Service Canada Swamped With CEP Applications

Monday, November 05, 2007 at 14:35

 

 

A government spokeswoman in Ottawa says she is not certain how many residential school survivors have received common experience payments.

 

Genevieve Lemarche of Service Canada says her department has received around 70,000 applications since September 19th.

 

She won’t confirm reports that only 8,000 survivors have received their cheques so far.

 

But she does say the government is doing its best to process them, and adds the department has been overwhelmed with applications.

 

Lamarche says that means cheques aren’t getting out as fast as initially hoped.

 

Many survivors were told to expect their payments by October 31st.

 

There are reports that female survivors who have taken on a different last name through marriage are having an especially tough time collecting their cheque.