PM Justin Trudeau. Last Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the federal government will extend the period of time claimants can receive COVID-19 pandemic income benefits. The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) and Employment Insurance (EI) will all see extensions in the number of weeks eligible recipients can receive them. “As some workers could begin to exhaust their benefits in late March, this increase would ensure continued support as Canada’s economy and labour force recovers,” the federal government said in a news release. “By increasing the number of available weeks for these important benefits, the government is giving certainty to workers in hard-hit sectors and their families, and better positioning our economy to recover.”