Online bulletinno. 3 – May 2012

LIVING ON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

The Semaine de la dignité des personnes assistées sociales (dignity week for social assistance beneficiaries)has been held from May 7-11, 2012, under the theme“En Route for a Universal Guaranteed Social Income”.On this occasion, the Comité hopes to contribute to a better understanding of some of the multiple realities that make up the life experience of social assistance recipients.

Some figures

In February2012, there were 470,693 social assistance beneficiaries, which was 12,937 fewer than at the same time the year before.[1]In fact, we have observed a continual decrease since the end of the 1990s, except for a very slight increase in 2009, which was no doubt related to the economic crisis.

Among those470,693beneficiaries, there were108,109childrenand362,584 adults, of whom:

  • 130,438had a severely limited capacity for employment;
  • 89,852had a temporarily limited capacity for employment (because of, for example,health reasons, pregnancy, a dependant child under age 5 or being age 55 or over);
  • 134,747were considered to have no employment limitations (83,110 men and 51,637 women).Contrary to a wide-spread belief, after a certain time on social assistance, only a small percentage of beneficiaries can, overnight, be brought into employmentwithout sustained assistance. Two thirds of the134,747adults who did not have a limited capacity for employment are single adults; one third are aged 45 to 54 and two thirds have a level of school corresponding to Secondary V (not necessarily completed) or less. Their average total time on social assistance is 9 years.

Finally, the average household benefitfor social assistance beneficiaries who do not have a severely limited capacity for employment is $654.62 a month. For a household receiving social solidarity benefits (severely limited capacity for employment), the average benefit is $839.22 a month.

That’s a lot of numbers, but behind them, there are human beings who are struggling to have a decent life. In our society, we often presume that we have the right to judgetheir every choice. We sometimes condemn them to social exclusion by judging them with scorn, without even knowing their life experiences.

Who are these beneficiaries?

The beneficiaries of last-resort financial assistance programs are somewhat more often men than women. On average, the men are older and live alone more often. There are also children, who are at risk of remaining on social assistance if no means are found to help them get off. There are young people who initially seek assistance at age 18, sometimes after leaving a youth centre, scarred by a hard life, and who are not sufficiently equipped to have any other options. There are also recently-arrived immigrants, who may be able find here the life that they were hoping for when they decided to leave their homeland, if we recognize their abilities and better support their integration.

People become social assistance beneficiaries for many reasons.It may be because of losing a job, sickness, the breakup of a couple, etc. They may later have difficulty getting off assistance for reasons that are just as varied. Some remain trapped because they do not have the means to get off and because we give them a very negative image of themselves, which humiliates and isolates them.

Many people who receive benefits have tried and are still trying to somehow find and keep a job. In February 2012, more than a third of new beneficiaries joined social assistance programs because their employment insurance benefits had ended, because they had lost a job without entitlement to employment insurance or because their employment insurance benefits were insufficient. In fact, slightly more than 21,000 beneficiary households reported some employment income. Thus, in spite of their efforts, their earned income was not enough for them to make ends meet without assistance benefits.

It is hard for many to improve their situation because all too often, the only jobs available to them are unstable or low-paying. Moreover, an increase in the number of hours worked does not always lead to an improvement in their situation. After being allowed an initial amount of employment income without any reduction in benefits,[2] there is a dollar-for-dollar reduction as their income increases further. That means that these people, even if they work more, are often deprived of the possibility of improving their situation in a meaningful way.

A living income

If financial assistance is too low, it is hard to survive, and it is certainly not possible for people to escape from social exclusion. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that the many health problems observed in social assistance beneficiaries are often the result of poor nutrition and permanent stress. Many of those who are recognized as having a severely limited capacity for employment became that way while they were receiving social assistance benefits, which shows to what extent that situation causes health to decline.

An independent adult with no employment limitations has an annual income of less than $8,000 on social assistance, which is $4,000 less than what is needed for shelter, food, clothing, transportation and to minimally cover personal hygiene and the cost of over-the-counter medicines. The insufficiency of financial assistance has an impact on job hunting because there is no money to meet the expenses related to entering the labour force, including expenses for transportation, clothing, meals outside the home and childcare costs.

On many occasions, the Comité has called for the abolition of categoriesfor social assistance beneficiaries, because putting people into “classes” in that way encourages prejudice and reinforces social exclusion. The Comité proposes that the costs related to limited capacity be offset by refundable tax credits. Furthermore, we must all make an effort to go beyond our preconceived notions and to recognize that every person must have a place and a say in our society.

The Comité also continues to maintain that income security must be increased along the lines of the tax model already proposed,[3]so that people can get off assistance for good. Everyone must have access to a minimum income that allows them to live in dignity.

With less poverty, all of us stand to gain immeasurably.

[1].Rapport statistique sur la clientèle des programmes d’assistance sociale, Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, February 2012, only).

[2]For example, $200a month for an adult beneficiary who does not have a limited capacity for employment and $100 a month for an adult with a severely limited capacity for employment.(

[3]Individual and Family Income Improvement Targets, Optimal Means for Achieving Them, and Baseline Financial Support: Improving Individual and Family Incomes…Opting for a Better Future, April 2009.