Feds mum on who's to blame for $8B in fraudulent CERB payments: Report

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Access-to-information files said the Canada Revenue Agency had “no records” of who mismanaged the Canada Emergency Response Benefit program, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

“We have no records pertaining to this request,” wrote the agency’s access-to-information office.

Blacklock’s had sought the names of those responsible for mismanaging the CERB program that paid out billions of dollars in fradulent claims.

Revenue commissioner Bob Hamilton testified it was a “decision by the government,” but would not name names.

“We determined there was an increase in fraud because there were greater incentives to defraud,” said Hamilton, testifying on Feb. 2, 2023, before the House of Commons public accounts committee.

“We implemented a number of fraud detection measures. It is, nevertheless, true the number of instances of fraud increased.”

Official estimates had ineligible claimants get $7.96 billion in relief cheques with audits scheduled to continue into 2025.

“It’s very difficult to know what will be left at the end of the day,” said Hamilton.

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In the early days of the pandemic on March 25, 2020, Parliament passed the CERB Act to pay $2,000 a month to jobless tax filers facing eviction or foreclosure. While the program was originally budgeted for $24 billion, its final costs were $81.6 billion.

CRA was assigned processing claims, including verification that applicants were tax filers, but no upfront verification occurred. Access-to-information records showed payments of $636 million were claimed by children as young as 15.

Hamilton said an unidentified government official told CRA to process claims with no questions asked.