CRA says 20 employees fired for claiming COVID-19 benefits while working

The CRA said more workers could be fired as it investigates about 600 employees who may have "inappropriately" received CERB while working for the agency.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says 20 employees have been terminated after an internal review found they claimed COVID-19 benefits while still working at the tax authority.

The CRA said in a late Friday statement that more workers could be fired as it investigates about 600 employees who may have “inappropriately” received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) despite not losing their job during the pandemic.

Those employees represent less than 1 per cent of the CRA’s workforce, the agency noted.

The CRA was responsible for administering the $2,000-per-month CERB when it was in effect between March and September 2020.

In February, the CRA confirmed to the House of Commons standing committee for public accounts that it had identified a small number of employees who had claimed COVID-19 benefits despite their employment status.

The CRA said Friday that earlier revelation — which was also included in an auditor general’s report on COVID-19 benefits — sparked “a broader internal review process to identify any CRA employees who inappropriately received the CERB while employed with the CRA.”

That review has led to 20 employees being terminated as of Friday, CRA spokesperson Sylvie Branch said in a statement.

“It is important to note that this number is likely to increase as the reviews are completed,” she added.