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SUBJECTS
2007 Ice Compensation Program
Program Update:
Based on ice conditions and fishing activities in Labrador, July 14 is the final date for which fish harvesters north of Cape St. Charles will be covered by the Ice Compensation Program. The program dates for all other areas were posted on June 23.
If you are a grant applicant from the area north of Cape St. Charles, Labrador, you must submit a Supplementary Report of Fishing Income in order to be considered for a grant payment covering the period June 24 to July 14. Your original application form only covered grant payments through June 23.
The Supplementary Report of Fishing Income is due by August 31, 2007. More details about obtaining and submitting the report are provided below.
Some East Coast fish harvesters affected by worse than normal ice conditions have experienced prolonged periods without fishing income or Employment Insurance Benefits, resulting in significant economic hardship. To address this, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is providing direct financial assistance in the form of a grant.
Eligibility Criteria | Ice Affected Areas and Program Dates | Grant Payments | Application Form | Supplementary Report of Fishing Income | Submitting Your Application | Contact Us | News Release | Backgrounder | FAQs
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the Ice Compensation Program, you must have been prevented or delayed from fishing in 2007 due to severe ice conditions. To be eligible for this program, you must also meet the following criteria:
- You must have received Employment Insurance (EI) Fishing Benefits in both 2005 and 2006;
- You must have exhausted an EI Fishing Benefit claim in 2007;
- You must reside within one of the ice affected areas, or you must fish on a vessel predominantly operating in one of the ice affected areas (predominantly refers to where most of the fishing income is earned);
- You must complete and sign an application form which contains a personal attestation (or declaration) that you have been adversely affected by ice conditions.
Ice Affected Areas and Program Dates
The dates of program coverage vary according to the persistence of ice in different areas.
| Eligible Ice-Affected Areas | Program Period |
|---|---|
|
Trinity Bay (Grates Cove to Cape Bonavista) |
May 6 to June 2 (4 weeks) |
| Bonavista Bay (Cape Bonavista to Cape Freels) | May 6 to June 2 (4 weeks) |
| Notre Dame Bay/Fogo (Cape Freels to New Bay Head) | May 6 to June 2 (4 weeks) |
| Green Bay (New Bay Head to Cape St. John) | May 6 to June 9 (5 weeks) |
| White Bay - North (Cape St. John to Cape Bauld) | May 6 to June 23 (7 weeks) |
| Northern Peninsula - North (Cape Bauld to Ferrole Point) | May 6 to June 9 (5 weeks) |
| Labrador Straits (Blanc Sablon to Cape St. Charles) | May 6 to June 9 (5 weeks) |
| Labrador (North of Cape St. Charles) | May 27 to July 14 (7 weeks) |
| Quebec – Lower North Shore (Blanc Sablon to Kegaska) | May 6 to June 9 (5 weeks) |
Grant Payments
If your application is successful, your grant payment will be up to $377 per week. You will become eligible to receive ice compensation benefits two weeks following your final 2006/2007 EI Fishing Benefit payment, or the start date of the program, whichever is later.
Beginning with the week in which you start earning fishing income, your grant payment for the remaining weeks will be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the cumulative amount you earned from fishing (including sealing).
Application Form
You may download your application form in pdf format here:
Printed copies will be available after June 26, 2007 at your local Service Canada Centre or at Fisheries and Oceans Offices in affected areas.
Supplementary Report of Fishing Income for Applicants north of Cape St. Charles, Labrador
The application form allows you to report your fishing income through June 23, 2007, covering program dates for most areas. Fish harvesters in Labrador (North of Cape St. Charles) are also required to submit a Supplementary Report of Fishing Income to provide information on fishing income earned from June 24 through July 14.
The supplementary report will be mailed directly to fish harvesters in Labrador who have already submitted their initial application form. If you have not yet submitted your application, you can download the supplementary report here and submit both forms together. However, please note that the original application form is due by August 4, 2007, and must either be received in person by that date, or postmarked no later than the first business day afterwards. The supplementary form is not due until August 31, 2007.Submitting Your Application and Supplementary Report*
*The Supplementary Report applies only to Labrador, North of Cape St. Charles.
You can apply after June 23, 2007. Applications are due on August 4, 2007. Applications postmarked on the next business day after Saturday, August 4th will be accepted.
The Supplementary Report of Fishing Income must be submitted (received in person or postmarked) by August 31, 2007.
Your completed form(s) should be sent to:
Gander Service Canada Centre
1 Markham Place
McCurdy Complex, 3rd Floor
Gander, NL A1V 1W7
Alternatively, you can submit your forms in person to your local Service Canada Centre. To find the Service Canada nearest you, call 1 800 O-Canada or follow this link.
Contact Us
Please contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the number below if you require assistance completing the application form, if you wish to inquire about the status of your application, or if you have any other questions related to this program.
1 866 266-6603 (toll-free)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I apply?
The application form is available on the DFO website, and at DFO offices and Service Canada Centres in the ice affected areas. You must complete, sign and mail the Ice Compensation application form to:
Gander Service Canada Centre
1 Markham Place
McCurdy Complex, 3rd Floor
Gander, NL A1V 1W7
You can also submit your application in person to your local Service Canada Centre.
2. The due date for the application is a Saturday (August 4th) and all the post offices are closed where I live. Will my application be accepted if I mail it on Friday night or Saturday?
Yes, your application will be accepted. If your application is postmarked the next business day after the Saturday August 4th deadline, it will be considered “submitted on time”.
3. What information and documents do I need to apply?
To qualify for benefits you must correctly complete the application for Ice Compensation Benefits. When applying for ice compensation you must declare all earnings that were generated from fishing activities during the program coverage period including sealing earnings.
4. Why did it take the federal government so long to act?
Ice conditions in affected areas can vary from year to year. Ice compensation would only be considered if severe ice conditions remained for a prolonged period. Fisheries and Oceans Canada monitored the ice conditions carefully for several weeks to determine if a compensation program would be necessary. At the same time, work began on developing a program that could be used to help those fish harvesters who would experience the greatest hardship if severe ice conditions persisted. Putting all the elements of such a program in place and establishing an appropriate and rigorous delivery mechanism takes time.
5. When will I receive my compensation payment?
Once a fully completed application form is received, and it is determined that you are eligible for payment, it is expected that you will receive your cheque within three weeks.
More complex cases which require additional research and analysis may delay your receipt of payment.
If you are not eligible, you will receive notification in a similar timeframe.
6. How much money will I receive?
If your application is successful, your grant payment will be up to $377 per week. You will become eligible to receive ice compensation benefits two weeks following your final 2006/2007 EI fishing benefit payment, or on the start date of the program, whichever is later. Beginning with the week in which you start earning fishing income, your grant payment for that week and subsequent weeks will be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the cumulative amount you earned from fishing (including sealing). Payment reduction will apply to any fishing income in the program period including that earned during the 2-week waiting period.
7. Why do I have to wait two weeks to be eligible for payments under this program?
Ice conditions in affected areas can vary from year to year and therefore income interruptions are not unexpected. These grant payments are designed to address longer than normal periods of income interruption.
8. If I serve a two-week waiting period now, will I have to serve another two week waiting period when I file for my next EI Fishing Benefits?
Yes, as these two programs are unrelated. The two-week waiting period under this grant program is in no way related to programming rules of any future claim for EI benefits.
9. Is this grant taxable?
Yes, it is. However, income tax will not be deducted at source from these grants. Grant recipients will receive a tax information slip in the mail in February. The tax slip will be sent to the same mailing address as the Ice Compensation package. The amount of the grant must be reported on your income tax return for 2007.
10. Is this grant an EI extension?
No. This is special financial assistance funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). Service Canada is assisting DFO with the administrative work of making the payments.
11. Is this grant insurable?
No. Any payment received under the Ice Compensation Program is not insurable and cannot be used to establish an EI claim.
12. Will my entitlement to this Ice Compensation Grant Program be affected by the fact that I am receiving Social Assistance Benefits?
No. Weekly grant payments will only be reduced as a result of fishing (including sealing) earnings. To determine if Ice Compensation payments will have any impact on your entitlement to Social Assistance Benfits you should contact your local district office of the Provincial Government Department of Human Resources Labour and Employment.
