A New Brunswick man says he is facing mounting stress and financial uncertainty after the Canada Revenue Agency told him he must repay thousands of dollars in COVID-19 benefits that he insists he was eligible to receive.
Brendan Whitney, a travel consultant living in Saint John, says he took a leave of absence from his job in the spring of 2020 to care for his 10-year-old son when schools closed during the pandemic.
“His school was closed, and I had no other form of childcare,” Whitney said. “The primary custody was with me.”
During that period, Whitney applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, receiving thousands of dollars in support, including $2,000 per month through CERB.
Five years later, Whitney says he has begun receiving letters and collection calls from the Canada Revenue Agency, which is attempting to recover more than $10 billion in pandemic-related benefits it says were paid to ineligible recipients.
According to Whitney, the CRA is demanding immediate repayment of approximately $13,000, claiming he did not qualify for the benefits because he was not employed the day before the benefit period began.
“That’s just not the case,” Whitney said. “I was employed for four consecutive years at the same job, at the same title.”
Whitney says he has submitted government-issued employment records to demonstrate that he was on an approved leave of absence, not unemployed. He also says repeated attempts to arrange phone meetings with the agency have been unsuccessful.
“Only one real CRA agent has had a look at my file,” he said. “The rest of it has been automated.”
Halifax-based accountant Daryl Smith said cases like Whitney’s can become lengthy and complex, particularly when disputes escalate into collections.
“This man needs someone working with him. He should not be doing this by himself,” Smith said, adding that professional legal or accounting assistance is often necessary. He warned that the CRA may also pursue interest and penalties, which in some cases can reach up to 50 per cent of the amount the agency believes is owed.
Whitney said the ongoing dispute has taken a toll on his mental well-being.
“This doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, being treated as if you’re lying and did something wrong,” he said. “I applied for a benefit I believed I clearly qualified for.”
CTV News said it contacted the CRA multiple times for comment, but the agency did not respond.
Courtsey CTV News