CRA says 330 employees fired for inappropriately claiming CERB

More than 300 employees of the Canada Revenue Agency person been terminated successful the past twelvemonth for inappropriately receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last circular of firings having occurred successful the past 3 months.

In total, 330 radical person mislaid their jobs astatine the national bureau aft receiving a payment they were ineligible to receive, the CRA told Global News successful its last update.

The CRA said past twelvemonth they were launching an interior reappraisal to find if employees had received CERB, and identified astir 600 radical for further investigation.

The $2,000-per-month CERB was rolled retired by the CRA betwixt March and September 2020 successful the aboriginal months of the pandemic.

Not everyone who has been investigated was terminated, however. The CRA said 185 were looked into, but not fired, though 40 faced disciplinary actions, specified arsenic suspension. The remainder of the cases saw administrative actions taken, specified arsenic the extremity of reappraisal arsenic the worker was nary longer with the bureau astatine the clip of review, oregon were recovered to beryllium a unfortunate of individuality theft.

Another 135 faced nary consequences arsenic they were eligible for CERB, with the CRA telling Global News immoderate of their employees could person the payment due to the fact that they were students oregon connected impermanent contracts.

Those that did entree CERB inappropriately volition beryllium required to wage backmost the wealth if they person not already done so, the CRA said.

“The actions of immoderate should successful nary mode undermine the honesty and integrity of the tens of thousands of CRA employees who enactment each time successful an exemplary mode to service Canadians,” a spokesperson for the CRA said successful an email.

The CRA added that determination were inactive a tiny fig of cases, specified arsenic those connected aesculapian oregon extended unpaid leave, who are inactive being reviewed and volition instrumentality further clip to complete.