In Canada they don't have this type of stimulus, they got some government programs to help however you can only apply to them if you lost your job due to covid19.
The Canadian stimulus payments (2,000 CAD per month for 4 months) are a lot more expansive than unemployment benefits. Anyone who is affected by the corona virus gets them. Not just layoffs but anyone who got sick, is in quarantine or self-isolation, taking care of someone who is sick, parents who need to stay home with their children because of closures, etc. Easy to game although yes, technically not as expansive as the US stimulus checks.
The stimulus cheques in USA were sent to pretty much everyone correct? Whether you lost your job or not. I think the only requirement was that you filed your 2018 or 2019 taxes.
That was only a requirement to get in the earliest round of direct deposits. I think anyone who has a Social Security number and is not an adult dependent is eligible but it may take a while to receive the money.
This doesn't make sense because they would of been better off just sending it to the people that need it. The people who lost their jobs and need money. For the ones who are still working and spending their stimulus on big screen TVs doesn't make sense. In the long run it hurts the economy more due to massive inflation.
The direct stimulus payments are not just for relief. It's to get everyone to spend money to prop the economy up. Plus I think there is a general acknowledgment that setting up some bureaucratic relief program would delay payments for many more weeks.