Students don’t even need to be students to get big cheques from Trudeau government

“As these regulations respond to the immediate and extraordinary challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic it is necessary to implement these measures expeditiously to be effective,” wrote the Department of Employment wrote in a notice. “Consequently the regulations were not pre-published for public comment.”

Canadian students are eligible for up to $5,000, or $8,000 if they are disabled, through Bill C-15 titled, An Act Respecting Canada Emergency Student Benefits. The threshold for what a "student" is, though, appears to be low, as applicants do not actually need to be students.

“High school students who are scheduled to graduate at any time before December 31, 2020 are added as a class of students eligible for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit if they have applied to a post-secondary educational program scheduled to begin before February 1, 2020 and plan to attend if accepted,” the notice continues.

There is also a lack of clarity in what defines someone who is disabled. The notice reads that no medical documentation would be needed, and defines disabilities as impairments which hinder "a person's full and equal participation in society."

Similar to how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the one million cases of fraud through the CERB in Canada, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough told Senate that while the program for students had holes, the Trudeau government was picking speed over processing times.

“I admit this is not a perfect system,” said Qualtrough to Senate. “We don’t want to disincentivize work. At the same time, we know job prospects are less.”