aboriginal Supported Child Development programs will be able to extend extra staffing during school hours to help with the reduced availability of school-based services
- Eligibility and access to At Home Program medical benefits will be relaxed, and any families receiving benefits will continue to do so without the need for a reassessment during the pandemic period
- Parameters on services purchased with Autism Funding will be expanded, allowing families to use up to 35% of funding to purchase equipment and items that assist in home learning and virtual instructional approaches
- Families may direct their child’s Autism Funding to access family counselling and therapy services with a qualified provider
Eligibility
B.C. families with children with special needs
Review eligibility and access the Emergency Relief Support Fund
Supports for Youth in Care and in the AYA Program
Youth currently living in foster care, contracted residential agencies or with relatives through the extended family program will be able to stay there.
- Social workers are modifying agreements to allow youth and caregivers to extend their current living arrangements once a youth reaches 19
- Additional efforts to locate young adults who have recently aged out of care to connect them to other lines of available support, like the B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
- Youth who are nearing the end of an Independent Living or Youth agreement will be given options allowing them to continue receiving monthly living expenses past their 19th birthday. Social workers are contacting youth to guide them through this process
- Young adults between the ages of 19 and 27 who are enrolled in the Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program will continue to receive financial support despite school closures and other training program interruptions caused by the current pandemic
- These young adults may also be eligible to receive an extension of AYA support beyond the current maximum of 48 months
Eligibility
Youth in care, foster care, young adults who have “aged out.”
See more details about supports for youth in care or in the AYA program
Kids Help Phone Line
Young people can call the Kids Help phone line to access the mental health support they need during this difficult time.
Eligibility
Young people
See more details on youth mental health support
Family Caregivers of B.C.
Funding for Family Caregivers of B.C. is doubled to $1 million to support people who are caring for elderly loved ones, family or friends.
Increased support includes:
- Toll-free support line hours
- Virtual connections to bring caregivers together
- Emotional supports
- Health care navigation
Eligibility
Caregivers
Access Family Caregivers of B.C. services
Federal
Indigenous Community Support Fund
$305 million for a new distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.
Eligibility
Indigenous communities
See more details about the Indigenous Community Support Fund
Family Violence Prevention Program
$10 million provided to Indigenous Services Canada’s existing network of emergency shelters to support Indigenous women and children fleeing violence.
Eligibility
Indigenous communities
See more details about the Family Violence Prevention Program
Provincial
Indigenous Students Financial Assistance
Under an existing program, Indigenous students attending B.C.’s 25 public post-secondary institutions can request for financial assistance from their school’s Indigenous student services
Eligibility
Indigenous students
See more details about support for Indigenous students
First Nations Health Authority Funding
In partnership between the First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health and Provincial Services Authority, a new collaborative framework has been developed to support communities and meet their unique needs, including:
- Improved medical transportation options to larger centres, including 6 additional ambulances in Northern Health and 7 aircraft and helicopters for medical transport
- Access to Virtual Doctor of the Day, which connects First Nations members and their families in remote communities to a doctor or nurse practitioner using videoconferencing
- Faster COVID-19 testing methods, including GeneXpert test kits in First Nations Health Authority, Norther Health, Interior Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health
Eligibility
Indigenous communities
See more details about support for the First Nations Health Authority
Access Virtual Doctor of the Day
Federal
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
For people who have lost income because of COVID-19, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit will provide $500 a week for up to 16 weeks.
Applications opened April 6, 2020.
Eligibility
- Reside in Canada
- Be at least 15 years old
- Have stopped working because of COVID-19 (not voluntarily quit)
- Income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of application
- Be, or expect to be, without employment or self-employment income for at least 14 consecutive days in the initial four-week period
- For future benefit periods, expect to have no employment income
Apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit
Employment Insurance
Regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits are available.
The EI sickness benefit wait period and medical note requirement are waived.
Eligibility
Canadian workers who qualify for EI
Provincial
B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers
B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers provides a one-time, tax-free payment of $1,000 to B.C. residents whose ability to work has been affected by COVID-19.
Online applications opened May 1 and telephone applications open May 4.
Eligibility
- Have been a resident of British Columbia on March 15, 2020
- Meet the eligibility requirements for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
- Have been approved for the CERB, even if you haven’t received a federal benefit payment yet
- Be at least 15 years old on the date you apply
- Have filed, or agree to file, a 2019 B.C. income tax return
- Not be receiving provincial income assistance or disability assistance
Apply for the B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers
Federal
Funding for Community Support Organizations
Increased funding for the following:
- $157.5 million for homeless shelters
- $100 million for food banks and local food organizations
- $50 million for women and sexual assault shelters
- $40 million to Women and Gender Equality Canada, up to $30 million of which will address immediate needs of shelters and sexual assault centres
Eligibility
See more details about support for women’s shelters and sexual assault centres during COVID-19
Provincial
COVID-19 Crisis Supplement
Everyone receiving Income Assistance (IA) and Disability Assistance (DA) who is not receiving Employment Insurance (EI) or the emergency federal support program will automatically receive a $300 COVID-19 crisis supplement on their cheques for the next three months, starting in April 2020.
- This includes people receiving the B.C. Senior’s Supplement
Those who receive IA or DA who are eligible for EI or the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit will automatically receive a $300 COVID-19 crisis supplement in April 2020.
- For May and June 2020, earnings received through federal EI, including the $2,000 Canada Emergency Response Benefit, are exempt
Because BC Transit and TransLink have temporarily suspended fares province-wide, people using the B.C. Bus Program will see the $52 transportation supplement added to their monthly cheques for the duration of the fare suspension.
Eligibility
People who receive income or disability assistance from the Province.
See more details about the COVID-19 crisis supplement
Food Bank Funding
$3-million emergency grant to Food Banks British Columbia to support immediate needs to buy and distribute food, pay employees and cover essential costs.
Eligibility
People who rely on food banks
More Spaces for People Leaving Violence
In addition to more than 100 transition houses and safe homes that the Province funds on an ongoing basis, nearly 300 additional spaces in communities throughout B.C. have been secured for people leaving violent or unstable situations.
Eligibility
Women and children experiencing violence
See more details on transition houses and safe homes
Provincial
Transit Fare Relief
As of March 20, 2020, TransLink and BC Transit suspended fares on all its buses.
- Passengers are asked to board buses using the rear doors, and accessible boarding continues to be available through the front door
As of March 25, 2020, HandyDart, operated by TransLink, stopped collecting fares.
TransLink’s scheduled fare increase for July 1, 2020, has been postponed indefinitely.
Eligibility
All passengers who use TransLink or BC Transit
BC Ferries Service Change
BC Ferries recommends all customers avoid non-essential travel and has reduced sailings on all major routes, including passage from Metro-Vancouver to Vancouver Island and Metro-Vancouver to Sunshine Coast.
More Details
Review changes to BC Ferries operations
Inland Ferries Service Change
Effective immediately, passengers boarding inland ferries must comply with the following changes:
- All inland ferry passengers travelling by vehicle must remain in their vehicles for the duration of the trip
- All passenger amenities aboard the ferry are closed until further notice to limit interaction amongst passengers
- Walk-on passengers, cyclists and motorcyclists must remain inside designated zones while in the terminal and while aboard the ferry
- Walk-on passengers, cyclists and motorcyclists with symptoms of COVID-19 are not permitted aboard the inland ferries
More Details
Review changes to inland ferry operations
Renters, Homeowners & Landlords
Federal
Mortgage Payment Deferral
Homeowners can contact their bank to apply for six months of mortgage payment deferral.
Eligibility
People with mortgages
See more details about mortgage payment deferral
Provincial
Protections for Renters
The Province put a stop to all new and existing evictions, except for in extraordinary circumstances.
All new annual rent increases are frozen during the state of emergency.
Eligibility
People who are renters, landlords
Learn more about protections for renters
Rental Supplement
A new temporary rental supplement of up to $500 per month for eligible households with dependents and up to $300 per month for eligible households with no dependents is now available from BC Housing.
The rental supplement is available for April, May and June 2020 on a per-household basis.
Renters in some parts of B.C. can receive emergency help for rent payments and one-time interest-free loans through the BC Rent Bank.
Eligibility
To receive the rental supplement, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- Receiving or eligible for Employment Insurance, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or experiencing a 25% reduction in monthly employment income as a result of COVID-19
- 2019 household income of less than $74,150 for households with no dependents and $113,040 for households with dependents
- Paying more than 30% of current/reduced gross monthly income towards rent
- Not receiving any other rent subsidy from any level of government, including subsidized housing or rent supplements, such as Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) or the Rental Assistance Program (RAP)
Apply for the rent supplement through BC Housing
COVID-19 and Tenancies
Landlords cannot access rental units without the consent of the tenant, except in exceptional cases.
Landlords can restrict the use of common areas to prevent the transmission of COVID-19
Eligibility
People who are landlords
See more details about COVID-19 and tenancies
Self-Isolation Spaces
Nearly 2,000 spaces have been secured at sites throughout B.C.’s health regions to help people self-isolate.
Eligibility
People experiencing homelessness, people without safe spaces to self-isolate and youth
See more details about self-isolation spaces
Federal
United Way Funding
$9 million in funding has gone to United Way to help seniors stay in their homes, safely, and have access to grocery and pharmacy delivery.
Eligibility
Canadian seniors
RRIF Withdrawal Minimum
The required minimum withdrawal from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) has been reduced by 25% for 2020.
Eligibility
Canadian seniors
See more details about RRIF withdrawals
Provincial
United Way Funding
$50 million in funding has gone to United Way to bolster seniors’ supports in British Columbia, including services that help seniors stay in their homes, safely.
Eligibility
B.C. seniors
bc211 Funding
More funding has been given to bc211, a province-wide information and referral service that matches seniors with volunteers who can help with basic needs, including grocery shopping and pharmacy drop-offs.
Eligibility
B.C. seniors
Students & Recent Graduates
Federal
Federal Student Loan Repayment Freeze
Starting March 30, 2020, all federal student loan repayments are automatically frozen and interest free until Sept. 30, 2020.
Eligibility
- People with outstanding federal student loans
- People do not need to apply for deferral
- They do need to stop their automatic online or credit card payments
Learn more about the freeze to federal student loan repayments
Canada Summer Jobs Program
Temporary changes have been made to the Canada Summer Jobs program to help employers hire summer staff and provide young Canadians with access to jobs. Changes include:
- An increase to the wage subsidy so private and public sector employers can receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee
- An extension to the end date for employment to February 28, 2021
- Allowing employers to adapt their projects and job activities to support essential services
- Allowing employers to hire staff on a part-time basis
Eligibility
Young Canadians
Review changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program
Provincial
B.C. Student Loan Repayment Freeze
Starting March 30, 2020, all B.C. student loan repayments are automatically frozen until Sept. 30, 2020.
Eligibility
- People with outstanding B.C. student loans
- People do not need to apply for deferral
- They do need to stop their automatic online or credit card payments
Learn more about the freeze to provincial student loan repayments
Keep Learning BC
The Province has launched Keep Learning BC so that kids can continue their education online.
Families can find ideas for everyday educational activities, links to free learning resources and information on how to help children learn.
More Details
Provincial
Job-Protected Leave
The Employment Standards Act has changed so workers can take unpaid, job-protected leave if they are unable to work because of COVID-19, retroactive to Jan. 27, 2020.
Workers now have 3 days of unpaid, job-protected leave each year.
Eligibility
B.C. workers
See more details about job-protected leave
Liability of Essential Services Workers
Workers who provide essential services cannot be held liable for damages caused by exposure to COVID-19 if they comply with orders from the provincial health officer and other authorities.
More Details
Review the list of essential services in B.C.