FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

NOTICE TO FISH HARVESTERS

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Oct. 13, 2021

FISH HARVESTER BENEFIT AND GRANT PROGRAM: PHASE 2 UPDATE

This notice is intended to provide a consolidated update on the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program further to changes reflected on the program's website over the last number of weeks.

The phase 2 application deadline has been extended to October 31, 2021 to provide time for individuals to submit their second benefit application. To apply for phase 2 you must have been eligible and applied for the phase 1 benefit payment. Please remember that if you received a phase 1 benefit payment and do not apply for the phase 2 component, an overpayment letter will be issued to you.

The appeal deadline for overpayment letters that initially had a deadline prior to September 15, 2021 has been extended to October 15, 2021 to help ensure that individuals will have time to provide materials to support their appeals.

Some overpayment letters stemmed from phase 1 applicants who had indicated they were self-employed crew members working under shareperson arrangements, but whose Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) tax information subsequently indicated that they were wage-earning employees.

For such applicants, the program's website provides information for those who feel that their tax information incorrectly reflects the nature of their income. Please consult FHGBP Overpayment Letters and Eligibility if you are in this situation, and wish to pursue the phase 2 benefit while taking steps to update your CRA information. In recent weeks DFO has proactively emailed appellants who might be in this situation to enquire whether they would be pursuing amendments with CRA.

Finally, as a reminder, some applicants triggered application error messages as they tried to apply for phase 2, and were stopped from proceeding further. Those messages requested that the applicant contact Service Canada. Such cautions are part of program integrity, and initiate a review/confirmation process. Applicants who have contacted Service Canada after receiving an error message of this kind, once their file is cleared, will be notified by either DFO or Service Canada to complete a second-round application.

For applicants who have received such messages while applying, but have not yet contacted Service Canada as requested, you

are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible to ensure that you can be contacted when your file clears.

As ever, harvesters are advised to contact Service Canada's call center to file an appeal should they disagree with a decision on their file, and/or receive answers to questions about their application. Service Canada's call center number is 1-833-674-8283 (TTY: 1-800-465-7735). Additional information and a link to the second application can be found on the program's website.

Contact:

David Whorley
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Email:David.Whorley@dfo-mpo.gc.ca