OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised a new emergency benefit for students whose educations and job prospects have been disrupted by COVID-19.
He says a $1,250 monthly payment is coming for post-secondary students, running through August, to make up for lost work and cut hours.
The benefit can increase to $1,750 for people with disabilities or who care for others.
Trudeau says the government is creating 76,000 jobs for students in industries that need help at the moment #cdnpoli #COVID19
— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) April 22, 2020
Trudeau also says students will soon be eligible to receive monthly payments of between $1,000 and $5,000 for volunteering in their communities to reward them for their efforts.
These benefits are intended to target support at young people who have fallen through the cracks of other emergency relief programs.
Trudeau says these measures and others, such as increased education grants and an expanded government-supported job program, will total $9 billion.
