AFN Chief Urges Survivors To Apply for CEP

AFN Chief Urges Survivors To Apply for CEP

Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 14:14

 

 

The chief of the Assembly of First Nations is urging residential school survivors who haven’t applied yet for the common experience payment to do so before it’s too late.

 

Shawn Atleo is reminding former students that September 19th is the cut-off date for applications.

 

Legal advice is not required for the payment and former students do not need copies of their school records to apply for it.

 

Atleo says the payment is just another step toward recovering from the dark history of the schools.

 

At this point, the Aboriginal Affairs department estimates 97 percent of former students eligible for the common experience payment have received their money, although a number of applications are still under review.

 

When Ottawa embarked on the program, it estimated it would have to pay out $1.9 billion through the C.E.P.

 

At this point, the government says it has approved nearly $1.6 billion.

 

The average payment to go out to survivors was $20,500.