(Response to question raised by the Honourable Yonah Martin on December 7, 2021)

November’s flooding had a devastating impact on many communities in British Columbia, and our government is committed to being a strong federal partner in the response and into recovery. In the immediate aftermath of the event, the Government of Canada announced that we would match all individual and corporate donations to the Canadian Red Cross for the British Columbia Floods and Extreme Weather Appeal. Close to $30 million has been raised during the matching period, which ended on December 26. With the province also matching donations, this has meant that almost $90 million will be provided to support British Columbians as part of this appeal.

As of Jan. 17, 2022, the Red Cross has distributed more than $17 million in evacuation-related emergency financial assistance to more than 7,200 eligible households.

The Government of Canada recognizes and commends the efforts of other charitable organizations on the ground. The Canadian Red Cross is working closely with community leadership and all levels of government to support emergency response and recovery efforts to these unprecedented and devastating events.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Tony Loffreda on December 14, 2021)

The CRA will be undertaking post-payment verification activities for emergency, recovery and lockdown benefits recipients starting in 2022. These compliance efforts are planned for the next few years. Note that the CRA introduced additional controls over the lifespan of these benefit programs. For instance, in October 2020, the CRA implemented more upfront verification measures, and in May 2021, the CRA expanded these verification measures and focused on applications made by individuals who do not meet the income eligibility requirements.

The CRA began Phase 1 of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Post-Payment Audit Program in summer 2020 with approximately 700 files selected for audit. Phase 2 was launched in November 2021 and involves approximately 2,500 files. Note the CRA designed the CEWS to include upfront verification. Prior to payment, the CRA validates information in an application against existing data holdings, and may also follow up by phone to verify certain elements of claims upon prepayment review. Additionally, high-risk accounts are referred to officers for manual validations (which may include employer contact) to verify information included in the application.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Tony Loffreda on December 14, 2021)

•Service Canada takes the integrity of its programs very seriously.

•Ensuring that Canadians receive the benefits to which they are entitled is a priority for the government.

•To ensure the effective stewardship of our programs, the department investigates suspected cases of fraud, abuse and error.

•In the context of these investigations, individuals who abuse the programs are subject to monetary penalties and/or prosecution.

•Service Canada has well-established links with key partners such as law enforcement, financial institutions and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to help address fraudulent activity in its programs.

•The department uses computer tracking, data analytics and linked data systems to detect fraudulent activity.

•Given that many cases remain under investigation, we cannot provide additional information on fraudulent individual and business claims.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Chantal Petitclerc on December 16, 2021)

The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion’s mandate letter commits to “Move forward with the design, introduction and implementation of a Canada Disability Benefit Act and Canada Disability Benefit for low-income working age persons with disabilities.”

While the proposed act has not yet been tabled, the government continues to engage the disability community on aspects of the benefit’s design to ensure that, upon the Bill’s passage by Parliament, the development of regulations can start without delay. Starting last summer and continuing into 2022, the government is holding a series of roundtables with Canadians with disabilities and other stakeholders and researchers. The feedback from these roundtables along with the online survey conducted between May and September 2021 and the community-led consultations will support the development of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, including the proposed benefit.

Our government is also engaging with P/T partners on the benefit to ensure it augments rather than replaces existing P/T benefits and supports. In support of this work, on July 21, 2021, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services tasked officials with developing a work plan on how jurisdictions can work together to support the development of this important benefit for Canadians with disabilities.