The federal government’s changes to the programs to support furloughed or laid off Canadians due to the COVID-19 crisis should help encourage them to return to the workforce, according to one tax and personal finance expert. 

CIBC Private Wealth Management managing director Jamie Golombek said the new programs should allay any concerns the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was disincentivizing Canadians from returning to their jobs.

“With these new programs, they’ve really gotten away from the biggest criticism many of us had with the old programs, which was there was a true disincentive to work because if you made over a thousand dollars, you got zero under the old program,” he said during an interview on BNN Bloomberg. 

“Under the new programs, you can work, and you can work while on claim and collect EI, and if you qualify you also get Canada Recovery benefit as a self-employed person.”

Canadian officials announced Thursday plans to amend its income support framework in late September that would shift CERB recipients to employment insurance with a minimum benefit rate of $400 per week. 

Ottawa is also introducing a trio of new programs: the $400 per week Canada Recovery Benefit for self-employed Canadians and those ineligible to receive EI, the $500 per week, per household Canada Recovery Care Benefit for those unable to work because they must care for a dependent and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit for those unable to work due to COVID-related illness.​The Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Care Benefit are both available for up to 26 weeks, while the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit is available for up to two weeks.

The original CERB framework paid Canadians up to $2,000 per month and was scheduled to end on Sept. 27. That figure drew the ire of Dream Office REIT chief executive officer Michael Cooper, who decried it as a “moral hazard” that could make Canadians dependent on federal aid at the cost of returning to the workplace.​

Golombek said the changes to the income support framework should encourage those out of work to seek out jobs before the benefits expire.

“I think that employees need to look at the big picture long-term to get reconnected with an employer,"​ What about when these programs run out? Some of them are 26 weeks, some of them are a year, but after that, who knows?” he said. 

“So I think if you’ve got an opportunity to go back to work and you can get an employer to hire you, go for it, because ultimately you can be better off financially.”​