SASKATOON -- Local entrepreneurs, out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, are awaiting the federal government’s new financial support program.
On Wednesday, the federal government announced it will help workers who don’t have a paid sick leave and don’t qualify for EI benefits.
Murray Bryck, a hairdresser at Shear Excellence, is out of work. His salon, Shear Excellence, has closed for at least two weeks.
“For a self-employed hairdresser, it’s a big deal to not be working,” he told CTV News.
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The government’s new emergency care benefit will provide up to $900 every two weeks, for up to 15 weeks, to help Canadian workers.
It includes those who are sick themselves, those who have been told to self-isolate from work and those who are staying home to look after others.
“I think that's terrific because a lot of people are in a situation where savings are small,” Bryck said.
The government will begin accepting applications on the CRA and Service Canada website in April.
