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Key Provincial and Territorial
Government Welfare Links
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- L'aide sociale -
Liens importants des
gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux
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Updated September 16, 201
Page révisée le 16 septembre 2014
[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links
Home Page ]
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"My friends, love is better
than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the
world."
[Jack Layton, R.I.P]
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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Income Assistance Policy Manual
2.06 MB
ONTARIO
Social Assistance Rates Update (eff. September/October 2014):
Ontario Works & Ontario Disability Support Program and the Ontario Child
Benefit
http://incomesecurity.org/documents/OWandODSPratesandOCBasofSeptOct2014.pdf
The 2014 provincial Budget increased Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability
Support Program (ODSP) rates. Different family types will receive different
increases. This chart shows Basic Needs and Maximum Shelter amounts for different
family types, as well as Ontario Child Benefit amounts. The increases come
into effect starting on the September 30 ODSP cheque and the October 1 OW
cheque. These and other rate increases are described on the second page of
the file.
Source:
Income Security Advocacy Centre
http://www.incomesecurity.org/
---------------------------------------------------
QUÉBEC
NOTE : The English version follows the French version below
Le Québec chiffres en main Édition
2014
Québec Handy Numbers, 2014 Edition
(PDF - 7.8 MB, 71 pages)
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/quebec-chiffre-main/pdf/qcm2014_an.pdf
Québec Handy Numbers (2014 Edition) was published by the Institut de
la statistique du Québec in collaboration with over 50 specialists
in the field of Québec data. It features statistical tables and charts
on several aspects of Québec society: territory, population, living
conditions, the economy and finance.
Released April 17, 2014
Source:
Québec Handy Numbers
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/quebec-chiffre-main/qcm_an.htm
- includes a drop-dowm menu with links to earlier editions of this booklet
back to 2003
Québec Handy Numbers is a product
of the
Institut de la statistique du Québec:
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/default_an.html
(English home page)
Also from the Institut:
Disposable income inequality among households
relatively stable since the 2000s
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/salle-presse/communique/communique-presse-2014/octobre/oct1407_an.html
October 7, 2014 – After a slight decrease in inequality of household
disposable income between 1976 and 1990, inequality increased significantly
during the 1990s and stabilized in the 2000s. Although trends in Québec
were similar to that of the rest of Canada, inequality between households
was lower in Québec.
(...)
These results are drawn from an article released today by the Institut de
la statistique du Québec, in the bulletin Données sociodémographiques
en bref:
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/statistiques/conditions-vie-societe/donnees-sociodemographiques_an.html
Jump directly to a specific section of this page:
[The links in this yellow box will take you further
down on the page you're now reading.]
Provinces and territories:
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Québec
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
British Columbia
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
----------------
Income Assistance
for members
of First Nations living on a reserve
----------------
Social/Income Assistance
for immigrants
Different rules apply depending on whether someone wishes to come
to Canada as an immigrant (i.e., permanently), a visitor, a worker
(temporarily), a student or a refugee.
----------------
General/national welfare resources:
(also lower down on the page you're now reading)
*
Welfare statistics
* Welfare rates (benefit levels)
* Welfare expenditures
* Welfare and the Canada Child Tax Benefit
* Welfare leavers - what happens to them?
* Legislation
* Historical welfare program information and
statistics
* Miscellaneous welfare research resources
----------------
NOTE: for the latest budget info, go to the Canadian
Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm
B.S. ALERT:
Working
Joe vs Welfare Joe
If you've recently received a forwarded
email message comparing the financial situation of a construction
worker making $52K and Welfare Joe the Casino regular and bon-vivant,
read this. [This link takes you to a separate page of the Canadian
Social Research Links website.]
FACTOID:
The page that you're presently reading is viewed over 4,000
times a month.
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For each Canadian province and territory, you'll find links to the
following info on this page:
Department responsible for welfare
- Link to the government department or ministry responsible for the
administration of the welfare program.
Name of the welfare program
- Whatever a jurisdiction chooses to call its financial assistance
program of last resort - social assistance, income support, income
assistance and welfare assistance are the most common - "welfare"
refers to government programs of last resort that provide financial
assistance on the basis of a test that takes into account the applicant
household's financial resources and needs (both notions as defined
in provincial/territorial welfare legislation); entitlement is based
on the budget deficit - needs minus non-exempted financial resources.
(See the Welfare
Reforms in Canada page of this site for more information about
the needs test under "Welfare in Canada Today").
Legislation
- Legislation is subject to change, so be sure
to note the latest revision of any online legislation you use. Consolidations
of statutes and regulations that are posted online usually include
the date of the last update or amendment. Where there are several
regulations under a particular jurisdiction's welfare statute, you'll
find a link to each of those regs (e.g., NS, Alberta) in this page,
but the regulation containing the general welfare provisions is highlighted.
The other regs that appear under any given welfare statute deal with
special topics like appeals, training, recovery of overpayments and
a number of other areas. In addition to statutes and regs, you'll
find a link to the source of legislation for each jurisdiction, so
you can poke around for yourself...
- see the special note on welfare legislation
at the bottom of this page for complementary sources of legislation
and regs.
Policy Manual
- This is where you'll find detailed information about the nuts and
bolts of welfare in Canada. Initial and continuing eligibility conditions,
benefits, administrative matters, interactions between welfare and
other government programs, including many programs offered under the
federal-provincial-territorial National Child Benefit initiative.
If you wish to explore *only* welfare policy manuals, go to the Provincial/Territorial
Welfare Policy Manuals page of this site:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/manuals.htm
Welfare statistics
- see the special note on Canadian welfare stats
at the bottom of this page (welfare dependency, costs, etc.)
- for stats on poverty, income, health, etc., go to the Social
Statistics Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/stats.htm
Welfare rates (benefit levels)
- see the special note on Canadian welfare rates
at the bottom of this page.
- includes links to Welfare Incomes reports produced by the National
Council of Welfare and, more recently, the Caledon Institute of Social
Policy.
Related links
- recent (and some historical) welfare reform information and other
relevant links, plus a link to a separate Canadian Social Research
Links page (of links) for each province and territory.
-------------------------------------------------------
Google.ca Search Results pages
- for each jurisdiction, you'll find links to search results for "welfare"
(excluding child welfare or animal welfare)
NOTES:
1. These links always take you to the most current search results,
as if you'd just done a Google.ca search yourself.
2. Search results include Web search, News search and Blog search.
3. Because there is no Canada section as such on this page, and because
there's still a modicum of interest in welfare-related issues
at the national level, here are links to the same searches at the
Canada-wide level:
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, Canada"
- Web
search results
-
News search results
- Blog
search results
-------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------
Have Canadian Welfare Reforms
"Succeeded"?
[This link takes you further down the page you're now reading]
HINT:
"YES!", says the Right.
"NO!", says the Left.
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A special message to federal,
provincial and territorial government officials
involved in comparative welfare research:
Canadian Social Research Links is a one-person show.
I don't have a crystal ball, nor am I inclined to pore through stacks
of Royal Gazettes and Statutes in order to keep the legislative links
on this site up to date. If you appreciate the collection of key welfare
links in other jurisdictions, please consider reciprocating by checking
the links below for your jurisdiction and notifying me if something
needs to be added, deleted or updated. My email address [ gilseg@rogers.com
] appears at the bottom of most pages of this website.
On behalf of other Canadian Social Research Links
visitors: Thanks!
Gilles
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If you're not sure how welfare works in Canada, I highly
recommend the following resource:
Social
Assistance in Canada: An Overview * (7 pages)
*This is the second chapter of:
Social
Assistance Statistical Report: 2008
July 2011
Produced by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Directors of Income Support
This report includes a description of, and statistics related to,
the welfare system in each province and territory, information about
federal-provincial-territorial jurisdictional and funding issues, a
bit of historical info on the Canada Assistance Plan and the Canada
Health and Social Transfer, etc.
Source:
[ Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada ]
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Newfoundland and Labrador
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Department responsible for welfare
Advanced Education and Skills
Name of the welfare program
Income Support
Legislation
Income
and Employment Support Act
- Income
and Employment Support Regulations
Source:
Statutes
and Regulations (House of Assembly)
Policy Manual
Income and
Employment Support Policy Manual
- Income Support
(home page of the Income Support Program, includes links to some info
about the Income Support (Social Assistance) program
Welfare statistics
Income
Support Caseload Statistics
Income
Support Benefits (individuals/families), 2007 to 2012
Income
Support Cases and Recipients, 1992 to date (PDF - 13K, 1 page)
Historical
Statistics of Newfoundland and Labrador (PDF - 1.1MB, 13 pages)
- October 1970 - incl. social assistance stats from 1951-1969 (under
"Health and Welfare")
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Sources:
* Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics
Agency
* NL Community Accounts
* Department of Advanced
Education and Skills
* National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
Monthly
rates (from Program
Overview)
- incl. Family and Individual Benefit Rates
+ shelter
See Regulations
section 13 foll.
NOTE : the former "Newfoundland and Labrador Family Benefit"
no longer appears on the Dept. website; instead, the income support
rates page refers to a Family and Individual Benefit (to assist with
expenses such as food, clothing, personal care, household maintenance
and utilities) and a Shelter benefit. Assistance
for children in welfare households is provided through the combined
Newfoundland
and Labrador Child Benefit and the Canada
Child Tax Benefit paid by the federal government.
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, Newfoundland"
- Web
search results
-
News search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* Department
of Advanced Education and Skills Annual Report 2011 - 2012 (PDF
- 1.3MB, 52 pages)
* Poverty
Reduction Strategy
* Programs
and Services for Individuals and Families Guidebook - Revised August
2010
* Province
of Newfoundland and Labrador Launches Poverty Reduction Consultations
(October 16/08)
* 2008 NL
Consultations - Home page
* Reducing
Poverty: An Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador (PDF)
2006
* Reducing
Poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador : Working Towards a Solution
(June 2005, PDF - 1.5MB, 44 pages)
* Poverty
Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador
(Oct/07) (from Parliamentary
Research Library)
* 2005-06
Annual Report - Dept. of Human Resources, Labour & Employment
(PDF - 1.3MB, 35 pages)
* More Human
Resources, Labour and Employment Publications
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Newfoundland
and Labrador page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nfbkmrk.htm
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Department responsible for welfare
Community Services and
Seniors
Name of the welfare program
Social
Assistance
(formerly Welfare Assistance)
Legislation
Social
Assistance Act (PDF file - 488K, 10 pages)
- General
Regulations (PDF file - 552K, 25 pages)
Source:
Statutes and Regulations
of Prince Edward Island
Policy Manual
Social
Assistance Policy Manual
Welfare statistics
Community
Services and Seniors Annual Report
for the Fiscal Year April 2011 to March 2012 (PDF -
3.9MB, 31 pages) ===> see page 17 for caseload and beneficiary stats
for 2009-2010 to 2011-2012
Number
of People on Welfare,
March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
See sections 5 & 6 of the
Social Assistance Policy Manual
(Basic and Special Need Items)
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Prince Edward Island"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* Preventing and Reducing
Poverty in PEI - A strategy for engagement - July 2011
* 2007-2008
Social Services and Seniors Annual Report (PDF - 967K, 37 pages)
Published May 12, 2009
[ earlier
annual reports and other departmental publications ]
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Prince
Edward Island page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/pebkmrk.htm
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Department responsible for welfare
Community Services
Name of the welfare program
Employment
Support and Income Assistance
Legislation
Employment
Support and Income Assistance Act
- Employment
Support and Income Assistance Regulations
===> main welfare regulations
- Assistance
Appeal Regulations
Source:
- Consolidated Public
Statutes of Nova Scotia
- Nova
Scotia Regulations
Policy Manual
Employment
Support and Income Assistance Policy
- incl. links to the latest version of the manual and to revision logs
Welfare
Rights Guide : A Guide to Income Assistance in Nova Scotia
(PDF - 908K, 58 pages) - July 2009 (by Dalhousie
Legal Aid Service)
Welfare statistics
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
Basic Income Assistance Rates
Or
Appendix "A" of the Regulations
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Nova Scotia"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related links
* Nova Scotia Department of Community Services Recent reports:
--- Dept
of Community Services Statement of Mandate 2012-2013 (PDF -
620K, 16 pages)
--- Dept
of Community Services Annual Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012
(PDF - 1.4MB, 26 pages)
--- Dept
of Community Services Statement of Mandate 2011-2012 (PDF -
312K, 18 pages)
* The
Cost of Poverty in Nova Scotia (PDF - 760K, 12 pages)
October 2010 (Source: CCPA
Nova Scotia Office )
* Fast
Facts: The Cost of Poverty in Nova Scotia (PDF - 400K, 2 pages)
October 2010 (also from CCPA)
* Nova Scotia Poverty
Reduction Strategy - April 2009
* Nova
Scotia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy: Preventing Poverty, Promoting
Prosperity (PDF - 1.4MB, 45 pages) - April 2009
* Report
of the Nova Scotia Poverty Reduction Working Group (PDF - 129K,
41 pages) - June 26, 2008
* Government
Seeks Public Input on Poverty Strategy - March 5, 2008
* Poverty
Backgrounder (2008) - Research and statistics about poverty in Nova
Scotia
* Department
of Community Services Annual Accountability Report 2007-2008
(PDF - 229K, 40 pages)
Reporting of outcomes against Community Services’ business plan
information for the fiscal year 2007-2008.
* Department
of Community Services Business Plan 2007 - 2008 (PDF - 262K, 25
pages)
Source: Department
of Community Services Publications, Policies & Reports<===contains
links to dozens of earlier reports, plans, strategies, etc.
* Report
to the Community 2007 (PDF file - 415K, 2 pages) - May 18/07
* IMPACT! The effect of
Nova Scotia's new income assistance system on people who need assistance
(PDF file - 155K, 23 pages) November 2003 (from the Nova
Scotia Association of Social Workers )
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Nova
Scotia page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm
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Department responsible for welfare
Social
Development
Name of the welfare program
Social
Assistance
Legislation
Family Income
Security Act
- Family Income
Security Regulation
Source:
NB
Acts and Regulations
Policy Manual
New
Brunswick Welfare Policy Manual + link to legislation
Welfare statistics
Caseload
Trends
Caseload
Profile
Caseload
and Recipients
Welfare rates (benefits)
Social
Assistance Rate Schedules - (See Schedules A, B)
Family Income
Security Regulation - (See Schedules
A, B)
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, New Brunswick"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* 2010-2011
Annual Report, Department of Social Development (PDF - 420K, 65
pages)
* Economic
and Social Inclusion Corporation (poverty reduction plan)
* Overcoming
Poverty Together (PDF - 1MB, 37 pages) Undated (PDF file dated
January 2011)
* Overcoming
Poverty Together: The New Brunswick Economic and Social Inclusion Plan
(PDF - 100K, 5 pages) - November 13, 2009
* Department
of Social Development Annual Report 2008-09 (PDF - 942K, 74
pages) [ links
to earlier annual reports and other publications of the Department
]
* Discussion Paper on Social
Policy (PDF file - 115K, 20 pages)
- February 1999 <<<=== excellent
historical document
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links New Brunswick
page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nbkmrk.htm
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Department responsible for welfare
Ministère de
l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)
Name of the welfare programs
Social Assistance Program (for people
with no severely limited capacity for employment)
Social Solidarity Program (for people
with severely limited capacity for employment)
Legislation
Individual
and Family Assistance Act
- Individual
and Family Assistance Regulation
Source:
Laws
and regulations administered by
the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity
[ Revised
statutes and Regulations of Québec ]
Policy Manual
English Resources:
* Social
Assistance (see links in left margin)
* Employment
assistance services
French only (no English version):
* Table
des matières : Programmes d'aide financière
* Manuel
d'interprétation normative des programmes d'aide financière
Welfare statistics
Recipients
under social assistance programs
Youth
and social assistance programs
Previous
statistics
[If you can read French, see Statistiques
sur la clientèle des programmes d'assistance sociale for
detailed caseload profile info]
See also:
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
New
Benefit Amounts in Effect as of January 1, 2014 (Social Assistance Program
and Social Solidarity Program) (PDF - 468K, 2 pages)
NOTE: for families with children, you must add in the
amount of the child assistance payment.
Child
assistance payment - The child assistance is intended to cover the
basic needs of children under age 18 in low-income families, taking
into account the
Canada Child Tax Benefit paid by the federal government. In January
2005, the child assistance measure replaced family allowances, the non-refundable
tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.
Calcul@ide
- to help calculate refundable tax credits under the Child Assistance
and Work Premium measures
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Quebec"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
Other
Income Support Programs
- includes links to more info on the following programs:
* Solidarity tax credit * Tax credit for child assistance * Working
income tax benefit * Work premium * Shelter Allowance Program * Canada
child tax benefit * Employment Insurance (EI) * Québec Parental
Insurance Plan (QPIP)
* Québec Handy Numbers, 2014 Edition (PDF - 7.8 MB, 71 pages)
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/quebec-chiffre-main/pdf/qcm2014_an.pdf
* French only :
Rapport
annuel de gestion 2011-2012 du ministère de l’Emploi et
de la Solidarité sociale (PDF - 3.2MB, 202 pages)
* Québec
Solidarity Tax Credit (Eff. July 2011)
* Pacte
pour l'emploi (Employment Pact) - Announced March 18, 2008
(One billion dollars over three years to improve participation in the
labour market and productivity)
* National
Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (Overview and links
to related documents)
- An
Act to combat poverty and social exclusion
- Progress
reports on the National Strategy - links to annual reports for all
five years of the Strategy
- Centre d’étude
sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (research centre on poverty,
set up under the Strategy)
- Comité consultatif
de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (Advisory
committee, set up under the National Strategy)
- Poverty
Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador
(Oct/07) - from the Parliamentary
Research Library (Govt. of Canada)
* Main
changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act : New programs
as of January 1, 2007 (PDF, 145K, 2 pages)
* Québec Parental
Insurance Plan
* The
Insertion Model or the Workfare Model? The Transformation of Social
Assistance within Quebec and Canada ((PDF - 2.4MB, 190 pages
- September 2002) --- Excellent Quebec welfare reform information!!
(from Status of Women Canada)
For more information about welfare in other Canadian
jurisdictions,
see the Canadian Social Research Links Key
Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page
- Go to the Québec Links (English) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche
sociale au Québec:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm
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Department responsible for welfare
Community and
Social Services
Name of the welfare program
Ontario
Works - for eligible people without disabilities
Ontario
Disability Support Program (ODSP) - for eligible people with disabilities
Legislation
Ontario
Works Act
- General
Regulation ===> main welfare regulations for people without disabilities
- Administration
and Cost-sharing
- Designation
of Geographic Areas and Delivery Agents
- Prescribed
Policy Statements
Ontario
Disability Support Program Act
- General
Regulation ===> main welfare regulations for people with disabilities
- Administration
and Cost-sharing
- Assistance
for Children with severe Disabilities
- Employment
Supports
- Prescribed
Policy Statements
Source:
Ontario Statutes and Regulations
Policy Manuals
Ontario
Works Policy Directives
ODSP
Income Support Policy Directives
ODSP
- Employment Support Directives
City
of Toronto : Ontario Works Directives
[Click this link and then (on the next page) click "Policies and
Procedures" in the left margin for Toronto's Ontario Works policy
manual]
Welfare statistics
Ontario Disability Support Program Statistical Report
Ontario
Works Statistical Report
See also:
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page) Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
Social
Assistance Rates Update (PDF - eff. September/October 2014) Ontario Works & Ontario Disability
Support Program and the Ontario Child Benefit [Source: Income
Security Advocacy Centre
* Ontario
: Current Social Assistance Rates (July/August
2014 - Word file - 100K, 2 pages)
* Social
Assistance, Pension and Tax Credit Rates, July to September 2014
(PDF - 168K, 2 pages) --- Prepared by the Ontario
Ministry of Community and Social Services [Source: Community
Advocacy and Legal Centre]
* Ontario
Social Assistance Rates (Word file) Eff. Sept./Oct. 2013
(Source : Income Security Advocacy
Centre - ISAC)
* Ontario
Works Policy Directives (see sections 6 &7)
* ODSP
Income Support Policy Directives (see sections 6-9)
* Part V of the Ontario
Disability Support Program Regulation
* Section 41 of the Ontario
Works Regulation
+ for families with chidren:
Ontario Child Benefit - from the Ministry
of Children and Youth Services
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Ontario"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* From Isthatlegal.ca (Ontario):
--- Legal
Guide : Welfare (Ontario Works) Law
--- Legal
Guide : Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) Law
* Ontario Social Assistance Review Links
page
* Ontario
Trillium Benefit (Eff. July 2012)
* Annual
Report of the Auditor General of Ontario for 2011 (December 5/11)
* Review
of social assistance in Ontario (2011)
* Ontario Social Assistance
Review Commission
* Special
Diet Allowance Changes April 1, 2011
* Ontario Launches Comprehensive
Social Assistance Review (Nov. 30/10)
* 2009-2010
Annual Report : Ministry of Community and Social Services
- this annual report is part of the Results-based
Plan Briefing Book 2010-11
...from the Ministry
of Community and Social Services
* Social
Assistance (Legal rights guide) - from CLEO
- Community Legal Education Ontario
* [ Social
Assistance Advisory Council Members - biographical notes ]
* Recommendations
for an Ontario Income Security Review: Report of the Ontario social
Assistance Review Advisory Council (May 2010)
* Letters from Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur
to the Chair of the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council:
(1) June
10, 2010 (PDF - 22K, 2 pages)
(2) March
26, 2010 (PDF - 42K, 1 page)
* Ontario
Poverty Reduction Strategy : Breaking the Cycle (PDF - 1.3MB,
45 pages) - December 4, 2008
[ Highlights
] Source: Ontario's
Poverty Reduction Strategy
Poverty Watch Ontario (NGO
reactions to the poverty reduction strategy)
Income Security Advocacy Centre
* Welfare
raise leaves cheque at 1988 levels (Nov. 1/08) from The
Toronto Star
* Report
of the Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service Delivery Review - Facing
the Future Together (PDF - 1.6MB, 64 pages) Fall 2008
* Ontario's
Poverty Reduction Strategy - home page
* Ontario
Poverty Reduction Strategy - from the 2008
Ontario Budget (March 25, 2008)
* Poverty Watch Ontario
- "To monitor and inform on cross-Ontario activity on the poverty
reduction agenda"
* Ontario
Child Benefit - from the Ministry
of Children and Youth Services
* Review
of Employment Assistance Programs in Ontario Works & Ontario Disability
Support Program (PDF file - 167K, 48 pages) December 2004 -
By Deb Matthews, M.P.P.
- Go to the Guide to Welfare in Ontario page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onwelf.htm
- guide to government information on how welfare works in Ontario, including
information about responsibilities for the delivery and payment of welfare
and other programs in Ontario
- Go to the Ontario Government Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Ontario Spouse-in-the-House Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/spouse.htm
- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental
Sites (A-C) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental
Sites (D-W) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm
- Go to the Ontario Social Assistance Review Links
page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/on_sa_review.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens aux sites
de recherche sociale en Ontario:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onf.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade
[ In January 2012, funding and program responsibilities for the Employment
and Income Assistance Program were transferred to Manitoba Entrepreneurship,
Training and Trade. ]
Name of the welfare program
Employment and
Income Assistance (EIA)
Legislation
The Manitoba
Assistance Act (C.C.S.M. c. A150)
NOTE : The Manitoba Assistance Act replaced the Employment and Income
Assistance Act on July 01, 2014.
- Employment
and Income Assistance Regulation (PDF)
Source:
Laws and Regulations
of Manitoba
Policy Manual
EIA Administrative
Manual Online
- online welfare policy manual, includes legislation
Welfare statistics
Go to the
latest Departmental. annual report - welfare stats are under "Employment
and Income Assistance Division"
See also:
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005
(PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
Click the welfare program link above, then select a client category
(single parents, persons with a disability or general assistance category)
to access an EIA brochure that includes benefit levels for that category.
OR
Click the Employment and Income Assistance Regulation link above.
The benefit levels appear in Schedule "A" of the Regulation.
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Manitoba"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* 2011-2012
Annual Report (PDF - 1.2MB, 114 pages) of the
Department of Entrepreneurship,
Training and Trade
* Annual
Reports - Manitoba Family Services and Housing (2001-2002 to 2011-12)
* ALL
Aboard: 2010-11 Highlights (Word [.doc] file - 39K, 1 page)
- April 2010
* AllAboard
- Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PDF - 562K, 8
pages) - May 2009
Source: ALL Aboard: Manitoba’s
Poverty Reduction Strategy
* Anti-poverty
initiatives to help Manitobans help themselves (November 26/07)
* New
Child Benefit, Lower-cost Child Care, Stronger Work Incentives, And
Skills Package in 10-point Reconstruction of Income Supports (April
10, 2007)
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Manitoba
page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Social Services
Name of the welfare program
Saskatchewan Assistance
Program (SAP)
Transitional Employment
Allowance (TEA)
Legislation
Saskatchewan
Assistance Act
NOTE: the links below take you to the front page for each reg - from
that page, just click the "Open Document" button to open a
PDF file with the regulation
- Saskatchewan
Assistance Regulations ===> main welfare regulations
- Employment
Supplement Regulations
- Benefit
Adjustment Regulations
- Transitional
Employment Allowance Regulations
- Rental
Housing Supplement Regulations
- Disability
Housing Supplement Regulations
- Saskatchewan
Assistance Plan Supplementary Health Benefits Regulations
Policy Manual
Saskatchewan Assistance Program Policy Manual Online (PDF file)
Transitional
Employment Allowance Policy Manual (PDF file)
Welfare statistics
No Saskatchewan Assistance Program statistics available on the Social
Services website (except for a smattering of stats in the
2010-2011
Saskatchewan Social Services Annual Report )
- See Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page) Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
Current
Social Assistance Rates (PDF file)
See also section 25 of the Saskatchewan
Assistance Regulations
Chapter 15 of the SAP Policy Manual Online (see link above) offers information
on individual items of need and special needs, but no rate tables
Transitional
Employment Allowance Rate Schedule (PDF file)
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Saskatchewan"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* Income
Program Opens to People with Long-Term Disabilities (November
3, 2009)
* Saskatchewan Assured
Income for Disability (SAID)
* SAID
Policy Manual (PDF - 59K, 19 pages)
* SAID Questions
and Answers (PDF - 262K, 4 pages)
* Final
Recommendations of the Task Team on Income Support for People with Disabilities
(PDF - 217K, 18 pages) - May 13, 2009
* Appendices
to the Final Recommendations report (PDF - 815K, 133 pages)
* 2006-2007
Annual Report (PDF file - 816K, 33 pages)
* Saskatchewan Income
Plan (for seniors)
* Family Health
Benefits (PDF - 925K, 2 pages) Family Health
Benefits are intended to assist lower income families with the costs
of raising healthy children (Source: Saskatchewan
Health)
* Current
Issues Surrounding Poverty and Welfare Programming in Canada : Two Reviews
(PDF file - 371K, 43 pages) - August 2003
- interesting comparison of recent welfare reforms in Saskatchewan,
Canada, the U.S. and Britain
- includes a bonus ten-page article entitled Low Income Cut-Offs
(LICO) and Poverty Measurement (LICO, Market Basket Measure, etc.)
TIP===> See the appendix to this report (pp 27-31) for a detailed
comparison of the main features of the "old" Saskatchewan
Assistance Plan (welfare) and the new Transitional Employment Allowance.
Source: Social Policy Research
Unit (SPR)
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Saskatchewan
page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/skbkmrk.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Human Services
Name of the welfare program
Income Support
- part of Alberta
Works
Legislation
Income
and Employment Supports Act
- Child
and Adult Support Services Regulation
- Disability-Related
Employment Supports and Services Regulation
- Income
Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation ===>
main welfare regulations
- Recovery
Regulation
- Support
Agreement Regulation
- Temporary
Employment and Job Creation Programs Regulation
- Training
Provider Regulation
Policy Manual
Income Support Program Policy
Expected
to Work/Not Expected to Work Policy & Procedures ===> main
welfare policy
Learner
Policy and Procedures
Source:
Alberta Works Policy
Manual
On this page, you'll find links to:
- Income and Employment Supports Act and Regulation
- Employment and Training Programs (Programs and Services, Accountability,
Employment Insurance Initiatives, News and Updates)
- Child Support Services (Child Support Services Policy, News and
Updates)
- Health Benefits Programs (General Policy,
Health Benefits Card Coverage, Alberta Adult Health Benefit, Alberta
Child Health Benefit, Health Benefits Review Committee, News and Updates)
Welfare Statistics
Alberta
Income Support Caseload - monthly welfare statistics
Source: Alberta
Office of Statistics
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
See Schedule 1 (Core Income Support Payments)
and Schedule 2 (Continuous Supplementary Benefits) at the end of the
Income
Supports, Health and Training Benefits Regulation
Historical: see Alberta
Supports Low-Income Families Through the National Child Benefit
(July 30, 2001) - includes a detailed backgrounder with rate calculation
information
Related Links
*Alberta
Supports (Seniors - Employment & Training - Persons with Disabilities
- Lower Income - Children & Youth - Abuse & Bullying - Homeless
- Making Life Decisions)
* Province
provides more help to Albertans in need (Oct. 22/08)
* Government
increases AISH rates and supports employment (Jan. 31/08)
* Low-Income
Review presents a vision for the future (May 22/02)
* Assured
Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)
- AISH
Policy Manual
* Alberta
welfare reforms a model for other provinces, says C.D. Howe Institute
study (PDF file - 668K, 38 pages) - April 1997 Source: C.D.
Howe Institute
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Alberta"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Alberta
Links page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/abkmrk.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Ministry of
Social Development and Social Innovation
Name of the welfare program
BC Employment and Assistance
Program
Legislation
Employment
and Assistance Act
- Employment
and Assistance Regulations
Employment
and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act
- Employment
and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulations
Source:
BC Laws
Policy Manual
Ministry
of Social Development and Social Innovation Online Resource
* Online
resource Table of contents (PDF)
Welfare statistics
BC Employment
and Assistance Latest Month Caseload Statistics (incl. time series
stats)
Social
Statistics - from BC Stats
Labour
and Social Statistics - from BC
Stats
See also:
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
Increases
to Income Assistance Rates (Feb. 20/07)
- incl. rates before and after April/07
Income Assistance
rates - (effective January 1, 2005)
Disability Assistance
rates - (effective January 1, 2005)
Source:
BC Employment and
Assistance Rate Tables
- incl. links to other welfare allowances for special needs and other
benefits
Plus (for children):
BC
Family Bonus - from the Ministry
of Small Business and Revenue
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, British Columbia"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
* The
Cost of Eating in BC 2011 Report (PDF file - 4.6MB, 16 pages)
[Feb. 2012] - from the Dietitians
of Canada
* The
Rise and Fall of Welfare Time Limits in BC
(PDF - 294K, 37 pages) - June 2008
Source: Vancouver Island Public Interest
Group
Related links ===> see British
Columbia Welfare Time Limits
* Living
on Welfare in BC: Experiences of Longer-Term “Expected to Work”
Recipients - April 2008 (PDF - 2.7MB) Source: Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) - British Columbia Office
* MEIA
Service Plan, 2008/2009 to 2010/2011 (from BC
Budget 2008 - Feb. 19/08)
* MEIA Service Plans
and Annual Reports
* Still
Left behind : A Comparison of Living Costs and Income Assistance in
British Columbia
(PDF - February 2008, from the Social
Planning and Research Council)
* Denied
Assistance: Closing the Front Door on Welfare in BC (PDF file
- 564K, 69 pages) (March 27, 2006) - from the
BC Office - CCPA
--------------------------------------------------
- Go to the BC Government Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British
Columbia (A-C) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British
Columbia (C-W) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm
- Go to the BC Welfare Time Limits Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bc_welfare_time_limits.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Health and Social Services
Name of the welfare program
Social
Assistance
Legislation
Yukon
Social Assistance Act (PDF file
- 125K, 6 pages)
- Yukon
Social Assistance Regulations (PDF file - 576K, 45 pages)
[ Government
of Yukon Legislation ]
Policy Manual
No policy manual.
See the main page of the Social
Assistance program for:
* Contact Information
* Frequently Asked Questions
* How to Apply for Social Assistance
* Review Hearing
* Employment and Training Services Brochure
* Income Deductions Brochure
* Social Assistance Act
* Social Assistance Overview Booklet
* Social Assistance Review Hearing Booklet
* Supplementary Allowance Brochure
* The Yukon Child Benefit Booklet
Welfare statistics
Bureau of
Statistics (no welfare stats)
See also:
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
- See s.18-21 and Schedule A of the
S.A. Regulations (PDF file - 144K, 42 pages)
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Yukon"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
- Social Assistance
Reform Complete - May 28/08
[ more Yukon
news releases about social assistance ]
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Yukon
page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/yk.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Education, Culture and Employment
(ECE)
Name of the welfare program
Income
Assistance
Policy Manuals
Income
Assistance Program Policy Manual (PDF file - 094K, 98 pages)
NWT
Student Financial Assistance (PDF - 2.1MB, 107 pages)
Source: Policy,
Procedures and Guidelines
Legislation
Social
Assistance Act (PDF file - 48K, 10 pages)
Income
Assistance Regulations (PDF file - 131K, 37 pages)
[ NWT
Statutes and Regulations - Dept. of Justice ]
Welfare statistics
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
- See Schedule "A" of the Income Assistance
Regulations
- see also sections 3 and 4 of the Income Assistance policy manual
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Northwest Territories"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
Income Security Reforms
--- Community
Voices - April 2006 (PDF - 930.81 K)
--- Breaking
Down the Barriers - July 2007 (PDF - 1.26 MB)
--- News
Release - Income Security Reform - August 2007 (PDF - 18.88 K)
--- Backgrounder
– Income Security Changes - August 2007 (PDF - 54.4 K)
--- Backgrounder
– Income Assistance Changes - August 2007 (PDF - 224.89 K)
--- Income
Security Review Changes 2007-2008 - Q&A - August 2007(PDF
- 69.31 K)
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Northwest
Territories page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ntbkmrk.htm
|
Department responsible for welfare
Education
Name of the welfare program
Income
Support Program
Social
Assistance
Legislation
Social Assistance Act
- Nunavut Social Assistance Regulations
NOTE: Use the Nunavut
Dept of Justice legislation search engine to find the latest version
of the Social Assistance Act and Regulations.
Policy Manual
None found (April 2010)
Welfare statistics
(no welfare stats)
See:
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K,
1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare
Welfare rates (benefits)
- "Schedule A" of the Regulations (see above) contains social assistance
benefit levels
Latest search results on Google.ca
for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Nunavut"
- Web
search results
- News
search results
- Blog
search results
Related Links
-
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Nunavut
page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nunavut.htm
|
This
space reserved for Canada's
14th province/territory
[Click the above text or
the map for a larger view]
|
NOTES:
(The notes below apply to all Canadian jurisdictions unless otherwise stipulated.)
| Welfare rates (Benefit
levels) |
From the
Caledon Institute of Social Policy:
Welfare in Canada 2012
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/Detail/?ID=1031
News Release
December 11, 2013
This report focuses on the incomes of four different households living on
social assistance, commonly known as “welfare.” It is a continuation
of the welfare incomes series published regularly by the now-defunct National
Council of Welfare [ http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ncw.htm
].
- includes highlights of the report.
The complete report:
Welfare in Canada 2012
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/1031ENG.pdf
(PDF - 256K, 92 pages)
News Release
By Anne Tweddle, Ken Battle and Sherri Torjman
December 2013
Table of contents:
Introduction
What is welfare?
Assets
Income
Welfare incomes <===================Estimated annual
incomes for individuals receiving welfare during the year.
Welfare incomes over time
Adequacy of welfare incomes
Poverty measures
Low income cut-offs
Market Basket Measure
Income measures
After-tax average incomes
After-tax median incomes
---
Tables:
* Liquid Asset Exemption Levels as of January 2012 : Provisions for Applicants
and Recipients
* Monthly Earnings Exemption Levels as of January 2012 : Provisions for Applications
and Recipients
* Comparison of 2012 Welfare Incomes with After-Tax Low Income Cut-offs (LICOS)
* Comparison of 2012 Welfare Incomes with Market Basket Measure (MBM)
* 2012 Welfare Incomes as a Percentage of After-tax Average Incomes
* 2012 Welfare Incomes as a Percentage of After-tax Median Incomes
---
Appendices:
* 2012 Welfare Incomes, by Household Component
* Total Welfare Incomes Over Time, in Constant 2012 Dollars, by province/territory
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy
http://www.caledoninst.org/
The Caledon Institute is a social policy think tank. Established in 1992 as
a private, nonprofit organization, it performs high-quality research and analysis.
It seeks to inform and influence public opinion and to foster public discussion
on poverty and social policy.
From the
National Council of Welfare*:
June 5, 2012
Total Welfare Incomes in 2011
by Province and Territory
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare_incomes_2011.htm
"Total Welfare Incomes" includes the following: basic welfare allowances,
regularly paid special welfare allowances (e.g. back to school benefits, disability
supplements), child benefits (federal and provincial) and tax credits (federal
and provincial).
Total incomes are shown for four different Household types:
* Couple, Two Children
* Lone Parent, One Child
* Person with a Disability
* Single Employable
For more information on the methodology used to prepare
the 2011 total welfare incomes, see:
Welfare
Incomes 2009 (PDF - 6MB, 117 pages)
- from Publications Canada
---
Earlier editions of Welfare incomes:
http://goo.gl/dnp4O
From Publications Canada
Welfare and the Canada Child Tax Benefit
Important note for anyone
comparing welfare rates across different Canadian jurisdictions:
Since its launch in the summer of 1998, the federal-provincial-territorial
National Child Benefit
(NCB) initiative has imposed a change in the way welfare rates for families
with children can be compared across Canadian jurisdictions. The federal
Canada Child Tax Benefit is now integrated with income support (welfare)
for families with children in a number of Canadian jurisdictions - but not
all. This means that any interprovincial comparison of welfare rates for families
must, for the sake of comparability, include the basic welfare benefit for
the household AND the total of any federal/provincial/territorial child benefits
that the family receives on behalf of each child.
Canadian jurisdictions have adopted different approaches
in their treatment of the CCTB and provincial-territorial child benefits for
welfare rate calculations.
See Approaches
to Replacing Social Assistance Benefits for Children - from the
2006 National
child Benefit Progress Report.
From the Canada Revenue Agency:
[ http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-e.html
]
Canada Child Tax Benefit Guideline
Table : July 2014 to June 2015
The Government of Canada’s Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) system
comprises the CCTB Base Benefit and the NCB Supplement. The CCTB targets
low-and middle-income families with children, and the NCB Supplement
provides low-income families with child benefits in addition to the
CCTB base benefit.
NOTES:
1. If you wish to know more about the CCTB program or the NCB Supplement
before proceeding, check:
Child and Family Benefits
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/menu-eng.html
- includes links to information about : * Canada Child Tax Benefit *
Universal Child Care Benefit * GST/HST credit * Working Income Tax Benefit
* Provincial and territorial programs * Children's special allowances
2. CCTB and Welfare : Canadian jurisdictions
have adopted different approaches in their treatment of the CCTB and
provincial-territorial child benefits for welfare rate calculations.
For more info, see "Comparing welfare rates for families in
different provinces" (near the bottom of this yellow text box)
------------------------------------------------
Canada
Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) Guideline Table effective July 2014 - June
2015 (based on 2013 tax year)
This table shows the amount of the Canada Child Tax Benefit that's payable
from July 2014 to June 2015 to a household with one, two, three, four
and five children with family income ranging from $25,584 to $150,000.
[FACTOID: According to this table, a family with
five children and an annual family income of $150,000 (in 2013) is entitled
to a monthly CCTB payment of $16.42.]
Monthly
NCB Supplement only entitlement - July 2014 - June 2015 (based
on 2013 tax year)
Guideline
tables for earlier years
- includes links to both of the above tables going back to the 2007-2008
benefit period (2006 tax year)
Related links
Canada
Child Benefits, July 2014 to June 2015
(Including related federal, provincial,
and territorial programs)
Source:
Canada
Child Tax Benefit
[ Child and Family
Benefits - includes links to : * Canada Child Tax Benefit * Universal
Child Care Benefit * GST/HST credit * Working Income Tax Benefit * Provincial
and territorial programs * Children's special allowances ]
Provincial
and territorial child benefit and credit programs (July 2014 to June
2015)
that are related to the Canada Child Tax Benefit:
* Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit * BC Family Bonus and BC
low income climate action tax credit * New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit
* Nova Scotia Child Benefit * Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit
(and Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement) * Northwest Territories Child
Benefit * Nunavut Child Benefit * Ontario Child Benefit * Saskatchewan
low-income tax credit (SLITC) * Yukon Child Benefit
[NOTE: Residents of Québec must apply to the
Régie des rentes for the child
assistance payment.]
Source:
Canada Revenue Agency
---
More
information about the
National Child Benefit Supplement
Source:
2006
National Child Benefit Progress Report
[ National
Child Benefit website ]
Also from the NCB website:
The
Government of Canada's
Contribution to the National Child Benefit Initiative
Comparing welfare rates for families in different
provinces?
Be careful..
Because Canadian jurisdictions have adopted different approaches in
their treatment of the CCTB and provincial-territorial child benefits
for welfare rate calculations, it's becoming exceptionally difficult
to compare welfare rates across provinces and territories for families
with children. For more detailed information on child benefit clawbacks
and pass-ons, see Approaches
to Replacing Social Assistance Benefits for Children from the
2006
National child Benefit Progress Report.
|
---------------------------
Comparing welfare rates for families in different provinces?
Be careful...
When I added the above links to the CCTB amounts for all
tax years, I thought I should also update the list of provincial and territorial
child benefit programs that are related to the CCTB, all under the umbrella
of the National Child Benefit
(NCB) initiative. As I read that list for myself, my heart went out to
the hapless analysts in government and non-governmental researchers whose
job duties include comparing welfare rates across jurisdictions, especially
for families with kids. Since the launch of the NCB initiative in 1998, many
provinces and territories have been creating separate children's benefits
programs for all children in low-income families, not only those on social
assistance. And thus I came to understand what David Ross (former Director
of the Canadian Council on Social Development and a respected champion of
social justice issues) had meant when he said back in the early 1990s something
about "taking kids off welfare". In the case of families in receipt
of welfare, it's generally child-related costs that constitute the so-called
"welfare wall", which is the loss of non-cash benefits like vision,
drug and dental coverage when a household head leaves welfare for a job. I
wholeheartedly support the provincial-territorial government trend towards
paying child-related financial benefits to *all* low-income households outside
of welfare, so that families can leave welfare more readily without losing
their children's benefits. HOWEVER, because Canadian jurisdictions have adopted
different approaches in their treatment of the CCTB and provincial-territorial
child benefits for welfare rate calculations, it's getting exceptionally difficult
to compare welfare rates across provinces and territories, especially for
families with children.
The National Council of Welfare has been doing interprovincial
welfare rate comparisons going back to 1986 (annually since 1989) for various
family types and sizes, and their rate information is always vetted for factual
accuracy by government officials in each jurisdiction prior to release. The
latest complete annual report in this series is Welfare
Incomes 2009 (PDF - 6.2MB, 117 pages - December 2010). The
comparative rate tables in this report take into account the treatment of
child benefits in the welfare system of each jurisdiction. There's also a
brief overview of the different approaches that provinces and territories
have adopted concerning child benefits and welfare. For more detailed information
on child benefit clawbacks and pass-ons, see Approaches
to Replacing Social Assistance Benefits for Children - from the 2007
National child Benefit Progress Report.
For more than 20 of my 30 years in the federal civil service,
I was responsible for producing and maintaining detailed welfare rate information
for each province and territory for the administration of the Canada
Assistance Plan. Part of my job was supporting the Council in the production
of their welfare incomes series, and I can vouch for the rigid verification
process that the Council followed to ensure a high-quality report. It's the
ONLY source that I'd recommend for longitudinal welfare rate comparisons across
Canada.
On behalf of welfare researchers everywhere, I'd like to thank the provincial
and territorial government officials who take the time to provide feedback
on rates for their jurisdiction in each edition of Welfare Incomes
and thus ensure that the series is a factually-accurate, credible resource
for all to use freely.
---
Related information :
National Child Benefit (NCB) Progress Report: 2007
HTML version - table of contents + links to individual sections
of the report
PDF
version (1.3MB, 116 pages)
Table of contents of the report:
Message from Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social
Services
* Executive
Summary
* Chapter 1 – The National Child Benefit Supplement
* Chapter 2 – National Child Benefit Programs and Services for Low-income
Families with Children
-----------
NOTE: Chapter
2 of the report contains detailed information about the three different
approaches used to harmonize/integrate federal and provincial-territorial
children's benefits paid to Canadian families. This
is compulsory reading for anyone who does welfare rate comparisons for families
with children across Canadian provinces and territories.
-----------
* Chapter 3 – The First Nations National Child Benefit Reinvestment Initiative
* Chapter 4 – Monitoring Progress - Societal Level Indicators
* Chapter 5 – Assessing the Direct Impact of the National Child Benefit
Initiative
* Chapter 6 – The Way Ahead
* Appendix 1 – Glossary
* Appendix 2 – Provincial, Territorial and First Nations National Child
Benefit Reinvestments and Investments
* Appendix 3 – Results of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)
Analysis
* Appendix 4 – Additional Statistical Information
The
NCB Progress Report: 2007 – Pamphlet
News Release:
The
Ninth National Child Benefit Progress Report
May 14, 2010
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services
are pleased to release to Canadians the ninth report on the progress of the
National Child Benefit (NCB). The National Child Benefit Progress Report:
2007 shows that the NCB is improving the economic well-being of families with
children living in low income.
---
Earlier
reports in this series
Source:
National Child
Benefit website
See also:
* Child
and Family Benefits Page [ Canada
Revenue Agency ]
See the Unofficial Social Union Links
page for more about the NCB and NCB reports
See also the Unofficial Provincial/Territorial Social
Union/NCB Links page of this site for over 200 links to information from
all provinces and territories about their programs under the NCB initiative.
Working
Joe vs Welfare Joe
This piece of garbage started doing the rounds recently, comparing the
annual income of Working Joe, a poor stiff making $25/hour in construction,
and Welfare Joe - parasite, Casino regular and bon-vivant. It might
make a more compelling story if the facts weren't out in left field.
If anyone forwards the Working-Joe-Welfare-Joe email to you, please
feel free to refer them to the Working Joe link.
|
Income Assistance (welfare)
for members of First Nations living on a reserve |
From the website of
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada:
Income assistance (welfare / social assistance) for
Members of First Nations living on reserve:
NOTE : First Nations members living
off-reserve must apply for welfare to the provincial authority where
they reside, and they are treated like any other applicant.
From
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada:
Social
Programs
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) funds
the delivery of five key social development programs in First Nation
communities:
* Income Assistance Program
* National Child Benefit Reinvestment
* Assisted Living Program
* First Nations Child and Family Services Program
* Family Violence Prevention Program
These services help First Nation communities meet basic and special
needs; support employability and attachment to the workforce; and ensure
that individuals and families are safe. First Nations that are engaged
in advancing their own development are better equipped to leverage opportunities
made available by their communities and actively contribute to the broader
Canadian economy and society.
National
Social Programs Manual
NOTE: this isn't a policy manual for use in program delivery to clients.
It spells out the terms and conditions under which Aboriginal Affairs
and Northern Development Canada provides funding for social programs,
including income assistance. It covers such matters as program components,
funding arrangements, financial administration, and reporting and compliance,
to name but a few.
TIP : If you scroll down past the Overview section of the table of
contents, you'll find detailed terms and conditions for the Income Assistance
program.
Income
Assistance Program
The Income Assistance program provides funding to assist eligible individuals
and families who are ordinarily resident on-reserve, with basic and
special needs services that are aligned with those provided to other
residents of the reference province or territory.
Equipping First Nations people to fully participate
in the economy is a priority for the Government of Canada and First
Nations. That's why, through Economic Action Plan 2013, the Government
will work with First Nations to improve the on-reserve Income Assistance
Program to help ensure First Nation youth can access the skills and
training they need to secure employment.
(...)
Communities that participate in this new approach will be required to
implement mandatory participation in training for young Income Assistance
clients.
The above Income Assistance Program page includes links
to the following:
--- Income Assistance Background
--- Improving Income Assistance
--- Income Assistance: Active Measures
--- Income Assistance Key Facts
--- Income Assistance Program: Dependency Rate on Reserve, 2011-2012
--- Income Assistance Success Stories
--- Active Measures: What Are People Saying?
--- First Nations Job Fund
--- Publications and Resources
--- Recipient Reporting Guide 2012-2013
--- Year-End Financial Reporting Handbook
---
More Aboriginal
social program information:
* Assisted
Living Program * Family
Violence Prevention Program * Non-Insured
Health Benefits * Band
Moneys * Indian
Status * Wills
and Estates * National
Child Benefit Reinvestment Initiative * First
Nation Child and Family Services Program
Source:
Aboriginal
Affairs and Northern Development Canada
|
Social/Income Assistance
for
Immigrants and Visitors to Canada |
Different rules apply depending on whether someone wishes
to come to Canada as an immigrant (i.e., permanently), a visitor, a worker
(temporarily), a student or a refugee.
Select a link below for more information on eligibility and benefit levels
for each program.
Immigrate
If you want to immigrate to Canada, there are a few different ways to apply.
You will need to decide which immigration program will work best for you and
your family.
Visit
Every year, more than 5million people visit Canada. Depending on where you
live, and the reason for your visit, you will need to meet certain entry requirements.
In some cases, if you plan to stay in Canada for a certain period of time,
you will need a Temporary Resident Visa.
Work
temporarily
Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in
jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or as live-in caregivers.
A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some
positions and business people it is not necessary.
Study
More than 130,000 students come to study in Canada every year and even more
come to Canada to learn English or French.
Refugees
Refugees and people needing protection are people in or outside Canada who
fear returning to their home country. Groups and individuals can sponsor refugees
from abroad who qualify to come to Canada.
Source:
Canada
International (Government of Canada)
July 2011
From Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada:
Social
Assistance Statistical Report: 2008
[Posted online July 2011]
Produced by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Directors of Income Support
This report includes a description of, and statistics
related to, the welfare system in each province and territory, information
about federal-provincial-territorial jurisdictional and funding issues, a
bit of historical info on the Canada Assistance Plan and the Canada Health
and Social Transfer, etc.
"In recognition of the growing public demand for comprehensive
information on provincial and territorial social assistance programs and caseloads,
the Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2008 is the fifth annual joint publication
by federal, provincial and territorial governments. The report provides a
general overview of social assistance in Canada, as well as a description
of income support-related/social assistance programs in each jurisdiction.
This report does not include social assistance rates as this information is
currently available to the public on most provincial and territorial government
Web sites."
(Excerpt from Chapter
1 - Summary)
NOTE: Chapter
Two of the report is a seven-page descriptive overview of social assistance
in Canada in 2008, comprising a (very) brief history of federal social assistance
since 1966 and general information about how welfare works in Canadian provinces
and territories (including the treatment of federal child benefits under welfare
programs, welfare eligibility conditions and administrative rules, etc.).
Other chapters of the report provide, for each province and territory, information
on eligibility (including asset and income exemption levels) and benefits
(but no actual benefit levels), 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.
Source:
[ Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada ]
< Begin social researcher's lament. >
It's great to see the 2008 edition of this report online*,
but the numbers in this report *are* over three years old --- none of the
welfare ripple effects of the economic disaster of 2008 and 2009 are evident
in the March 2008 stats in this report. This really isn't timely enough to
help in the policy formulation process, nor is it timely enough to ensure
accountability with respect to spending by federal, provincial and territorial
governments on Canada's social assistance programs.
---
* "Social Assistance Statistical
Report: 2008" is online, but not on the HRSDC website. The above
links point to a copy of the report that was archived by the Internet
Archive. Thanks for nothing, HRSDC.
---
So why are timely welfare statistics important?
To tell, among other things, how many new welfare cases are "EI exhaustees"
(households whose Employment Insurance benefit period has expired) and how
many are there because they didn't qualify for EI in the first place. Welfare
reporting must be comprehensive AND reasonably current.
Perhaps it's time to farm out the production of welfare statistics and related
information to an objective, non-politicized third party...
< /End social researcher's lament. >
------------------------------------------------------
Welfare Dependency in
Canada - National Statistics
For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, about $6.6 Billion of the federal
government's Canada Social Transfer to the provinces and territories will
be for welfare and social programs.
As taxpayers, how can we tell whether that money is well spent if the latest
national, public welfare dependency statistics are for March 2005?
Click the link above to access a table showing the number of people receiving
provincial-territorial welfare benefits by province and territory, from March
1995 to March 2005
PLUS a comparable table showing the number of people
receiving provincial-territorial welfare benefits for the period from March
2005 to March 2009 prepared by the Institut de la statistique du
Québec in the context of the Institut's ongoing interprovincial comparisons.
PLUS a rant about the pitiful state of Canadian welfare statistics and why
the Canadian Social Research Links Guy thinks the situation may get worse
before it gets better.
Some tidbits from the table
that you'll find by clicking the above link:
In March 1995, there were 3,070,900 people on welfare in
Canada.
By 2005, that number had dropped to 1, 682, 500.
In March 2009, there were 1, 711, 500 people on welfare in Canada.
The percentage of the Canadian population on welfare in March 2005 was 5.2%.
By March 2009, that proportion had decreased to 5.1%.
[% of the population was not calculated in March 1995.]
Un GROS MERCI à l'Institut
de la statistique du Québec d'avoir produit
et rendu publique cette source précieuse de statistiques sur l'aide
sociale au Canada!
A GIANT THANK-YOU to the
Institut
de la statistique du Québec [English Home
Page]
for producing this important table on welfare dependency and for posting it
online for all to use.
------------------------------
Number
of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1
page)
These statistics were collected by the National Council
of Welfare and published in the Council's report on Welfare Incomes for
2005 after they were verified to be correct by each jurisdiction.
September 12, 2010
NOTE: See Welfare stats are important!
for a rare (but deserved) accolade from me on behalf of all social researchers
to the five*
provinces that are presenting current welfare statistics on their websites.
* AND THEN THERE WERE SIX...
Updated to September 21, 2010
Alberta now has monthly welfare stats on its website!
[
Big deal - so what?? ]
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welfare expenditures
Government
transfer payments to persons
On this one table, you'll find the latest five years' worth of information
on national expenditures (provincial stats available for a small fee) in the
area of transfers to persons, which includes (among other programs):
* Family and youth allowances * Child tax benefit or
credit * Pensions - First and Second World Wars * War veterans' allowances
* Grants to aboriginal persons and organizations * Goods and services tax
credit * Employment insurance benefits * Old Age Security Fund payments *
Provincial Social assistance, income maintenance * Social assistance, other
[bolding added] * Workers compensation benefits * Canada and Quebec Pension
Plans.
NOTE: In case you're interested in province-level stats, click the "384-0009"
link under 'Source' at the bottom of the table. There you can obtain more
specialized CANSIM tables, including provincial tables, for a few dollars
each. The "Find information related to this table" link (which is
also at the bottom of the StatCan table) contains methodological notes and
other related StatCan products, many of which are free of charge.
Source:
Statistics Canada
Federal welfare spending factoids:
* In 1995-96, the final year of the Canada Assistance
Plan, Ottawa paid out almost $8 Billion under CAP (see note below).
[ Source
]
*That's $10.5 Billion in 2010 dollars. [
Source
]
* Of that amount, the social assistance portion made up about 80-85%
- or $8 Billion in 2010 dollars. (see
what made up the remaining 15-20%)
[Source: none, except my own recollection
of the traditional proportional breakdown of CAP dollars]
* For 2010-11, the Canada Social Transfer
(see note below) will reach $11 Billion.
[ Source
]
* Of that amount, the social programs portion is estimated by federal
officials to be nearly $6.6 Billion.
[ Source
]
NOTE: Amounts paid out specifically for welfare under the Canada Assistance
Plan (CAP) cannot be compared with those under the Canada Social Transfer
(CST) because the latter is a block fund that also covers provincial-territorial
post-secondary education expenditures and early learning and child care.
The federal block fund doesn't stipulate how much of the total amount
must be allocated to each of those areas, so you'll occasionally find
discrepancies between information on welfare expenditures for the same
period produced by provincial-territorial governments and reports prepared
by federal officials. The proof's in the pudding : in the last factoid
above, the statement "the social programs portion is estimated
by federal officials to be nearly $6.6 Billion" [bolding added]
is a direct quote from the federal Department of Finance (check the
source link). Ottawa must resort to "notional allocation of federal
support among priority areas" (another quote from the same source)
- notional meaning "our best educated guess based on the trends
that we monitor" rather than relying on provincial government reports
that often allocate amounts differently from the way that the feds do
it. And the game of numbers goes on.
Accountability? Transparency? Ha.
Related link from
Finance Canada:
* Federal
Transfers to Provinces and Territories
- For more on the vagaries of federal contributions
to provincial-territorial social programs, see the
Canada Assistance Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer / Canada
Social Transfer Resources page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/cap.htm
|
------------------------------------------------------
Welfare leavers
British Columbia:
Income
Levels of BC Employment and Assistance (BCEA) Clients after They Leave Income
Assistance (PDF - 279K, 16 pages)
2009 (PDF file dated April 24/09, 2pm)
The analysis in this report uses tax data from Statistics Canada to examine
the income of clients that left assistance and never returned. It is a followup
to a previous report, Outcome of those Leaving Assistance, which found
that over 80 percent of employable clients who left assistance had employment
income.
Specific findings of the report:
· Median total family income of clients, defined as aftertax aftertransfer
income including employment income, is higher after clients leave income assistance
and increases over time.
· Clients who left income assistance have income significantly higher,
in some cases two to three times higher, than they would have receiving income
assistance for the entire year.
· Most of the increase is attributable to increases in employment income.
· More...
Source:
Ministry of Housing and Social Development
(HSD)
[ Ministry reports
]
Related link from HSD:
Outcomes
of Those Leaving Assistance (PDF - 61K, 6 pages)
February 2007
"(...) Since 2002, 88.2% of Expected to Work (ETW) clients who have left
assistance and have not returned as of 2005 have employment income, are attending
education or have other income in the year following their exit from IA."
Province
refused to release report on welfare leavers
By Andrew MacLeod
April 24, 2009
The British Columbia government has suppressed a report on what happens to
people who leave the province's welfare system, but now is promising to release
it today.
(...) The province has insisted that the rapidly declining welfare caseload
has been the result of more people finding employment. Other research, including
a landmark
study (PDF - 599K, 8 pages) by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
researchers, and past
Tyee coverage, suggests tightening eligibility rules in 2002 played
a large role in the decline. A recent report by provincial Ombudsman Kim Carter,
Last
Resort (PDF - 2.2MB, 132 pages) , noted, “The ministry lacks
evidence to support its conclusion that the reduction in the income assistance
caseload is a result of people leaving assistance for employment.”
NOTE: The above article was posted in the morning on April and the Ministry
posted its report (below) at 2pm (the timestamp on the PDF file).
The Tyee will quite likely have a followup article early in the coming week;
check the Tyee home page for updates.
Source:
The Tyee
--------------------------
Social
Assistance Use: Trends in incidence, entry and exit rates
August 2004
by R. Sceviour and R. Finnie
"This paper explores the dynamics of Social Assistance use over this
period [1995-2000] to calculate annual incidence and entry and exit rates
at both the national and provincial level, broken down by family type. These
breakdowns, available for the first time ever, are revealing as policy varied
by province and family type and not all provinces shared equally in the recession
or the expansion that followed it. The paper does not attempt to apportion
the movements in SA participation rates between those related to the economy
and changes in the administration of welfare. The focus is on the empirical
record of SA entry, exit, and annual participation rates.
Source:
Feature
Articles [NOTE: check out dozens of links to past feature articles here!]
Canadian
Economic Observer
[ Statistics Canada ]
Followup article:
November 17, 2004
Social
Assistance by Province, 1993-2003
Feature Article in the November 2004 issue of The Canadian Economic Observer
"Social assistance rates fell in every province between 1993 and 2003,
but nowhere was the decline more dramatic than in Alberta and Ontario, according
to a new report."
Earlier studies on welfare leavers:
Life
after welfare : 1994
to 1999
March 2003
"Family incomes rose for the majority of people who stopped receiving
welfare benefits during the 1990s. However, for about one out of every three
individuals, family income declined significantly, according to a first-ever
national study of the economic outcome for people who left welfare rolls."
The link above takes you to a summary of the report.
Complete report:
Life
After Welfare: The Economic Well Being
of Welfare Leavers in Canada during the 1990s (PDF file - 332K,
32 pages)
Source:
The Daily
[ Statistics Canada ]
Related Links:
After
Welfare - Contrasting Studies (British Columbia)
"Statistics Canada has released a study on people who leave welfare that
contrasts with the story spun by BC's Minister of Human Resources, Murray
Coell. "Life After Welfare: The Economic Well Being of Welfare Leavers
in Canada during the 1990s" by Marc Frenette and Garnett Picot provides
some fascinating contrasts with Coell's characterization of the 90s and
with what are passing as welfare exit surveys in his ministry."
Source :
Strategic Thoughts
-----------------
Historical welfare program information and statistics
From the
National Council of Welfare (NCW):
Over the years, the Council has produced many reports
on poverty and welfare, but there are three that stand out in my mind
as milestone reports on the history of welfare in Canada, at least since
the 1980s.
1. 1987
Welfare in Canada: The Tangled
Safety Net (PDF - 2.7MB, 131 pages)
November 1987
Tangled Safety Net examines the following issues in Canadian
social assistance network of programs:
* Complex rules * Needs-testing * Rates of assistance * Enforcement
* Appeals * Recommendations
This report is the first comprehensive national analysis of social assistance
programs operated by the provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
These programs function as the safety net for Canadians and are better
known by their everyday name ‘welfare’.
Version française :
Le bien-être social au Canada : Un filet de sécurité
troué (PDF - 3Mo., 138 pages)
Novembre 1987
[ NOTA : Si vous trouvez un lien vers ce fichier en français,
veuillez communiquer avec moi pour le partager.
Merci! gilseg@rogers.com ]
____________
2. 1992
Welfare Reform (PDF
- 2.8MB, 61 pages)
Summer 1992
This report is an update of the 1987 Tangled Safety Net, but
it presents information by jurisdiction rather than by issue - covers
all provinces and territories.
Version française:
Réforme
du bien-être social (PDF - 3,5Mo., 63 pages)
____________
3. 1997
Another Look at
Welfare Reform (PDF - 6.75MB, 134 pages)
Autumn 1997
- an in-depth analysis of changes in Canadian welfare programs in the
1990s. The report focuses on the provincial and territorial reforms
that preceded the repeal of the Canada Assistance Plan and those that
followed the implementation of the Canada Health and Social Transfer
in April 1996.
[Proactive disclosure : I did the research for, and wrote the provincial-territorial
section of, this report while I was on a one-year secondment to the
Council. Gilles ]
Version française:
Un
autre regard sur la réforme du bien-être social
(PDF - 8Mo., 148 pages)
---
Companion document to
Another Look:
Overview
of Provincial (and Territorial)
Welfare Reforms in the 1990s
October 1998
Fifteen pages of research notes used in the production of Another
Look at Welfare Reform.
HINT: There's a WEALTH of information on provincial-territorial welfare
reforms in these pages that didn't make it to the final report!
-------------------------------------------------
Source:
National Council of Welfare
Established in 1969, the Council is an advisory group to the Minister
of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (originally the Minister
of Health and Welfare Canada). The mandate of the Council is to advise
the Minister regarding any matter relating to social development that
the Minister may refer to the Council for its consideration or that
the Council considers appropriate.
October 6 (2012)
The National Council of Welfare closed
its doors and shut down its website at the end of September 2012.
For more information, see http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ncw.htm
|
Social Assistance in Canada, 1994
* Also available from the Government
of Canada Web Archive:
http://goo.gl/au93G
Over 40 pages of information on Canadian social assistance programs
as they operated in 1994. Much of the information in this document is
still as relevant today as it was back then - eligibility, benefits,
administrative rules, and more. Includes information about cost-sharing
of welfare costs under the Canada Assistance Plan. Question-and-answer
format for quick reference. This work was part of a larger study of
social assistance in 24 countries released by the OECD early in 1996.
If you want a snapshot of what welfare was like in Canada before the
Canada Health and Social Transfer in 1996, try this one...
NOTE: Social Assistance in Canada, 1994
is the final submission of the Canadian federal government in the context
of the 1996 OECD study appearing immediately below. This report is a
critical and comparative overview of how social assistance or welfare
operated in the mid-1990s in 24 countries (including Canada, with a
special focus on Ontario). The chapter on Canada presents a factual
snapshot of how welfare was working in Canada just before the 50-50
federal cost-sharing under the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) was replaced
by a block fund, the Canada Health and Social Transfer, in April of
1996.
The OECD study consisted of a two-stream approach:
for each country involved in the study, an "expert informant"
(academic) and a "national government official" received a
questionnaire on social assistance programs. The questionnaires were
different from one another - federal government officials were asked
to provide factual responses to over 70 questions, while the academics'
questionnaire focused more on an in-depth critique of those same programs.
Social Work Professor Patricia Evans was the Canadian expert informant,
and I completed the submission on behalf of the Canadian government,
with valuable input and feedback from a number of government colleagues.
Recommended reading!
This is THE most comprehensive historical (mid-1990s) analysis you'll
find of welfare in Canada, the United States and 22 other industrialized
countries.
Volume I is a synthesis of all country reports - I'd suggest skipping
past that one and going directly to Volume II, where you'll find 40
pages of information about Canada and 20 pages about the U.S.
Note that the top link in this yellow box is to the submission of the
Canadian federal government in the context of the study.
The Canada chapter of Volume II below is based partly on the Canadian
govt. submission and partly on the submission of Professor Evans; for
the most complete picture of welfare in Canada in the mid-1990s, I'd
recommend checking both SA in Canada and the Canada country report in
the box below.
1996 OECD international social assistance study:
- detailed comparison of how social assistance
programs operated
in 24 OECD countries, including Canada and the United States (see
Volume II)
Social
Assistance in OECD Countries
Volume I : Synthesis Report (PDF - 2.6MB, 207 pages)
A study carried out on behalf of the Department of Social Security
and the OECD by the Social Policy Research Unit
1996
---
Social
Assistance in OECD Countries
Volume II : Country Reports (PDF - 4.8MB, 499 pages)
A study carried out on behalf of the Department of Social Security
and the OECD by the Social Policy Research Unit
By Tony Eardley, Jonathan Bradshaw, John Ditch, Ian Gough and
Peter Whiteford
1996
Participating countries:
* Australia * Greece * Norway * Austria * Iceland * Portugal *
Belgium * Ireland * Spain * Canada
* Italy * Sweden * Denmark * Japan * Switzerland * Finland * Luxembourg
* Turkey * France * Netherlands * United
States * Germany * New Zealand * United Kingdom
Source:
United Kingdom
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
|
|
Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
1978-79 to 2002-03
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/webarchives/20061209234003/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/page00.shtml
OR
http://web.archive.org/web/20070814082442/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/page00.shtml
OR:
http://goo.gl/B5rgvQ
NOTE: Since January 2012, this report
is no longer available on the website of Human Resources and Skills
Development (HRSDC) or its successor, Employment and Social Development
Canada (ESDC). This report and many others were moved to the web archive
collection at Library and Archives Canada (LAC).
[By Gilles, March 1, 2014]
-------------------------------------------
This report 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...
---------------------------
NOTE : All links below are functional.
Click any link and you'll find the desired content on the website of
Archive.org
Preface (short blurb only)
http://web.archive.org/web/20070814082442/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/page01.shtml
List of Tables
http://web.archive.org/web/20070814082442/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/page02.shtml
Read the Introductory notes at the top of the page and in Appendix
A:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070814082442/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/page03.shtml
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."
Overview Tables:
Table 1:
Total Social Security Expenditures in Canada, 1978-79 to 2002-03
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/table1a.shtml
Table 2:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/table2.shtml
Social Security Expenditures by Welfare Program and Total Health and
Education Expenditures, Canada, 1978-79 to 2002-03
Table 3
Expenditure Analyses of Social Security Programs, Canada, 1978-79 to
2002-03
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/table3.shtml
A number of older 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 older stats:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090219214655/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/publications_resources/statistics/index.shtml
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
[ http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/page02.shtml
]
... 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:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/cap.htm
A few sample tables:
Table 360
Total Federal-Provincial Cost-Shared Program Expenditures, 1978-79 to
1999-2000
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab360.shtml
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
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab361.shtml
- 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
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab362.shtml
- 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
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab434.shtml
[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
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab435.shtml
Table 438
Provincial and Municipal Social Assistance Program Expenditures,
1980-81 to 2002-03
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab438.shtml
Table 526
Provincial and Territorial Children's Benefits and Earned Income Supplements,
Expenditures for Fiscal years 1978-79 to 2002-03
http://web.archive.org/web/20070630131119/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/cs/sp/sdc/socpol/tables/pre/tab526.shtml
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/home.shtml
Dept. name changed to Employment and Social Development Canada
Archive source:
Archive.org
https://archive.org/
Official Source:
Collections Canada
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/
[Library and Archives Canada]
January 27, 2012
Brickbats and Kudos:
Brickbats to Human Resources and Skills Development
Canada!
During the 1990s, five separate editions of
Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
- a valuable statistical report for social researchers of every
stripe - were posted to the website of the Department that is
currently (01/2012) known as Human Resources and Skills Development
Canada (HRSDC). Each edition contains 25 years of stats on Canadian
social programs, and each edition adds a few years' stats but
it also drops the oldest stats. For the most complete set of statistics
- covering fiscal years 1970-71 to 2002-2003 - researchers had
to download both the oldest edition (1970-71 to 1994-95) and the
most recent (1978-79 to 2002-2003). In late 2011, HRSDC did a
cleanup of its website, which included deleting not one or two
but all five editions of Social Security Statistics,
along with a few other historical gems. Evidently, there was no
historian among the group that decided to remove this report from
the site.
Boooooo.
Kudos to the Government of Canada Web Archive!
The Government of Canada Web Archive
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/webarchives/index-e.html
Since the Fall of 2007, Library and Archives Canada has been harvesting
the web domain of the Federal Government of Canada (starting in
December 2005). Client access to the content of the Government
of Canada Web Archive is provided through searching by keyword,
by department name, and by URL. The archive currently contains
over 170 million digital objects and more than 7 terabytes of
data.
Source:
Library and Archives Canada
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/index-e.html
Comment (by Gilles):
The Government of Canada Web Archive is a handy tool to track
down website content that's been deleted from the Internet, but
only for federal government site content and only back to December
2005. It was relatively simple for me to find an old version of
the HRSDC website and to drill down to the Social Policy reports,
including five complete editions of Social Security Statistics
covering the period from 1970-71 to 2002-2003.
Social Policy Reports (this link is from
the Govt. of Canada Web Archive)
http://goo.gl/5MLk0
This is how the Social Policy Reports page looked before it was
"cleaned up" in December 2011.
It includes functional links to the full text of five editions
of Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
and many other historical treasures that no longer appear
on the HRSDC reports page.
See also:
Publications Canada
http://publications.gc.ca/
The federal government's Depository Services Program (DSP) and
Publications websites have been integrated into a single searchable,
browseable database of federal government publications. The website
of the Depository Services Program was officially decommissioned
on December 8, 2011.
NOTE:
If you're searching for "older" (pre-December 2005)
deleted website content or for any
content that's not from a federal govt. site, try the
Wayback Machine (Internet Archive):
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Copy and paste a URL into the search box on the Wayback Machine
home page and click "Take Me Back".
The Results page consists of a calendar where you can retrieve
earlier versions of that page by clicking on any date that's in
a blue circle.
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See also:
Historical
Statistics of Canada (2nd edition, 1983)
Jointly produced by the Social Science Federation of Canada and Statistics
Canada
Go to the home page and browse the table of contents of this excellent historical
resource. Tables are arranged in sections with an introduction explaining
the content of each section, the principal sources of data for each table,
and general explanatory notes regarding the statistics. This online statistical
collection complements and expands on Human Resources Development Canada's
Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces report.
Source:
Statistics Canada
Historical Statistics of Canada contains
links to over 1,000 statistical tables (downloadable in Excel format) on the
social, economic and institutional conditions of Canada from the start of
the Confederation in 1867 to the mid-1970s. It's worth downloading
the free Excel Spreadsheet
File Viewer from Microsoft if you don't have Excel software on your machine.
Here's a sample section:
Section
C: Social Security - by T. Russell Robinson, Health and Welfare
Canada
Contains seven pages of historical information on the evolution of Canadian
social programs, plus links to over 180 tables organized under the following
headings: Federal Income Security Programs - Federal and Provincial Income
Insurance Programs - Cost-shared Federal-Provincial Income Security Programs
- Federal and Provincial Social Service Programs - Provincial-Municipal Income
Security Programs - Government Expenditures on Social Security by Broad Program
Areas. Unfortunately, the section on the Canada Assistance Plan provides stats
only from 1970 to 1975, but you'll find other historical gems here, like federal
transfers to the provinces and territories, 1947 to 1975, Unemployment insurance
account, 1942 to 1976, Old Age Pensions recipients for Canada and by province,
March 1928 to 1951, and much more...
Great collection of historical Canadian social program stats!
-----------------
- See the Canadian Social Research Links Social
Statistics page for more statistical links.
-----------------
Success of Canadian Welfare Reforms
Welfare dependency in Canada peaked in March 1994, when 3.1 million
Canadians were receiving welfare.
From March 1995 to March 2005, the number of welfare
beneficiaries (including children) across Canada decreased from just
over three million to 1,7 million.
[Source: National Council of Welfare statistics, 1995-2005(PDF - 137K,
1 page)]
So Canadian welfare reforms have been successful, right?
It depends on whether you're asking the Finance Department
and Fraser Institute types, who interpret reductions in welfare caseloads
and program costs as significant measures of success, or the social
advocacy groups, who focus more on the human condition, income and wealth
inequality and social justice...
Related Links:
(the view from the other side...)
* Campaign
2000
- child poverty report cards for Canada and selected provinces
* National Council of Welfare (de-funded by
the Harper Government in the 2012 federal budget, closed its doors in
the fall of 2012)
- authoritative source of reports and statistics on poverty and
welfare in Canada
* Canada
Without Poverty
- formerly the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO)
* Citizens for Public
Justice
- faith-based NGO promoting a guaranteed
annual income in Canada
* Dignity for
All
- the campaign for a poverty free Canada
-----------------------------------------
Welfare reform in the U.S. - success or flop?
I thought I'd share the following excerpt from one
of the presentations at the August 2008 Queen's University poverty agenda
conference. It's a commentary on the relative success of American welfare
reforms since Bill Clinton declared "the end of welfare as we know
it" in the mid-1990s, but it reflects the view of many social
advocates about the impact of welfare reforms in Canada since 1996.
"Both the Democrats and Republicans seek to take credit for
the “success” of welfare reform. But the reduction of
the rolls is a misleading indicator. Many potential recipients
do not come onto the rolls even though they need assistance. The
punitive approach has made welfare harder to access and less appealing
as well. Further those who leave welfare for work on average make
only about $7.50/hour in jobs that offer no medical insurance
or pensions whatsoever. Many recipients remain poor years after
leaving the rolls. The “welfare poor” are simply being
replaced by the “working poor” in the new regime."
Source:
Neoliberal Poverty Governance: U.S. Welfare Policy in an
Era of Globalization [dead link]
Presentation by Sanford F. Schram
Bryn Mawr College
Presentation at “The New Poverty Agenda: Reshaping Policies
in the 21st Century”
Queen's University, International Institute on Social Policy
Kingston, Ontario, August 18-20, 2008
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Government expenditures on major social programs
Government
transfer payments to persons
On this one table, you'll find the latest five years' worth of information
on national expenditures (provincial stats available for a small fee) in the
area of transfers to persons, which includes (among other programs):
* Family and youth allowances * Child tax benefit or
credit * Pensions - First and Second World Wars * War veterans' allowances
* Grants to aboriginal persons and organizations * Goods and services tax
credit * Employment insurance benefits * Old Age Security Fund payments *
Provincial Social assistance, income maintenance * Social assistance, other
* Workers compensation benefits * Canada and Quebec Pension Plans.
NOTE: In case you're interested in province-level stats, click the "384-0009"
link under 'Source' at the bottom of the table. There you can obtain more
specialized CANSIM tables, including provincial tables, for a few dollars
each. The "Find information related to this table" link (which is
also at the bottom of the StatCan table) contains methodological notes and
other related StatCan products, many of which are free of charge.
Source:
Statistics Canada
Legislation woes?
It's very frustrating trying to keep up with legislative links in each jurisdiction
- they keep changing the legislation, and they keep changing the links to
that legislation. If you can't find statutes and regulations
for a specific Canadian jurisdiction, try searching the BEST source (IMHO)
for legislation and regulations:
Canadian Legal Information
Institute (CanLII)
Funded by Canada’s lawyers and notaries for the benefit of all, CanLII
provides free access to legal information
Browse by jurisdiction for links to federal, provincial and territorial courts
(incl. supreme courts), as well as statutes and regulations.
More
about CanLII
See the Canadian Social Research Links Legislation
Links page for links to other related sites.
You'll find a lot more welfare-related information on other
Canadian Social Research Links pages. The most detailed information is in
the provincial/territorial section (left column) of this site's Home
Page - hundreds of government and NGO links, including reports
and studies on many aspects of welfare in Canada. NGO links are either at
the bottom of the government links for each jurisdiction or on a separate
page (depending on the number of links for each jurisdiction).
For information on conditions of eligibility (including
the financial nitty-gritty), administration (fraud controls, application
review process) and benefit calculations, I'd recommend Provincial/Territorial
Welfare Policy Manuals. Not all jurisdictions are online yet, and the
amount and quality of content vary.
Related pages on this site:
* Anti-Poverty Strategies and Campaigns:
--- Provincial and territorial
--- National and international
* Welfare Reforms in Canada*
* Canada Assistance Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer
/ Canada Social Transfer Resources*
*includes some content based on my experience as
well as links to relevant sites and reports.
The "themes" section of this site (right column on the
Home Page) - also includes more links to welfare information. The content
of those pages is more chaotic than the government section, but I guarantee
you'll find welfare links on every one of those pages.
---
From the
Canadian Council on Social Development:
Poverty
Reduction Policies and Programs
Social Development Report Series, 2009
Series Editor: Katherine Scott
May 2009
Fourteen authors discuss the ideas, interests and institutions that have shaped
the evolution of poverty reduction policies and programs in Canada and the
issues for each jurisdiction moving forward.
Recommended reading - includes detailed historical
and contextual information on welfare and poverty reduction in each
province and territory, along with an overview of the federal role in and
contributions toward poverty reduction in Canada. For links to all reports,
click the link above or go to the Anti-Poverty
Strategies and Campaigns page of this website, where you'll find links
to all 14 reports in this series + 900 more links to online content related
to poverty reduction in Canada.
Source:
Canadian Council on Social Development
Related links:
- Go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm
TIP:
How to Search for a Word or Expression on a Single Web Page
Open any web page in your browser, then hold down the Control ("Ctrl")
key on your keyboard and type the letter F to open a "Find" window.
Type or paste in a key word or expression and hit Enter - your browser
will go directly to the first occurrence of that word (or those exact
words, as the case may be). To continue searching using the same keyword(s)
throughout the rest of the page, keep clicking on the FIND NEXT button.
Try it. It's a great time-saver!
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Site created and maintained by:
Gilles Séguin(This link takes you to my
personal page)
E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com
