Government Benefits

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, you should call 911 immediately.

If you believe a vaccine caused you to have a health issue, you should contact your local health provider. The Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) allows people who have suffered a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving certain vaccines to have fair and timely access to financial support. To qualify for the VISP, some conditions apply:

• The claimant must have received a Health Canada authorized vaccine.
• The vaccine must have been administered in Canada (excluding Québec). Vaccines administered in Québec have a different claim process.
• The vaccine must have been administered on or after December 8, 2020.
• The injury must be serious and permanent (including death).
• The injury must be reported to the healthcare provider.
• The claim must be filed within three years after the date of vaccination, date of death, or date when the injury becomes apparent.

For more information about the program, visit the VISP website here:

vaccineinjurysupport.ca

The Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) is a program that is designed to help businesses hire staff as the economy reopens. The program provides subsidies of up to 50% of eligible salaries or wages. For more information, see the CRHP homepage here.

The CRHP was designed to interact with the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), which ended on October 23, 2021. It has been replaced by the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program and the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program. To help figure out which subsidy program would be better for you, visit the subsidy amount calculator here.

These programs are available until May 7, 2022, with the option to be extended until July 2, 2022.

The Manitoba government has provided a one-time refundable tax credit of $200 to Manitoba seniors. To qualify for this credit, you must:

• Be 65 years or older in 2020,
• Live in Manitoba in 2020, and
• File an income tax return as a Manitoba resident.

The government has mailed out advance payments of this credit to Manitoba seniors who filed a 2018 tax return. If you qualify but do not receive a cheque in May or June, you can claim the amount on your 2020 income tax return.

The federal government has also committed to a one-time, tax-free payment of $300 to seniors who are eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension. An additional $200 will be available to seniors who are eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). This payment will be applied automatically to seniors who are already receiving the OAS pension and GIS payments.

If you qualify for the OAS pension and/or GIS but have not been automatically enrolled, you may need to apply here:

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security/apply.html

Information about benefits available through the federal government: View website

Manitoba government information about benefits:  View website

CBC guide to the benefits the federal government, provinces and territories are offering to people financially affected by the coronavirus:  View website