Airdrie mother-to-be files human rights complaint after being denied CERB

AIRDRIE (660NEWS) — A woman from Airdrie says she has filed a human rights complaint after claiming she was denied from being switched over from the employment insurance benefit to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) because she was pregnant.

Kristen Aldridge was working at a daycare when she was laid off from her job in March due to COVID-19.

Aldridge applied and qualified for Employment Insurance (EI) before there was CERB, but when people were being switched over to the new federal aid program, she said she was denied.

Aldridge called EI to try to figure out why her file wasn’t changed, but was told she didn’t qualify because she marked off that she was pregnant.

“I contacted CERB directly after and they told me right away that yes I do qualify for CERB, but they can’t do anything until EI fixes the mistake because CERB doesn’t have my account,” Aldridge said.

On the federal government’s website, it states “You cannot receive maternity or parental benefits at the same time as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.”

Aldridge wasn’t set to take maternity leave until late July.

She has been on regular EI, but said it took a while for her to start receiving payments and is getting less than half of what others receive from the government.

“Everybody else at my work has all been getting thousands of dollars and all that, and I was still waiting to get regular EI payments,” she said.

Aldridge said she filed a human rights complaint about the ordeal but feels it might be too late considering the government is already looking at reopening the economy.

660NEWS has reached out to Service Canada for comment but have not heard back at this time.