TORONTO — As part of its ongoing mission to keep retailers up to date on emergency financial assistance programs available amid the coronavirus pandemic, ACTA has posted the complete list of questions and answers from its April 3 webinar.

“The demand and feedback to our COVID19 Business Update Webinar on April 3 was extraordinary as we had well over 1,000 travel agency owners and travel agents registered, and their participation generated over 200 questions,” says Maggie Santos, ACTA’s Director of Education and Certification. “ACTA continues to support and provide as much relevant information and access to key resources as possible to all ACTA members.”

Santos thanked the industry for its patience as ACTA and its partners researched the answers to all the questions. The webinar was presented with guest speaker Corina Sibley from HR a la carte and touched on everything from the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), to the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), to tax payment deferrals and more.

Here’s a look at a few of the topics covered in the Q&A session during the ACTA webinar. The complete list can be found here.

Q. If I am self-employed, am I eligible for CERB?

A. Yes.

Q. If I do not meet the $5000 annual income requirement, am I still eligible for CERB?

A. No.

Q. As an independent contractor, do you have to have a Zero income in order to qualify for CERB?

A. Correct, eligible for those: “Who are or expect to be without employment or self- employment income for at least 14 consecutive days in the initial four-week period. For subsequent benefit periods, they expect to have no employment or self-employment income.”

Q. If I am still receiving past commission into April and May. Can I still apply for CERB?

A. You may be eligible to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit even if you are receiving income for work undertaken prior to March 15, 2020 provided you meet the other eligibility criteria.

Q. If I am self-employed and no longer working due to COVID-19 but am still receiving income from billings issued for work completed prior to March 15, 2020 am I eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

A. You must have stopped working as a result of COVID-19 and be without employment income for at least 14 consecutive days within the initial four-week period. This includes income from paid leave, self-employment income or any Employment Insurance benefits. For subsequent periods, you expect to have no employment income. You may be eligible to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit even if you are receiving income for work undertaken prior to March 15, 2020 provided you meet the other eligibility criteria.

To see the full list of Q&As click here.