The CERB extension is happening after all. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that eligibility for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is officially being extended for eight extra weeks.

Speaking outside Rideau Cottage during his daily press briefing Tuesday, Trudeau acknowledged that while many industries are beginning to reopen and some jobs are resuming, others have "a long journey ahead" before returning to normal.

"We will be extending eligibility for the CERB by eight weeks," he said. "So if you've been getting the CERB and you still can't work because you're unable to find a job or it's just not possible, you will keep getting that $2,000 a month."

Even though more and more people are heading back to work, many are still facing challenges because of COVID-19. We’re going to make sure you can keep getting the support you need as we safely restart our economy. Tune in now for more: https://t.co/oSxSY0Omki

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 16, 2020

The federal government has been offering the taxable $2,000 per month to eligible Canadians who lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 for about three months now, and residents were originally only allowed to claim the money for a total of 16 weeks between March 15 and October 3. 

But for many who began collecting their benefit when the program first launched, the end of the 16-week period is fast approaching. 

Calls for the federal benefit to be extended have been countless as a result, but for a while it seemed as though the government wouldn't be willing to spend more than the $43 billion the program has already costed so far. 

The pressure is working!

Because of our pressure the PM announced today an openness to extending CERB

But that’s not good enough. The Liberal government often says the right things but then doesn’t follow through

Let’s keep the pressure going

Text yes to 604 227 0096 pic.twitter.com/A4nFH3WjPl

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) June 16, 2020

Now, it seems the PM has clearly heard the concerns of all those Canadians who've been struggling financially, as residents will now have access to more than the originally allotted $8,000.

"As the situation evolves, so too must our response evolve with it, and that's what we're going to keep doing," Trudeau said Tuesday.

"This pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for our country and we're going to make sure that all of our supports, including the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and Employment Insurance, are working effectively to get Canadians back on their feet."