Should we Have to Pay Back CERB? No. No we Shouldn’t.
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When the coronavirus first made its deadly sweep across Canada back in March, millions of Canadians were left jobless, myself included. Panic quickly settled in as many were left with no way to make ends meet, with some even ending up homeless after not being able to pay rent.
But just as the country was about to devolve into absolute anarchy and chaos, the Canadian government quickly came out with the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), giving those who have lost their main sources of income sweet financial relief.
What is CERB?
It generously offered $2,000 for every four-week eligibility period, which was more than anyone could’ve asked for. It was an absolute dream; I was among the millions of Canadians that immediately pounced on the opportunity to claim CERB, and it was because of it that I’m now able to pay for my tuition this year among other things. Frankly, it was almost too good to be true. And then after it ended in September, I learned that it really was.
Turns out that CERB is taxable, meaning that there’s a very strong chance many of us are going to have to pay some of it back. How much you’d have to pay back, that would depend on how many cheques you’ve collected. But the fact remains: most of us are going to have to pay a portion of our CERB earnings back.
Image courtesy of The Daily Californian
But should we be getting taxed?
Now, I honestly have a serious problem with this, and it’s not just for personal reasons. Most of those that registered for CERB are from low-income families that were put in an immensely difficult situation thanks to the coronavirus. They likely don’t have the means to pay any of it back, so making CERB a taxable source of income is just plain cruel. On top of this, it's not like anyone ever asked to be put into this situation that no one has control over, so why hold us accountable for a source of income that was our only option outside of complete poverty?
I’m aware that COVID-19 has already put a serious dent on the Canadian economy, but is taxing what was supposed to be a universal source of income really the way to fix this? I mean, what are we paying taxes for anyways? Isn’t it so that the government can help us when stuff like this happens? But hey, I’m not an economist, so what do I know.
Long story short, do I think we should have to pay back CERB? No, no we shouldn’t, because what good would it do anyways? This country has been ravaged enough as it is, and giving Canadians even more grief isn’t going to solve not even one third of its problems. So for god’s sake Canada: give us a break just this once. Trust me, you’re not doing anyone any favours.
Amal Sheikhmusse
Amal Sheikhmusse is a second-year student of Algonquin College’s Professional Writing Program. Whenever she isn’t practicing her future editor skills by giving unwarranted critique to all her friends and family, you can find her re-visiting childhood nostalgia, notebook in hand, ready to verbally tear her childhood hopes and dreams at a moment’s notice.
