Who can apply for the CERB benefits in Canada is still a developing question, with new eligibility criteria being announced in recent days. Right now, there are a few definitive factors that qualify people to receive the benefit.

The website for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit lists the following criteria for eligibility:

• Residing in Canada, who are at least 15 years old; 
• Who have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020; 
• Who had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and,
• Who have not quit their job voluntarily.

Those who have "stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19" may now include contract workers, gig workers, part-time workers, anyone earning $1,000 a month or less, seasonal workers and anyone who has had their hours reduced to 1o or less a week.

The benefit is also available for those who are working, but making less then they would with the benefit and people whose Employment Insurance has run out since January 1.

The site notes that "you cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of your claim."

And that "when submitting subsequent claims, you cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of your new claim."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that more news about how students impacted by the pandemic will be included in the CERB eligibility criteria is coming.