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- Welfare Incomes 2009 Postcards
Postcard 1 - What is welfare?
Welfare, or social assistance, is the social safety net of last resort in Canada. It provides financial and other assistance to individuals or families who have exhausted all other means of financial support.
Is welfare the same across Canada?
NO. Welfare works differently in every single province and territory – including how you qualify, what rules you must follow in order to get benefits, and how much money, supplies and services you can receive.
Can anyone get welfare?
NO. Determining if you qualify for welfare is a complex process. First, you must meet various administrative requirements. For example, you will have to provide written documentation concerning your financial situation. Second, you must undergo a needs test which reviews your assets, income and basic needs.
Postcard 2 - True or False
Could you qualify for welfare?
I lost my job and I don’t have enough money to pay for my housing and to buy food. I can automatically qualify for welfare.
FALSE. Anyone applying for welfare must undergo an asset test in order to qualify. If you have a certain amount of savings, you will be required to use up those savings before you can qualify. In some provinces, if you have a car, you may be required to sell it.
But can I stay in my house?
YES. In most jurisdictions, you do not have to sell your house in order to qualify for welfare.
That’s a relief.
NOT REALLY. Most likely your welfare payments won’t be enough to pay your mortgage. So you may have to sell your home anyway. And when you do sell it, any profit you make will be counted as an asset and your benefits could be affected.
A single person considered employable
Postcard 3 - A single person considered employable - How much welfare could you receive in 2009?
Is the amount of welfare income the same across the country?
NO. In 2009, the total welfare income for a single person considered employable ranged from $9,593 in Newfoundland and Labrador to $3,773 in New Brunswick.
Did welfare incomes go up in 2009?
YES. Generally, welfare incomes for single employable persons increased between 2008 and 2009. When adjusted for inflation, the increase ranged from 0.6% in Nova Scotia to 33.1% in Alberta.
So that means single people receiving welfare are better off than they used to be?
NO. Looking at the change between 1990 and 2009, there were increases in welfare incomes in only three jurisdictions: Saskatchewan, Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador was the only jurisdiction where the increase in welfare income exceeded the cost of living.
Postcard 4 - A single person with a disability- How much welfare could you receive in 2009?
Is the amount of welfare income the same across the country?
NO. In 2009, the total welfare income for a single person with a disability ranged from $12,905 in Ontario to $8,665 in New Brunswick.
Did welfare incomes go up in 2009?
YES. Generally, welfare incomes for single persons with a disability increased between 2008 and 2009, except in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia.
So that means that single people with disabilities receive enough welfare meet their needs?
NO. In every province or territory the welfare income of a single person with a disability is below the poverty line.
Postcard 5 - A lone parent with a child aged two- How much welfare could you receive in 2009?
Is the amount of welfare income the same across the country?
NO. In 2009, the total welfare income for a lone parent with one child ranged from $19,297 in Newfoundland and Labrador to $14,829 in Manitoba.
Did welfare incomes go up in 2009?
YES. Generally, welfare incomes for a lone parent with one child increased between 2008 and 2009, except in the Northwest Territories.
So that means a lone parent has enough welfare income to provide for their child?
NO. In every province or territory, except Newfoundland and Labrador, the welfare income of a lone parent with one child is below the poverty line. In some jurisdictions welfare income is just below the poverty line. In other jurisdictions it is more than $5,000 below the poverty line.
Postcard 6 - A couple with two children aged 10 and 15 - How much welfare could you receive in 2009?
Is the amount of welfare income the same across the country?
NO. In 2009, the total welfare income for a couple with two children ranged from $24,045 in Prince Edward Island to $19,775 in New Brunswick.
Did welfare incomes go up in 2009?
YES. Welfare incomes for a couple with two children increased between 2008 and 2009, except in the Northwest Territories. When adjusted for inflation, the increases ranged from 0.4% in Manitoba to 9.7% in the Yukon.
So that means that families with two children are better off than they used to be?
NO. Welfare incomes for families with two children have not kept up with inflation. In Ontario and Manitoba, welfare incomes have decreased by over 20% since 1990.
Postcard 7 - True or False
Working your way off welfare
I’m on welfare and I finally found a job that will give me a few hours of work a week. That will make me better off, won’t it?
MAYBE. Most provinces and territories allow you to earn a certain amount of money. However, your welfare benefit will most likely be reduced by some – or all – of your earnings. In most cases, you will see an increase in your overall income, but it may not be very much. You will likely have some extra work-related expenses such as transportation. These expenses could eat up the small increase in your income.
I’m on welfare and I can’t find a job in my community. I want to move somewhere else where there are more job possibilities or where I can upgrade my skills. I can do this, right?
TRUE, BUT ... it will likely be hard for you to afford to move, given that most welfare incomes are below the poverty line. In addition, you likely don’t have many savings left since you had to use them up in order to qualify for welfare. Depending on where you move, your benefits could be affected, the rules might be different or you may have to reapply for welfare.