It has been nearly four years since the federal government launched the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), but many Canadians who received money are still confused about the eligibility requirements and only now know that they have to repay the funds.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) previously said the program was launched in haste and the money needed to reach Canadians, but "individuals who were later found ineligible will have to repay the amounts they received."

CTV News asked readers to share their experiences with CERB, after publishing a story about Terence Bailey, a man from Toronto who owes the federal government over $38,000 after discovering he was not eligible for the benefits in the first place.

Bailey told CTV News Toronto that he fears he may have to declare bankruptcy.

He explained, "I receive a senior pension and a Canadian pension, and I earn $2,000 a month, so how am I supposed to repay $38,000 and pay for my groceries and rent?"

CTV News received dozens of responses, with many people detailing their frustrations about how COVID-19 financial aid was distributed, and how they were confused about what they were entitled to or whether they were eligible to apply for CERB in the first place or not.

I don't have $19,000 to pay back

One of those readers was Taylor Beaumont, a 22-year-old mother from Mount Forest, Ontario, who was forced to work odd jobs at several fast food restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beaumont said, "I was working at Little Caesars, Subway, and Firehouse Subs, but my work was cut to only one or two shifts a week or I was permanently laid off." In her opinion, she was eligible to receive CERB, so she gathered $19,000 through the pandemic.

Beaumont added that a CRA agent contacted her in September 2023 saying she would have to repay the full $19,000, claiming the agent failed to respond to dozens of phone calls over a month, and she did not receive another call until she left an angry voicemail asking him to call the main number and try to find another agent.

Beaumont continued, "I spoke with a second agent who conducted a second review of my case at the end of January, and I only found out I was still ineligible at the end of February." Throughout this process, Beaumont said the CRA takes her goods and services tax payments, Trillium benefits, and climate action benefits as a way to repay what she owes for CERB.

She said, "I am a stay-at-home mother and I don't have $19,000 to pay back." She receives only $500 a month through the child tax benefit and does not think it is fair for the CRA to seize her benefit money while she continues to appeal their decision.

"It looks like I'll have to file a judicial review with the Federal Court."

I can summarize it in one word: bad.

Another reader who responded to CTV News is Ruth Kamika, 47, who lives with her husband Cleveland in Sarnia, Ontario. After Ruth's hours at the Marriott hotel were cut to zero, and her husband struggled to find any shifts in private security, both applied for CERB. Ruth applied for only $2,000 and her husband claimed $14,000.

Ruth said, "I read the disclaimer stating that we might have to repay these amounts, but since I was not working and my husband was barely working, we both assumed we wouldn't have to repay these amounts."

She said CRA contacted her in early 2023 saying she was in trouble for the full $2,000. A year later, CRA said her husband also owes the full $14,000 he claimed.

She continued, "They requested our bank information, pay stubs, and letters from the companies we work for." "We went through the pandemic four times, and lost most things. We no longer deal with the same bank anymore."

Ruth is no longer able to work due to a heart condition she developed as a result of pandemic stresses, saying she is waiting to book an appointment for a pacemaker insertion. Like Beaumont, she said CRA collects all refundable tax amounts she and her husband are entitled to, and she collects only a few hundred dollars from the Ontario Disability Support Program each month.

Ruth said, "If I could summarize this whole experience in one word: bad." "They never talk to you, then they send you an email at 2 a.m. saying they will take your income tax return."

How could this happen?'

CTV News also listened to Trisha Clark, who couldn't understand how her 81-year-old father owes the federal government tens of thousands of dollars from CERB payments, claiming he can't even access a computer to apply.

She said in a phone interview, "How could they allow an 81-year-old man to apply for CERB?" During an interview with CTV News. "He doesn't know how to use a computer."

She said her father, Ralph Seiko, lost the ability to care for himself in 2018 and relied on a resident caregiver's help for several years.

Seiko was placed in a nursing home in Sudbury, Ont. after neighbors reported problems with the caregiver to the police, and Clark had to return to Ontario from Calgary to care for her father.

She soon learned that the caregiver had applied for CERB on Seiko's behalf, and because Clark has no evidence showing the caregiver deposited government checks and withdrew money for himself, CRA told Clark she is in trouble for repaying $21,000.

Clark said, "We were able to repay only $2,500; any goods and services tax or tax refunds go directly to CRA." She says at this time she can only pay nursing home fees, which she claims have increased since he first joined the home. She is unsure how to repay the remaining $18,500 owed to CRA.

"We don't have the money."

Can't fight CRA'

When companies began temporarily closing at the start of the pandemic, Kim and Brian Stevens from Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, were very worried. Brian, 67, was temporarily laid off from his job, so he applied for Employment Insurance (EI) for eight weeks between May and June. However, when they tried to apply again, CRA said they had exhausted all their CERB benefits.

Kim, 60, said, "We were applying for EI," and that they were on hold with CRA for hours, then the federal government announced it decided to only give Canadians CERB instead of EI, saying they would get more money anyway.

She said, "We had already been pushed to EI, and the amount he was supposed to get would have been more than CERB."

Brian finally returned to work in August 2020. After three months, they received a letter from CRA saying they owed $8,000 because they were not eligible for CERB benefits. Instead of fighting it, they decided to pay it in a lump sum.

Kim said, "They make the rules and we have to follow them." "There is no fight with CRA."

Brian retired in November 2022 and spends most of his days at home with the dog. Meanwhile, Kim works a few hours a week with her friends repairing shoes. Although they know they are in a luckier position than others, they are still heartbroken about the circumstances of many Canadians.

Kim said: "It seems that the entire CERB program was managed without any thought or empathy for the people who were struggling to get by." "What will you do if you don't have the money?"

How can you repay CRA?

Between March and October 2020, the federal government paid nearly $82 billion in CERB to 8.9 million Canadians. A 2022 auditor report found $4.6 billion was paid to people who should not have qualified.

For more information about CERB and how to make payments, visit the CRA website.