TORONTO, ON (February 9, 2021) — ACTRA would like to thank the federal government for listening to the thousands of Canadian performers who called on their Members of Parliament to stop the unjust clawback of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

“We are pleased the federal government decided to do the right thing and adhere to the original CERB income eligibility rules for self-employed Canadians,” said ACTRA National President David Sparrow. “I know today’s decision will help alleviate some of the financial stress many Canadians would have had to face if the government did not reconsider its position.”

ACTRA launched a nation-wide “stop the unjust CERB clawback” campaign in early January calling on the federal government to adhere to the original income eligibility rules and allow self-employed Canadians to use their gross income when determining their CERB eligibility. The campaign was launched in response to the Canada Revenue Agency issuing letters in late 2020 advising over 441,000 Canadians they may or may not have been eligible for the CERB payments they received.

Today’s decision means self-employed individuals who applied for the CERB based on their gross income will not be required to repay the benefit, provided they also met all other eligibility requirements.

About ACTRA
ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national union of professional performers working in English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of over 27,000 members across the country – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.

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Media Contact:
Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National, E-mail: ctaverner@actra.ca, Tel: 416-644-1519