The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) is a wage subsidy program offered until September 2021 to qualifying employers who have seen a drop in revenue due to COVID-19. CEWS is meant to prevent more job losses by helping you keep your employees on payroll, enabling you to re-hire workers, and facilitating a return to normal operations. If you qualify for CEWS, you will receive a percentage of your employees’ pay subsidized based on your revenue loss.
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Most recent update: October 21, 2021: The government of Canada announced CEWS is ending Oct 23rd, 2021. To replace it, they propose 3 new programs which will run from Oct. 24th, 2021 to May 7th, 2021:
These programs need to be voted on by Parliament before they take effect. As more details are available, we’ll update our website with the most accurate, recent information. See our CEWS timeline of events for all the wage subsidy updates. |
| Program overview | Eligibility requirements | CEWS calculations |
| FAQ | Other resources | Our advocacy |
CEWS Program Overview
How the program is administered: CEWS is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on a period-by-period basis, with each period spanning 4 weeks (this is referred to as a CEWS Claim Period). Below is a current schedule of CEWS Claim Periods open for applications:
| Period 12 | Period 13 | Period 14 | Period 15 | Period 16 | Period 17 | Period 18 | Period 19 | Period 20 | Period 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17 to Feb 13, 2021 | Feb 14 to Mar 13, 2021 | March 14 to April 10, 2021 | April 11 to May 8, 2021 | May 9 to June 5, 2021 | June 6 to July 3, 2021 | July 4 to July 31, 2021 | Aug 1 to Aug 28. 2021 | Aug 29 to Sept 25, 2021 | Sept 26 to Oct 23, 2021 |
Amount businesses can receive: There is no maximum dollar amount a business can receive from the program; however, there is a limit on the amount of subsidy you can receive for a single employee’s weekly wages. This limit changes depending on the claim period. For more details, please see the eligibility requirements below.
Program duration: March 15, 2020, to October 23, 2021
How to apply: Through CRA’s My Business Account, Represent a Client, or the web application form.
Application deadline: 180 days after the end of the claim period. The deadline to apply for period 12 is August 12, 2021.
Eligibility criteria: Nearly all businesses are eligible for the wage subsidy. To be eligible, your business must:
- Have a CRA Business Number issued before March 15 or a third-party payroll provider who submits your payroll to CRA;
- Have employees on payroll who receive a T4 slip (includes new hires); and
- Have a revenue loss within a claim period.
Please see the eligibility requirements below for more details.
How to calculate: Each claim period you apply for has its own calculation. Please see the eligibility requirements below for more details. For a quick estimate of your CEWS you will need to determine your CEWS rate and multiply it by your eligible employee wages to determine the maximum CEWS amount ($) that your business is eligible for.
CEWS rate (%) x (Maximum weekly benefit per employee x Number of employees) = CEWS ($)
| Stay informed! The Federal Government tabled the budget on April 19, including an extension to the wage subsidy. We will let all CFIB members know once the budget has passed. If you’re not a CFIB member and would like to receive the CEWS updates by email, please subscribe to our email list. |
Other CEWS resources
What is CFIB advocating for on CEWS?
What we have achieved:
What we're pushing for:
- Simplify the wage subsidy and ensure business owners and their family members working in the business can have some of their dividend income covered.
- Include new firms and those who got a CRA Business Number after March 15th.
How you can help:
- We’ve pushed the government to make some progress, but we're still fighting for better relief measures. Add your voice today.
CFIB members get one-on-one advice from our business counsellors, exclusive access to helpful webinars, weekly email updates, and a voice in the support measures we push for from the government.
CFIB members: Get in touch today.
Not a CFIB member? We want to support you during this crisis. With a FREE temporary CFIB membership, you can access the same benefits and supports as a CFIB member.
Our primary concern at CFIB is making sure you have the support you need to get through this uncertain and challenging time. We provide you with expert advice and ensure that you have all of the latest information on government announcements and available support.