Social Assistance Recipients' Right to a Decent IncomePeople on social assistance are among the most vulnerable in society and in Quebec they have been fighting relentlessly for close to 50 years for the full recognition of their rights. More than 272,680 Quebec households receive social assistance and are forced to deal with the brutality of the anti-social offensive.
Eighty civil society groups have joined voices in the Common Front of Quebec Social Assistance Recipients (FCPASQ) to demand sufficient support to assist the unemployed in coping with the crisis they face, especially within this bleak and critical period of the pandemic. From May 4 to 8, the 47th Week of Dignity for Quebec Social Assistance Recipients, these demands were reiterated. Many activities were organized online, such as the launch of a video denouncing the situation, testimonial thumbnails, and discussion panels. People on social assistance receive $690 per month, although the federal government has set the monthly amount needed to adequately protect oneself at $2,000. While the government has provided funds for food banks, this does nothing to address the extreme poverty in which those on social assistance are living. According to the Market Basket Measure, the amount required to cover the minimum basic needs of a single person living in Montreal in 2019 was set at $18,424 annually ($1,535 per month). The monthly $690 received by those on social assistance falls far below that.
In Montreal, 16.2 per cent of the population over 12 years of age are experiencing food insecurity. Those 12 to 39 years of age are most affected, in particular those between the ages of 30 and 39. As a result, an ever-increasing number of people are turning to food banks. The latest attack on social assistance recipients was launched by the Philippe Couillard Liberal government through the JobLink program, on April 1, 2018, which encourages new social assistance recipients to take measures to find a job. Those who agree to participate are rewarded with an increase in their benefits of $240 per month, while penalties of up to $224 are applied to those who refuse to commit. The controversial program was denounced from the outset by recipients, community groups and officials. To date, the François Legault CAQ government has not announced any support for those on social assistance, which is unacceptable. With an end to confinement now on the horizon, far from being overwhelmed by this state of affairs, people on social assistance, collectively, continue to fight for the full recognition of their rights. A Decent Income for All! (Translated from original French by Workers' Forum.)
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The situation has
worsened as a result of the pandemic and social
containment measures recommended by public
authorities. Social isolation is just a pipe
dream for those living on low incomes, who must
make their way to the remaining food banks and
to various grocery stores in search of lower
prices so they can feed themselves. Increased
trips are necessary when people do not have a
way to store food. Already part of an at-risk
population, people with low-incomes are forced
into harm's way and a greater risk of catching
and spreading COVID-19, as their circumstances
require that they move around, often taking the
bus. That is the main reality of those living on
social assistance.
According to
figures provided by the City of Montreal in
2019, 29 per cent of residents live below the
poverty line. That rate is higher than in other
Canadian cities -- for example, Vancouver, 27
per cent; Toronto; 25 per cent; and Calgary; 14
per cent.