COVID-19 Helpful Links and Resources
12.04.20
BCU Financial has compiled a list of helpful links and resources to help support our BCU community during the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope that everyone is safe and healthy. Please note that this list is a work in progress as we continue to add new resources.
If you have any suggestions you can email us at info@bcufinancial.com
Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
Click here for more information about Support for Canadians and Businesses: From the Department of Finance Canada
Support for Canadians includes:
1. Income Support for Individuals Who Need it Most
2. Flexibility for Taxpayers
3. Mortgage Default Management Tools
4. Role of Financial Institutions
Support for Businesses includes:
1. Supporting Canadian Businesses Through the Canada Account
2. Helping Businesses Keep Their Workers
3. Flexibility for Businesses Filing Taxes
4. Ensuring Businesses have Access to Credit
5. Supporting Financial Market Liquidity
Employment and Social Development Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/notices/coronavirus.html
1. Employment Insurance
2. Labour Program and federally regulated workplaces
3. Work-Sharing Program
4. Canada Student Loans
5. Passport Services
Emergency Care Benefit
Canadians can apply for the emergency care benefit by going to the Canada Revenue Agency My Account secure portal, or through a My Service Canada account. Benefit plans will be available to apply for in April, through the CRA website, and a toll-free number that has not yet been shared.
To create CRA My Account: click here
Select Option 2. Contact you local BCU Financial Branch if you require your banking information.
Video: How to register for My Account
Collabria Credit Cards
A link for the dedicated COVID-19 Response page can be found here – https://www.collabriafinancial.ca/collabria-connect/covid-19-pandemic/
Collabria Financial Relief Measures:
Emergency Temporary Credit Limit Increases
- Emergency credit limit increases to cover airfare, car rentals, food, shelter, medical supplies, medications and other expenses.
- Audience: All cardholders who are currently outside of Canada and are actively working to return to Canada
- Effective: March 25, 2020
- Audience: All cardholders who are currently outside of Canada and are actively working to return to Canada
- https://www.collabriafinancial.ca/collabria-connect/news/collabria-news/meeting-our-cardholder-needs-in-challenging-times
Increased Contactless Transaction Limits of $250
- Increase in maximum contactless transaction limits to $250 across all merchant categories
- Audience: All cardholders
- Effective: March 25, 2020
- Audience: All cardholders
- https://www.collabriafinancial.ca/collabria-connect/news/collabria-news/increase-in-limit-for-contactless-transactions
Minimum Payment Deferral
- Deferral of Minimum Payments and the Promotional Interest Rate bundle will be approved for up to 3 months at a time. Cardholders can call in after 3 months and can be extended to 6 months, if needed.
- Audience: Cardholders impacted by COVID-19
- Effective: March 25, 2020
- Audience: Cardholders impacted by COVID-19
- https://www.collabriafinancial.ca/collabria-connect/news/collabria-news/meeting-our-cardholder-needs-in-challenging-times
Reduced Interest Rate of 10.9%
- Cardholders will have their interest rate reduced to 10.9% for up to 6 months when cardholders contact Collabria and request financial relief due to COVID-19 impacts.
- Audience: Cardholders impacted by COVID-19
- Effective: April 13, 2020
- Audience: Cardholders impacted by COVID-19
- https://www.collabriafinancial.ca/collabria-connect/news/collabria-news/focused-on-staying-in-touch-with-what-you-and-our-cardholders-need
Note: Reduced Interest Rate and Minimum Payment Deferrals are provided as a bundled relief measure to cardholders
Balance Transfers
- Provides members the ability to consolidate higher interest rate loans and credit card balances
- 1) Low Rate Product Acquisition Program: 3.9% balance transfer for 6 months on new accounts.
- Audience: New Centra, Classic and Student account
- Effective: February 1 – April 30, 2020
- Audience: New Centra, Classic and Student account
- 1) Low Rate Product Acquisition Program: 3.9% balance transfer for 6 months on new accounts.
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- 2) 5.9% Balance Transfers for a period of 6 months for all cardholders
- Audience: All existing and new accounts (business & personal)
- Effective: May 1 – July 31, 2020
- https://www.collabriafinancial.ca/collabria-connect/marketing/2020-balance-transfer-offer
- Audience: All existing and new accounts (business & personal)
- 2) 5.9% Balance Transfers for a period of 6 months for all cardholders
Discontinued Outbound Collections Calls
- Collection agencies will continue to provide support on a case by case basis for all inbound calls, however outbound collection calls have been paused.
- Audience: Delinquent cardholders in a Collections status.
- Effective: April 1, 2020
- Audience: Delinquent cardholders in a Collections status.
If you have any questions on any of the above information, please feel free to reach out to the National Credit Card Program at nationalcreditcardprogram@central1.com
Learn at Home
Find supplementary resources for elementary and secondary students to practice math and literacy skills and learn at home. Click here: www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home
National Ukrainian Education Committee
Resources for educators and parents available here
UMANA (Ukrainian Medical Association for North America) fact sheets about COVID19
Available in English & Ukrainian
