Canada’s Economic Response Plan for COVID-19 has helped support millions of Canadian workers and businesses since the beginning of the pandemic. Through the Canada Emergency Rent Grant (CERG), the government is providing targeted, direct support to businesses, non-profit organizations and charities as they continue to cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, has announced that eligible organizations can begin submitting their SUCL applications to the Canada Revenue Agency. These organizations can now use the My Business Account or Represent a Client portals to apply for financial support for the period from September 27 to October 24, 2020. Applications for the second eligibility period (October 25 to November 21, 2020) can be submitted as of November 30, 2020.
In response to concerns that some stakeholders have raised about the program, the government is proposing an amendment to SUCL to allow eligible expenses to be added to any SUCL application before they are paid. Thus, in addition to rent and other eligible amounts already paid for an application period, organizations can include in their grant application amounts they will have to pay later for that same period. Amounts not paid at the time of application must be paid no later than 60 days following payment of the grant.
The Agency has launched an online SUCL calculator and application form, almost identical in design to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. The calculator guides applicants through a detailed process that helps them determine the amount of grant they can expect to receive based on the information they provide. The SUCL web pages include detailed information on eligibility requirements, how payment periods are structured, and how the grant is calculated.
The Agency will be receiving applications over the next few days and will begin processing them on November 30. Eligible organizations whose applications have been accepted by the Agency’s automated verification system and who are registered for direct deposit should begin receiving payments as of December 4. If the Agency does not have sufficient information on file to process an application, it will request additional information from the organization to verify its eligibility before processing the application.
