People who received a Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) advance payment a few months ago may not be entitled to their next payment, according to a bombshell dropped by Service Canada last night.

Some CERB recipients say they received a government email on Thursday explaining why they'll face an interruption in benefit payments despite the program having recently been extended.

"When you first applied for the CERB, you received two payments: a payment of $2,000 as well as your initial report," the email reads. "This $2,000 was an advance of four weeks of the CERB."

"Because of this advance, you will not receive a payment when you complete your next report. This is equivalent to the first two-week period of the advance."

@CBCNews @CP24 @CTVNews @globalnews @CBCQueensPark @CBCAlerts @CBCCanada @ServiceCanada_E today sent an email to #CERB recipients informing them that four $500 payments would be withheld over next 30 days to pay for 'advance' payment in April, with no real advance notice. pic.twitter.com/PNtYSiY90S

— Colin In London (@CJMELondon) June 19, 2020

The email says that the advance payment was issued "in order to get money in your pocket as quickly as possible."

Way back in April, multiple Canadians reported receiving double payments after applying for Employment Insurance (EI) and/or the CERB.

Canadians who applied for benefits through EI, for example, reported receiving an initial advance payment of $2,000 in addition to $1,000 biweekly payments.

It is still unclear clear whether Canadians will resume getting payments after that two-week gap, or whether they'll have to wait four weeks, which would amount to the full $2,000 advance.

Dozens of Canadians have taken to social media to express their shock and concern over the unexpected news.

I just saw that the last CERB payment is actually not going forward cuz it’s the “advance” payment you got when u first applied in March? Pardon me !

— sofie (SONJA) (@sofiesucks) June 19, 2020

"...did I just get an email saying I won't get any money next week!?" one person wrote. "I have bills, you can't just DECIDE I won't get money!?"

"Apparently I'm not the only one who received the email from Service Canada about the CERB," another one added. "Thank you for the literal 12 hour notice that the first payment I got was an advance payment."

Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency have yet to publicly comment on the news.