The Canadian government provides financial benefits to students who are unable to find work due to COVID. The emergency benefit amounts to $1250 per period of 4 weeks for a maximum of 16 weeks (so $5000 in total). I am eligible for it, but I don’t need it, as I am fully funded for the rest of my degree and do not need to work. I am contemplating the idea of applying for it to give that money to an effective charity, but I have some misgivings about claiming emergency benefits that I don’t need. I estimate the risks of being caught and having to repay as being null, and the time it is going to cost me to apply for it is negligible, so it seems like in terms of utility-maximization it would be a pretty good thing to do. Any thoughts on that? Are there any arguments not to do that from an EA perspective?
[Question] Should I claim COVID-benefits I don’t need to give to charity?
The Canadian government provides financial benefits to students who are unable to find work due to COVID. The emergency benefit amounts to $1250 per period of 4 weeks for a maximum of 16 weeks (so $5000 in total). I am eligible for it, but I don’t need it, as I am fully funded for the rest of my degree and do not need to work. I am contemplating the idea of applying for it to give that money to an effective charity, but I have some misgivings about claiming emergency benefits that I don’t need. I estimate the risks of being caught and having to repay as being null, and the time it is going to cost me to apply for it is negligible, so it seems like in terms of utility-maximization it would be a pretty good thing to do. Any thoughts on that? Are there any arguments not to do that from an EA perspective?