Travel disclosure added to federal benefit

OTTAWA— The federal government has ordered that anyone applying for COVID- 19 benefits will need to report whether they have recently travelled outside of the country — though it isn’t clear how it will catch and penalize any cheaters.

The government announced the new requirement Monday following an uproar over the possibility that some people might be applying for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit after having engaged in non- essential travel outside the country. The benefit pays $ 500 per week for up to two weeks for anyone required to quarantine because of COVID- 19. The government says it was intended to help workers who may have been exposed to the illness, but whose employers do not offer paid sick leave.

The new rules will apply to anyone claiming the sick- leave benefit and two other federal support programs, the Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, after Jan. 3.

Canadians who have travelled will see the processing of their applications delayed until new legislation taking aim at nonessential travellers can be adopted, according to the government.

“We have heard Canadians and are tightening the eligibility criteria for our COVID recovery benefits,” Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said in a statement. “We will ensure that these measures have no unintended consequences and will target individuals who travel for discretionary and non- essential purposes. This is not the time to travel abroad.”