Federal Government Temporarily Expands Lockdown Support Programs
On December 22, 2021, the federal Minister of Finance announced a temporary expansion of certain lockdown‑related support programs in response to public health restrictions introduced during the surge of the Omicron variant. The expanded measures applied to the period between December 19, 2021, and February 12, 2022, based on publicly available government information.
Local Lockdown Program
Under the temporary expansion, eligibility for the Local Lockdown Program was broadened to include businesses subject to public health restrictions that required:
A reduction in capacity of 50% or more, and
A 25% or greater decline in revenue for the applicable claim period.
Eligible businesses could receive wage and rent subsidies ranging from 25% to 75%, depending on program criteria.
As part of the temporary measures, the requirement to demonstrate a 12‑month revenue decline was waived for the applicable period.
Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit
Eligibility for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit was also expanded during the same period. The benefit applies to workers who:
Resided or worked in regions subject to capacity‑reducing public health restrictions of 50% or more, and
Experienced a 50% or greater reduction in income as a result of those restrictions.
According to government announcements, eligible workers could receive $300 per week during periods in which the restrictions were in effect.
Additional Information
Further details regarding eligibility criteria, application requirements, and program administration were published by the Government of Canada and are available at:
Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and is based on publicly available information from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the Department of Finance Canada, and other government and publicly available sources. It does not constitute tax advice and should not be relied upon as such. Tax legislation, program parameters, and administrative policies are subject to change.
