Ex-HBC staff may receive a hardship fund to help with bills.

Ontario's Superior Court will soon consider a proposed hardship fund that could provide one-time payments of up to $9,600 (with up to $2,500 extra for emergencies) to former Hudson's Bay employees and retirees who lost pay and benefits.

Ontario's Superior Court is scheduled to decide next week whether to approve a proposed hardship fund for former Hudson's Bay employees. More than 9,300 workers lost their jobs last year and were not paid severance; some also lost access to long-term disability and post-retirement benefits. The proposal would offer one-time payments of up to $9,600 and up to $2,500 extra for medical or other emergencies, with money coming from a Zellers health and welfare trust, an HBC reserve fund and cash on hand. Core details: - Court review: The Superior Court will consider approval of the hardship fund next week. - Payment terms: The proposed plan would allow one-time payments up to $9,600 and up to $2,500 for emergency medical or other urgent needs. - Administration and sources: Applications would be assessed by the court-appointed monitor, with appeals to a hardship committee, and the proposal would draw on a Zellers trust (~$9.9 million), an HBC reserve (~$1.6 million) and $250,000 currently available. Summary: If the court approves the proposal, the fund would provide limited, one-time financial assistance to former employees and retirees who face urgent bills after unpaid severance and lost benefits. The court's decision next week will determine whether the monitor can administer the payments as outlined in the proposal.