Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
COVID-19 – Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

Definition

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) payments received during the reference period. This benefit was intended to provide income support for individuals who lost income due to having to care for a family member during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

For the 2021 Census, the reference period for income data is the calendar year 2020, unless otherwise specified.

Statistical unit(s)

• Person

Classification(s)

• Not applicable

Reported in

2021 (100% data).

Reported for

Population aged 15 years and over in private households

Question number(s)

Variable derived based on administrative tax and benefit records received from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Responses

Positive dollar value or nil

Remarks

See 'Remarks' under total income.

This variable is a component of the COVID‑19 – Emergency and recovery benefits, which is itself a component of Government transfers not included elsewhere.

The CRCB paid $500 per week of eligibility for a maximum period of 44 weeks. The benefit eligibility period was from September 27, 2020 through May 7, 2022.

To be eligible for the CRCB, households must meet all the following conditions for the 1‑week period they're applying for:

• You are unable to work at least 50% of your scheduled work week because you are caring for a family member
• You are caring for your child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care because they are at home for one of the following reasons:
  • Their school, daycare, day program, or care facility is closed or unavailable to them due to COVID‑19
  • Their regular care services are unavailable due to COVID‑19
  • The person under your care is:
    • sick with COVID‑19 or has symptoms of COVID‑19
    • at risk of serious health complications if they get COVID‑19, as advised by a medical professional
    • self‑isolating due to COVID‑19

To be eligible for CRCB for a given period in 2020 or in 2021, an individual:

• must not have applied or received the following benefits for the same period
  • Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)
  • Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)
  • short‑term disability benefits
  • workers' compensation benefits
  • Employment Insurance (EI) benefits
  • Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits
• had a minimum income of $5,000 from employment, net self‑employment or provincial benefit payments related to maternity or parental leave in 2019 or in 2020, or in the 12 months prior to the CRCB application

The CRCB was created to transition individuals from the expiring Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) which was in effect between March 15, 2020 and September 26, 2020.

For additional information about COVID‑19 benefits, data collection method, coverage, reference period, concepts, data quality and intercensal comparability of the income data, refer to the Income Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021.