Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) Home Page

Programs and Services - alphabetical list of all programs and services with links to further info.
A-Z Index - another alphabetical list, a bit more detailed

Regional Offices - By province or territory, city or town or by postal code

National News Releases
Regional News Releases

Services for Individuals
Services for Business
Services for Organizations

HRSDC Publications and Resources

Search the HRSDC website
<begin search engine rant.>

The HRSDC Site Search Engine STILL sucks (April 2008).

Don't believe me?
1. Select and copy this text:
Canada Pension Plan Annual Report, 2006-2007
[this report has been on the HRSDC website since January.]
2. Then click the link to the HRSDC website search engine button above and paste your text into the search box.
3. Click the "Search" button at the bottom of the search page.
When I did this search on Feb. 24/08, the results page consisted of 60 links to stuff that has nothing to do with CPP, such as workplace bulletins, calls for applications, disclosures of contracts over $10,000, miscellaneous unrelated stuff, and - oh, yeah, a link to the 1998-99 Canada Pension Plan Annual Report. ONE link out of 60 search results that even mentions CPP --- and it's to a report that's almost ten years old.
Sucks.
If you wish to pursue the experiment, go to the publications page of the group where I worked and try doing a search for any title on that page.
Copy any title and paste it into the search engine box.
Unless someone's fixed the site search feature since February 24/8, I guarantee consistently bad results.
[Almost makes me want to send Marg Princess warrior over to smite you.]
April 2008 update: yes, I *know* the information here is dated February '08, but I just can't be bothered to go back to update the numbers because I know the results won't be any better.
I use Google.ca's free site search feature on my own website, and it works just fine to retrieve my site content.
The Government of Canada should find the resources to offer a decent search engine on its websites.
HINT FOR SOCIAL RESEARCHERS:
Use the Google.ca search engine to find HRSDC reports; it works.

</end search engine rant.>

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What's new from Human Resources and Social Development (HRSDC):
[recent content]

January 2008
Indicators of Well-being in Canada
This new HRSDC website presents comprehensive, up-to-date information on the well-being of Canadians and Canadian society, and how that may be changing over time.
- incl. links to info about : Work | Learning | Financial Security | Family Life | Housing | Social Participation | Leisure | Health | Security | Environment

"(...) How many Canadians have a paying job? What levels of education do we have, and how does that compare with other countries? What proportion of marriages end in divorce? How long can we expect to live? Have there been any big changes over the last 20 years or so? This website helps to answer such questions. Developed by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), its purpose is to systematically present measures and report on various aspects of well-being that are important to Canadians."

The role of family and government financial supports in helping Canadian workers avoid poverty
October 2007
PDF version (288K, 87 pages)
HTML version
"...assesses the extent to which family and government financial supports prevent workers from living in low income."
- incl. links to:
* Abstract * Major Factors Leading to Poverty * Definitions of Vulnerable Workers that Consider Family and Government Financial Support * 2002 profiles of vulnerable workers, the working poor and workers who are not self-sufficient * Determinants of Potential Poverty for Workers * Occurrence of Major Life-Disruptive Events Among Vulnerable and Non-Vulnerable Workers * What Happens to Vulnerable Workers, the Working Poor and Workers with Low Earnings Over the Longer Term * Conclusions * Tables and Graphs * Bibliography * more

What else is new at HRSDC in November 2007?
* To better meet the needs of prospective immigrants and newcomers to Canada, CIC and HRSDC have updated the Going to Canada Immigration Portal to incorporate new content and interactive tools. This website was developed in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. HRSDC's section of the portal, called Working in Canada helps prospective and new immigrants learn more about Canada's labour market and the steps involved in finding a job in Canada.

*The Working in Canada Tool helps prospective and new immigrants prepare for employment in Canada by providing labour market reports tailored to a specific occupation and geographic area (city, town or region).

New Horizons for Seniors Program
The New Horizons for Seniors Program is now accepting applications for two new types of funding.
* Capital Assistance Funding helps non-profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors' programs and activities.
* Elder Abuse Awareness Funding helps non-profit organizations raise awareness of the abuse of older persons on a national or regional level.

Education Savings Community Outreach
HRSDC is launching a call for proposals for Education Savings Community Outreach. For more information, visit Education Savings Community Outreach (ESCO 2007) - Call For Proposals

Addressing the challenges and opportunities of aging in Canada, is now available online. This report, prepared for the UN Commission for Social Development, focuses on new federal action taken and the further development of existing programs around seniors and population ageing.

* Pan-Canadian Study of First Year College Students:
Report 1 - Student Characteristics and the College Experience
August 2007
This joint-study, between Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), provides the most comprehensive national description of first-year students in Canadian colleges, institutes, cégeps and university colleges to date.

* A Study of Poverty and Working Poverty among Recent Immigrants to Canada
July 2007
This research examines the characteristics of recent immigrants who were living in low income in 2004 and pays particular attention to their labour market participation.

* The Well-Being of Canada’s Young Children: Government of Canada Report 2006
May 2007 (date on PDF file)
NOTE: Chapter 8 of this report deals with the well-being of Aboriginal children in Canada

Two reports in one:
* Early Childhood Development Activities and Expenditures: Government of Canada Report 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, and
* Early Learning and Child Care Activities and Expenditures: Government of Canada Report 2004-2005 and 2005-2006
June 2007 (date on PDF file)
These reports are co-published by Human Resources and Social Development Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

* HRSDC is launching a call for proposals for Education Savings Community Outreach.
For more information, visit Education Savings Community Outreach (ESCO 2007) - Call For Proposals

* Addressing the challenges and opportunities of aging in Canada (July 2007) is now available online. This report, prepared for the UN Commission for Social Development, focuses on new federal action taken and the further development of existing programs around seniors and population ageing.

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Income Security Programs

Canada's Retirement Income System
- guide for people approaching retirement - includes info about the Old Age Security (OAS) program, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Private Pension Plans

Canadian Retirement Income Calculator
Enter your personal financial information and the calculator will give you a pretty pretty accurate estimate of your income when you retire. The site is secure- you should see a locked padlock on the status bar at the bottom of your screen - so you shouldn't have to worry about your information being misused

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Canada Pension Plan
General information - Did You Know? * Canada's Retirement Income System - "What's in it for you?" * Your CPP Statement of Contributions o Request a CPP Statement of Contributions * General Information About the Canada Pension Plan * 1998 Changes to the Canada Pension Plan * Important Information for Common-law Partners * CPP Annual Reports * Quebec Pension Plan
Benefit information - Retirement Pension * Disability Benefits * Survivor Benefits (death, survivor & children's benefits) * Children's Benefits for Students aged 18 to 25 * Forms Payment information - Canada Pension Plan Payment Rates * Payment Dates * Direct Deposit * OAS and CPP T4/NR4 Income Statements o Obtain your Tax Information Slips online
o File your taxes by phone or online using Telefile service for seniors or Netfile * Canceling benefits following the death of a pensioner / beneficiary
Fact sheets - Sharing your pension for possible tax savings * Credit Splitting Upon Divorce or Separation * Facts about the Child Rearing Drop-out Provision * Reassessing Eligibility for Disability Benefits * Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program * Non-Resident Tax on Canadian Pensions * Facts about Changes to CPP Disability * Avoid owing tax on filing - CPP/EI voluntary deductions at source

Canada Pension Plan Annual Report, 2006-2007
- tabled in the House of Commons on December 10, 2007
[ PDF version - 9.5MB, 52 pages ]

Table of Contents:
* TITLE PAGE
* 2006–07: THE YEAR AT A GLANCE
* THE CANADA PENSION PLAN IN BRIEF
o Meeting the Needs of Canadians
* BENEFITS AND EXPENDITURES
o Retirement Pensions o Disability Benefits o Survivor Benefits o Death Benefits o Other Provisions o The Appeals Process
* ENSURING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
o Actuarial Reporting o A Fair Approach to Funding o Financing
* FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
o CPP Account o CPP Assets and Cash Management o CPP Investment Board o CPP Investments o Investing for our Future
* MANAGING THE CPP
o Collecting and Recording Contributions o Overpayment of Benefits o Administrative Costs
* IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY - SERVICE CANADA
o Reaching Out to Canadians o Delivering Service o Processing Benefits
* LOOKING TO THE FUTURE - SERVICE CANADA
o Information Technology Renewal Delivery System (ITR-DS) o Online Service Delivery o Simplifying the Application Process

Complete list of HRSDC
Canada Pension Plan Publications
- links to two dozen CPP reports and factsheets
- does not include links to CPP annual reports; for that, try the link below.

Service Canada's
Canada Pension Plan Publications Index
- to access CPP annual reports for fiscal years back to 2000-2001, you'll have to scroll to the bottom of the Service Canada publications page.

Service Canada's OTHER list
of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Publications

<begin rant>

OK, THREE lists.
Now this is getting ridiculous.
I know that Service Canada is a new and dynamic government website, but here's a suggestion for the Web team at HRSDC/Service Canada : instead of forcing all your visitors to check three separate lists to find CPP reports, why dontcha assign some nice HRSDC/Service Canada person to merge all three lists and save us all a bit of confusion and frustration? Also, when one of your web pages become obsolete/superseded/stale, delete it and provide a redirect to the new page that replaced it. Should you decide to leave the dead page on your site --- and I know from personal experience that you do that --- then just add a note on the dead page to identify it as archival material and give your visitor a link to newer related material.
And no, I *don't* have a vendetta against the folks at HRSDC/Service Canada.
Like many people, I just get flustered when I try to use their site(s).
Unlike many people, I have a soapbox.

</end rant>

Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions Online
This online service allows you to view and print your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Statement of Contributions. Your Statement of Contributions contains a history of your earnings and contributions to the CPP, as well as estimates for any CPP benefits you may be eligible to receive.

Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)

Related links from HRSDC:

Canada Pension Plan

CPP Statistics (also includes Old Age Security stats)

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
("CPP Fund : $119.4 Billion at December 31, 2007 ")

Old Age Security
General information: * Overview of the Old Age Security Program * C-36: An Act to Amend the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Act * Important Information for Common-law Partners * Canada's Retirement Income System - "What's in it for you?" * The Old Age Security Appeals Process

Benefit information: * Old Age Security Pension * Guaranteed Income Supplement * Allowance * Allowance for the survivor * Forms

Payment information: * Old Age Security Payment Rates * Payment Dates * Direct Deposit * Canceling benefits following the death of a pensioner / beneficiary * The Repayment of Old Age Security Pension Benefits (Deductions for higher-income seniors)

Taxation Information: * The Old Age Security Recovery Tax * Non-Resident Tax on Canadian Pensions * OAS and CPP T4/NR4 Income Statements o Obtain your Tax Information Slips online o File your taxes by phone or online using Telefile service for seniors or Netfile.

Old Age Security (OAS) Pension
The Old Age Security pension is a monthly payment available to most Canadians aged 65 or older who meet Canadian residency requirements as stipulated for the purposes of the program.

Guaranteed Income Supplement - "The Guaranteed Income Supplement provides additional money, on top of the Old Age Security pension, to low-income seniors living in Canada. To be eligible for the GIS benefit, you must be receiving the Old Age Security pension and meet the income requirements"
- incl. links to : About the Guaranteed Income Supplement * Applying for the Guaranteed Income Supplement * Renewing your benefits * Eligibility Requirements
* Receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement * Filing your income tax return * Appealing a decision * Protecting information about you * Other public retirement benefits * More Information * Important Information for Common-law Partners * Questions and answers about the application forms sent to potential clients - 2003

Allowance Program - formerly the Spouse's Allowance
– for 60 to 64 year-old spouses or common-law partners of pensioners who receive GIS

Allowance for the survivor - formerly the Surviving Spouse's Allowance
– for 60 to 64 year-old widowed spouses or common-law partners

International Benefits
* Infosheets (info on international social security agreements Canada has signed with other countries) * Status of Canada's Social Security Agreements* Social Security Web Sites Around the World * Statistics on Canadian Benefits Paid

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Income Security Statistics

Includes links to the following Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan stats:
- ISP Information Card (Rate Card) - updated quarterly,gives the maximum monthly rates for Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits, as well as other selected figures.
- Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Statistical Bulletin - a monthly publication that provides detailed information such as the number of benefits in pay, the amounts paid, and the distribution of various benefits by age and sex.
- 2004 Canada Pension Plan Contributors Report - an annual publication with detailed statistics on the number of contributors and the amount of contributions to the Canada Pension Plan. Although the publication is annual, the data are 2 years in arrears. This is due to ongoing updating of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency T4 files prior to issuing.
- Canada Pension Plan Benefit Rates - maximum monthly rates for new CPP benefits from 1967 to date, as well as historical data related to the calculation of CPP contributions and benefits. This publication also contains historical tables on pension index and escalation factors.
- ISP Stats Book - annual publication, serves as a reference for Income Security Programs. It contains historical data on CPP and OAS monthly averages of benefits, new benefits and net payments in calendar years or fiscal years. Other data included in this publication are QPP, Average Weekly Wages and Consumer Prince Index data Average Weekly Wages and Statistics Canada's Low Income Cut-off levels.
- Social Security Agreements: Canadian Benefits Paid - data on Canadian Benefits paid (under Social Security Agreements) to people who have lived or worked in another country
- Tables of Rates for Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Allowance

Old Age Security Benefit Rates to Increase on October 1, 2004
News Release
September 30, 2004
"OTTAWA—Social Development Canada today announced that Old Age Security (OAS) benefit rates will increase as of October 1, 2004. The basic OAS pension, paid to people 65 years of age and over, will be $471.76 per month. This is an increase of 1.1 percent over the rate for the previous three months.

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Seniors

New Horizons for Seniors
"This program provides funding for community-based projects across Canada. Projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their community by:
* helping those in need;
* providing leadership; and
* sharing their wisdom and experiences.
Calls for Applications are issued once or twice a year. Application deadlines may vary for each province and territory.
- incl. links to : Call for Applications - News Release - About the Program - Who can apply? - What will the program fund? - What is the application process? - How does an organization apply? - Contact New Horizons for Seniors - Frequently Asked Questions

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors share commitment to working together for seniors
News Release
QUÉBEC, May 26, 2005
"Ministers Responsible for Seniors met for two days in Québec City and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to continue preparing for the challenges and opportunities facing their governments and Canadian society as a result of our growing seniors' population. Canada's population is changing. Today one in eight persons is over 65; in less than 20 years, that number will be one in five. As a result, the needs for health care, housing, and other social services will change in the coming years."
Source:
Social Development Canada

Social Development Canada Launches the 2004 New Horizons for Seniors Program
News Release
October 22, 2004
"OTTAWA—The Honourable Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development Canada, the Honourable Tony Ianno, Minister of State for Families and Caregivers and the Honourable Eleni Bakopanos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Development, today launched the 2004 New Horizons for Seniors program. The new program, first announced in last March's budget, is part of the Government of Canada's commitment to strengthen Canada's social foundations. The program will support a range of community-based projects across Canada that will enable seniors to participate in social activities, pursue an active life and contribute to their communities."

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Children and Families

- incl. links to:
Partnership Initiatives and Funding Programs (National Child Benefit - Children and families - Inter-country Adoption Services - Understanding the Early Years)
Financial Benefits (Children's Benefits - Survivor Benefits - Canada Education Savings Grant - Canada Learning Bond - Registered Education Savings Plans)
Social Insurance Number
Financial Assistance and Planning

Related links:

* Canada's Universal Child Care Plan - "Provides Choice, Support and Spaces."
* Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
*** Child Disability Benefit (CDB)
* Service Canada - Children
* Child & Family Canada
* Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being
* National Children's Agenda
* Early Childhood Development and Early Learning and Child Care

-------------------

Canada's New Government Celebrates Giving Parents Greater Choice in Child Care
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, July 10, 2007 - Canada's New Government made a commitment to support Canadian families and give them real choice in child care, and it is delivering on that promise. Since launching the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) in July 2006, the Government has provided 1.5 million Canadian families with monthly UCCB cheques of $100 for every child under six years old.
Related link:

Canada's Universal Child Care Plan - "Provides Choice, Support and Spaces."

A new $1,200 Choice in Child Care Allowance for pre-school kids
And capital assistance for building new childcare spaces
December 05, 2005
- from the website of the Conservative Party of Canada

Happy Anniversary from the Party Poopers!

One year later, Canadian families still have no child care solution
Harper Conservatives celebrate first anniversary of failed plan
July 10, 2007
Monte Solberg, minister of Human Resources and Social Development, is in Winnipeg today, holding a celebration of the so-called “Universal Child Care Benefit”.“I’m not sure what there is to celebrate,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist. “This plan hasn’t delivered a single child care space.”
NOTE: check the right-hand margin for 14 links to related websites and articles
Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees

Also from CUPE:

Early learning and child care - It's time
July 13, 2007
The Canadian Union of public Employees (CUPE) has published a new booklet that makes the case for a universal, high quality, not-for-profit child care system. The booklet outlines the major issues facing child care workers, and promotes CUPE's plan to help build a stronger system through organizing, advocacy and collective bargaining.

Complete report:

Early learning and child care - It's time (PDF file - 2.5MB, 24 pages)
July 2007
"(...) The Canadian Union of Public Employees believes Canada urgently needs a high-quality early learning and child care (ELCC) system. Many CUPE members are parents with young children. They need quality child care so they can work with peace of mind. More than half of CUPE members are women, and women still bear the major responsibility for child-rearing."

------

Understanding the Early Years (UEY)
- UEY Pilot Projects

Government of Canada announces funding for six new Understanding the Early Years (UEY) communities in British Columbia
News Release
October 12, 2005

Government of Canada announces funding for Understanding the Early Years North Shore in British Columbia
News Release
October 12, 2005

Related Links:
- Go to the Government Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm

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Persons with Disabilities

- incl. links to the following :
* Financial Benefits
o CPP Disability Benefits
o Federal Worker's Compensation
o International Benefits
o Survivor Benefits
* Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
* The Office for Disability Issues (ODI)
* Social Development and Support Initiatives

Government of Canada supports employment for Persons with Disabilities in the Halifax Regional Municipality
News Release
October 13, 2005
Related Link:
Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

Government of Canada invests more than $7.2 million to support the full inclusion of Canadians with disabilities
News Release
April 25, 2005
"WINNIPEG, MANITOBA—Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development, announced $7,224,608 in funding to help Canadians with disabilities become full participants in learning, work and community life. (...) The Government of Canada is investing in the organizations through the Social Development Partnerships Program — Disability component (SDPP-D), which includes the Community Inclusion Initiative.
- incl. Backgrounder with more detail about SDPP-D and multi-year organizational grant funding
Source:
Social Development Canada (SDC)

Related Links:

Community Inclusion Initiative
"(...) The Community Inclusion Fund (CIF) was launched in 1997 following the deinstitutionalization initiative under the National Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities. The primary aim of the Initiative is to strengthen community capacities to secure inclusion and citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities and their families."

Social Development Partnership Program (SDC)
"The Social Development Partnership Program is administered by the Community Development and Partnerships Directorate and the Office for Disability Issues. It provides funding to non-profit organizations, educational institutions, research institutes, and professional associations working to meet the social development needs of persons with disabilities, children and their families, or other vulnerable or excluded populations in Canada."

Community Development & Partnerships Directorate (CDPD)
"CDPD works to advance the social priorities of the Government of Canada related to children and their families by working with the voluntary sector and by making strategic investments that build knowledge, facilitate information sharing, and support effective practices in early learning."

Office for Disability Issues
"The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) is a focal point within the Government of Canada for key partners working to promote the full participation of Canadians with disabilities in learning, work and community life. We strive to provide leadership in this area of shared responsibility."

Canada Celebrates International Day of Disabled Persons
News Release
December 4, 2006
"(...) In honour of the International Day of Disabled Persons, Minister Finley released the fourth Federal Disability Report, Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (2006) today. The report provides an overview of the activities, results and expenditures of more than 50 federal programs and initiatives that support the needs of Canadians with disabilities."

Complete report:

Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (2006)
HTML version
PDF version (1.2MB, 109 pages)
Text version
Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities 2006 is the Government of Canada’s fourth comprehensive report on disability in Canada.
"The 2006 federal disability report provides information on over 50 federal programs and initiatives, their level of expenditure, the key findings of any available internal or external evaluations or audits, and any research studies or client surveys of which these programs and initiatives were the subject matter. All these programs and initiatives reflect the Government of Canada’s commitment to address disability issues and reduce the effects of the socio-economic and physical environments."
The report's chapters: Human Rights and Culture * Accessibility and Disability Supports * Learning, Skills and Employment * Income, Income Support and Tax Measures * Health and Well-Being

Earlier reports - links to over a dozen reports, programs and other resources
Other disability publications --- links to 20+ reports going right back to the 1981 Obstacles report

- Go to the Disability Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm

------------------------------------------------------------------

* Child Disability Benefit (from the Canada Revenue Agency)

* Persons with Disabilities Online
"Persons with Disabilities Online is an Internet site where persons with disabilities, their family, their caregivers, and others with an interest in disabilities can access a broad range of information concerning disabilities."
This is the Government of Canada portal to hundreds of links to federal government programs and services for people with disabilities.
- incl. links in the following areas : Accessibility - Education - Employment - Financial Support - Health - Housing & Residential Services - Personal Supports - Rights - Reports, Publications, Fact Sheets - Disability related government offices - Tax Programs - Accessible transportation & regulations

Voluntary Sector Initiative
- Partnership Information - The Partnership Handbook - Partnership and Funding for Business - Partnership and Funding for Organizations

Social Union Site - The "social union" initiative is the umbrella under which governments will concentrate their efforts to renew and modernize Canadian social policy.

Shape the Future of Regulation in Canada - While the regulatory system we currently have in Canada has served us well, it was largely developed for an industrial economy. Canada now needs a 21st century regulatory approach that reflects Canadian values, the realities of the knowledge economy and changing market imperatives. The External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation invites you to help Shape the Future of Regulation in Canada.

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Strategic Directions and Communications
"Strategic Policy is the centre of the Department's policy development work. It plays a key role in integrating work in other areas of the department and supporting the Minister in meeting policy challenges. It also provides corporate strategic support for the Minister and Deputy Minister in the area of Intergovernmental relations."
NOTE: this is the new designation for the old Strategic Policy Branch.

Strategic Policy
NOTE: this is the new designation for the old Social Policy Directorate.

Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2005
August 2006 (Second edition)
Report prepared by:
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Directors of Income Support

NOTE: Chapter Two of the report is a five-page descriptive overview of social assistance in Canada in 2005. It provides information about the federal contributions to provincial, territorial and municipal social assistance under the Canada Assistance Plan (1996-1996), the Canada Health and Social transfer (1996-2004) and the Canada Social Transfer (2004 to date).
Other chapters provide, for each province and territory, some general information of eligibility (including asset and income exemption levels) and benefits, as well as an impressive number of statistical tables, graphs and charts providing numbers of cases and beneficiaries (time series statistics going back as far as the mid-1990s, depending on the jurisdiction), profile information (age/education/sex of household head, cases by reason for assistance) and even (for most jurisdictions) the percentage of households reporting income.

Complete report
in one PDF file - (921K, 174 pages)

Link to the first edition of this report:
Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2004

Source:
Social Program Analysis
Strategic Policy - Children and Families
NOTES:
1. this is where I worked before my retirement in 2003 - Gilles
2. yes, I know that the link above takes you to a page called "Social Policy", but the group's name changes more often than its website, and that's where you'll find the social assistance statistical report.
3. be sure to click the link above and peruse the list of reports that are available on this page - the words "Gold Mine" come to mind. The words "Best-Kept Secret" also spring to mind, because the reports on this page tend to just appear here as if by magic, without so much as a peep in the Departmental "What's New" page.
<Argh.>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Working is not enough to Escape Poverty:
An Analysis of Canada's Working Poor
By Dominique Fleury and Myriam Fortin
Policy Research Group
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
August 2006
(Posted to the HRSDC website April 2007)
NOTE: the link above takes you to the title page, where you'll find links to two related publications (released in 2001 and 2002) from the same authors : What Does it mean to be Poor and Working? (2002) and The Other Face of Working Poverty (2001), as well as a link to the table of contents(see the next link below) and a link to the next page in the file.

Table of Contents:
* Title Page * Acknowledgments * Executive Summary * Introduction * Chapter 1: Literature Review on Working Poverty * Chapter 2: Who Are the Working Poor? * Chapter 3: A Descriptive Profile of Working Poor Canadians for 2001 * Chapter 4: Determinants of Poverty Among Workers * Chapter 5: Greater Family Work Effort as a Means of Escaping Working Poverty * Chapter 6: Should Self-Employed and Salaried Working Poor Canadians be Treated Differently? * Chapter 7: Impact of Increasing Hourly Wages on the Earnings of Salaried Workers * Chapter 8: The Situation of Working Poor Canadians Over the Longer Term * Summary and Policy Considerations * Appendix A: Data * Appendix B: Logistic Regressions: Technical Details * Appendix C: Logistic Regressions: Methodological Details * Appendix D: Robustness of the Results to Definitional Changes * Appendix E: Earning Potential of Working Families * Appendix F: Limitations and Mechanics of Simulations Conducted to Assess the Impact on (Working) Poverty of Increasing the Minimum Wage * Bibliography

PDF version of this report (1.2MB, 174 pages)

En français :

Lorsque travailler ne suffit pas afin d'échapper à la pauvreté: une
analyse de la pauvreté chez les travailleurs au Canada
Page couverture
Table des matières
Format PDF (1,4Mo, 206 pages)

Links to two more recent papers by the same authors:
(NOTE: these two texts are available from the Policy Research Initiative)

What Does it mean to be Poor and Working?
• This paper discusses the spending patterns and living conditions of working poor families in 2002, using data from the Survey of Household Spending.

The Other Face of Working Poverty
• This paper looks at low-income Canadians who were active in the labour market in 2001 according to the number of hours that they worked, using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics.

----------------------------------

Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
1978-79 to 2002-03
Updated June 2005

This is a goldmine of statistical information (beneficiary data and expenditure data) on current and defunct Canadian federal social programs, and even some on provincial/territorial programs.

This report offers 25 years of longitudinal data on costs and numbers of beneficiaries for most programs - over 100 tables - covering a large number of programs --- here's a partial list:
- Child Tax Benefit, Family Allowances, the Child Tax Credit, Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement/Spouse's Allowance ("The Allowance"), Federal Training and Employment Programs, Federal Goods and Services Tax Credit, the Canada/Quebec Pension Plans, War Veterans' and Civilian War Allowances, Veterans' and Civilians' Disability Pensions, Unemployment/Employment Insurance, the Canada Assistance Plan, Workers' Compensation, Youth Allowances, Social Assistance and Social Services for Registered Indians --- and more...
Source:
Social Policy Directorate
[ Social Development Canada ]

Preface (short blurb only)

List of Tables
[Read the Introductory notes at the top of the page and in Appendix A of this report for all methodological notes.]
"...Tables in this report have been organized into two parts. Part I presents three Overview Tables which illustrate the trends in social security expenditures by all levels of government for Canada. Part II comprises Component Tables which provide data on beneficiaries and expenditures for individual programs."

A number of tables were removed from this edition of the Social Security Statistics report, including some tables with info on Blind Persons' Allowances, Disabled Persons' Allowances and Unemployed Assistance.
Check older editions of this report for those data.

Many of the tables are historical and likely of little interest except to historians and CAP-o-philes --- they offer historical caseload and expenditure statistics on each of the CAP cost-sharing components (General Assistance - Homes for Special Care for Children and Adults - Child Welfare - Health Care - Other Welfare Services and Work Activity).

Scroll down the list of tables to find a particular program, then click on its name to access the HTML version of the table (the HTML page includes links to the PDF and Excel versions of the table).

You'll find many key stats tables and some interesting analyses here - only a few of which appear below
- includes links to over two dozen tables (Tables 352-911) with info on federal contributions under the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) and the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) to the cost of provincial and territorial welfare programs.
NOTE: for more info about CAP, the CHST and the Canada Social Transfer (CST, which replaced the CHST in April 2004), see the Canada Assistance Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer / Canada Social Transfer Resources page of this site.

A few sample tables:

Table 360 - Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Program Expenditures, 1978-79 to 2002-03
NOTE: Table 360 traces the evolution/devolution of transfers under the Canada Assistance Plan (in dollars) from 1976 to 1999. No new claims were paid out under CAP after the Canada Health and Social Transfer came into effect in April 1996; amounts shown as CAP expenditures for the fiscal years after 1995-96 are final settlements with each jurisdiction for all outstanding commitments by the federal government.

Table 361: Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) - Number of Beneficiaries of General Assistance (including dependants), as of March 31, 1979 to 1996
- This is a key table for research on welfare programs - welfare dependency statistics by jurisdiction over the years. These are the final, definitive numbers.

Table 362 : Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Expenditures for General Assistance, by Province/Territory, 1978-79 to 1995-96
- this table should be of special interest for welfare historians and number-crunchers - it shows exactly when Canadian government spending on welfare (by the federal and provincial/territorial governments) started looking a little fuzzier. When the feds imposed the cap on CAP (max. 5% annual increase in total CAP payments) in Ontario, Alberta and BC in the early 1990s, those three provinces stopped reporting how much of their CAP dollars were going to welfare (vs. other CAP components covered under the same federal contribution). Table 362 shows that as of 1991-92, the federal contribution to those three provinces for General Assistance appears as "n/a" - so it's been impossible to produce a national figure since then. Unless, of course, one wanders over into the minefield of provincial government welfare statistics, where welfare programs (and related expenditures) have undergone a major transformation. If you *do* want to check out welfare stats for each Canadian jurisdiction, your best starting point is the Key Welfare Links Page of this website - http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare.htm - which includes links to welfare stats in each province and territory where they're available.

Table 434
Total Federal Payments under CAP, 1978-79 to 1999-2000
[The note under table 360 also applies to this table. ]

Table 435
Number of Beneficiaries (including dependants) of Provincial and Municipal Social Assistance, as of March 31, 1997 to 2003

Table 438
Provincial and Municipal Social Assistance Program Expenditures, 1980-81 to 2002-03

Table 526
Provincial and Territorial Children's Benefits and Earned Income Supplements, Expenditures for Fiscal years 1978-79 to 2002-03

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* Employment Insurance
"Employment Insurance (EI) provides temporary financial assistance for unemployed Canadians while they look for work or upgrade their skills, as well as Canadians who are sick, pregnant or caring for a newborn or adopted child, or need to care for a family member who is seriously ill with a significant risk of death."
Includes links to: * Employment Programs Policy/Design * Employment Insurance (o EI Act and Regulations o EI Monitoring and Assessment Reports o Annual Reports - EI Premium Rate and Maximum Insurable Earnings o EI Economic Regions) * Employment Measures * ASEP * AHRDS * Federal, Provincial and Territorial Partnerships * Apply for Employment Insurance * EI Commission

Women shut out of Employment Insurance: Study
November 22, 2007
By Monica Townson & Kevin Hayes
[ version française du Communiqué ]
TORONTO – Most women are getting shut out of Employment Insurance (EI) coverage in Canada, says a study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). The gap between men's and women’s EI coverage is significant: 40 percent of unemployed men received EI benefits in 2004 while only 32 percent of unemployed women did. “Essentially, two in every three working women who pay into EI don’t receive a single penny in benefits if they lose their jobs,” says CCPA Research Associate Monica Townson, who co-authored Women and The Employment Insurance Program with Kevin Hayes.

Complete study:

Women and the Employment Insurance Program (PDF file - 796K, 40 pages)
Version française:
Les femmes et le programme d'assurance-emploi (fichier PDF - 781 Ko, 40 pages)

Related link:

Employment Insurance short-changes women, study suggests
November 21, 2007
Canadian women are being unfairly short-changed by the country's Employment Insurance system, which was made more restrictive a decade ago and now boasts a multibillion-dollar surplus, a study concludes. The study for the left-leaning Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, to be released today, finds the qualification requirements for EI have left many women who lose their jobs out of pocket despite having paid their fair share of premiums.
Source:
Toronto Star