Parliament's budget watchdog says the extension of jobless benefits for unemployed workers during the pandemic will cost Canada’s federal government an additional $5.2 billion.
The federal government announced last month that it would add 12 weeks of eligibility to the $500-a-week "Canada Recovery Benefit." Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says the move will cost an additional $5.2 billion, bringing the total price of the program to $50 billion.
Giroux also says the government's three-month extension of aid for parents who must stay home with children because of the virus will add an extra $470 million in spending in the coming fiscal year, boosting total expenditures on the "Caregiver Benefit" to $3.3 billion.
And Giroux projects a further $235 million will be spent on the $500-per-week "Sickness Benefit" after it was expanded so that workers can stay home if they're feeling ill or have to isolate for two weeks due to COVID-19.
Labour groups across Canada have asked the federal government to extend pandemic-related benefits until the end of this year, which is how long they believe it might take before unemployed workers are back on the job.
