CHNE produces weekly interviews with Cape Breton – Canso MP Mike Kelloway where community members can send in their questions for him.

This week, a Chéticamp nurse asked whether she would be able to access the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if she stopped going to work due to underlying health conditions. So far, almost 7 million people have applied to program and about $20 billion in CERB benefits have been paid.

“What I read on the guidelines,” said Mike Kelloway, “if that person has an underlying health condition and has concerns over COVID-19 as related to it, that person, I would believe, would be eligible for the new benefit.” According to the MP, people would not have to prove that they do. “Basically, it’s an oath to attest to the fact that you’re telling the truth,” he said. “A couple of reasons why we’ve done that. Number one, we didn’t want people to get tied up in process by going to a doctor, try to get a medical notification, tying up the doctor and the nurses then on paperwork as opposed to being practitioners and helping people, so it would be a natural attestation, they call it, it’s an oath that you’re telling the truth.” 

If people don’t have an underlying health condition but live with someone who does, Kelloway said that they would also be eligible for the federal benefit. There’s a space in the form for people to explain their situation or send a question. “Service Canada is supposed to get back to you within 2 to 3 days in terms of answering those questions,” he said. 

Something that the MP would like to work on at some point in the future, is to review pre-COVID government application forms. Recent comments by constituents expressing surprise at the simplicity of the CERB form made him realize, he said, that older process forms are difficult to access. “A lot of times it’s layered with red tape.”

Viewers are invited to send their questions not only for the federal government, but also for provincial and municipal officials at chne.television@gmail.com.