COVID-19 remains a public health threat. Mandatory measures are in effect provincewide.
Overview
The Critical Worker Benefit will provide a one-time payment of $1,200 to eligible Albertans in recognition of their hard work to provide Albertans with the care and critical services they need.
The benefit will be distributed to up to 380,000 workers in the health-care, social services, education and private sectors.
The Government of Alberta is working directly with social service, and education sector employers to distribute the benefit to eligible workers.
Private sector employers and employers with eligible workers in First Nations communities must apply on behalf of their eligible employees by March 19, 2021, using the private sector application portal in the how to apply section below.
Funding
Through the Critical Worker Benefit, the Government of Alberta will distribute up to $465 million in funding to eligible workers. This includes up to $118 million in provincial funds, in addition to $347 million from the federal government’s benefit program for low-wage critical workers.
Eligible workers in the health care, social services, education and private sectors will receive a $1,200 benefit distributed through their employers.
Private sector employers have until Friday, March 19, 2021 to apply for the benefit on behalf of their eligible employees.
Eligibility
The Critical Worker Benefit is available to workers in the public health-care, social services, education sectors and those in the private sector who deliver critical basic services to Albertans, or support food and medical supply chains.
Eligibility – health-care, social services, and education sectors
Critical workers in the health-care, social services, and education sectors are eligible to receive the Critical Worker Benefit:
Eligibility – private sector
The Critical Worker Benefit is available to workers in the private sector who deliver critical basic services to Albertans, or support food and medical supply chains.
Private sector employers must apply on behalf of their eligible employees. For more information and application guidelines, read the how to apply section below. The application period closes on Friday, March 19, 2021.
To be eligible for the Critical Worker Benefit, private sector workers must:
- earn $25 per hour or less
- have worked at least 300 hours between the period of October 12, 2020 and January 31, 2021
- be located and working in Alberta
Workers listed in the following private sectors are eligible to receive the Critical Worker Benefit:
How to apply
Health-care, social services, and education sector workers
The Government of Alberta is working directly with health-care, social services, and education sector employers to distribute the benefit to eligible workers.
Private sector workers
Important: Private sector employers and employers with eligible workers in First Nations communities, must apply on behalf of their eligible employees using the application portal.
In order to access the application portal, you must have a MyAlberta Digital ID Business (MADI-B) user account with a secure login name and password.
Private Sector Application Portal
Deadline: Employers have until Friday, March 19, 2021 to apply.
Important information for large employers with 200 or more workers
We have made it easier for private sector employers applying on behalf of 200 or more eligible workers. Employers can now upload required information on all eligible employees using the Employee Bulk Upload template available in the private sector application portal.
Follow the steps outlined through the private sector application portal to access the required template.
Note: employers must use the template provided through the application portal. No other file formats will be accepted. If an application is submitted using an alternative template, your application will be declined.
Note: this change only applies to employers applying for the Critical Worker Benefit through the private sector application portal. This change does not apply to health-care employers applying for the Critical Worker Benefit through the health application portal.
After you apply
Employers can expect to receive decision on their applications a minimum of 2 weeks after applying. If your application is approved, funds should follow shortly after receiving approval.
After you have submitted your application, your application will appear on the main page of the Private Sector Application Portal in ‘Submitted’ status. Check the main page for further updates on the status of your application.
Approved applicants will receive funds via electronic fund transfer directly into the employer’s bank account. Ensure the banking information provided at the time of application is accurate to avoid payment delays.
Note: employers will receive an amount equivalent to the $1,200 per eligible worker, plus funding to offset their expenses related to EI and CPP contributions.
The Critical Worker Benefit is a taxable benefit and must be declared on your annual returns.
Applications with incomplete or incorrect information, or that require manual review, will experience a delay in processing.
Applications flagged for manual review will appear on the main page of the application portal in ‘Review’ status.
The applicant may be contacted by a program officer for more information to complete the review.
Applicants who have already submitted their application should not reapply. Resubmitting an application could cause further delays.
Audit and compliance
All applications and corresponding grants are subject to a potential audit by the Government of Alberta, or their authorized representatives, upon reasonable notice to the recipient.
Any audit process would encompass taking copies and extracts of the records and books of account maintained by the recipient in accordance with eligible criteria outlined in the ‘Eligibility criteria’ section of the program guidelines.
If records or accounts are deemed inadequate to permit a determination of eligibility, repayment of the grant funding by the recipient will be required.
Contact
Connect with Critical Worker Benefit program staff:
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 310-4455