Social assistance rates to rise effective July 1
Social assistance recipients will have a little more money to get by on when increases to the government program become effective July 1.
Social assistance recipients will have a little more money to get by on when increases to the government program become effective July 1.
The amount that single people will be eligible for goes up 34 per cent from $895 a month to $1,200.
Rates for a family of four will rise 32 per cent, from $1,852 to $2,444 monthly.
These totals are rendered into five categories - shelter, food, fuel and utilities, clothing and incidentals.
Of these, fuel and utilities get the biggest boost with $135 more a month available for single SA recipients and $144 more for families.
"The most significant improvement we made to the social assistance structure changes the earned income exemption to help people enter the workforce and become self-reliant," Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers said earlier this week.
To take effect next week, the three-month waiting period for the earned income exemption has been waived, and working SA recipients will be able to keep $2 of every $4 earned, an increase of 50 per cent.
In terms of percentages, changes to SA payments - the first in 17 years - have kept up with the Consumer Price Index increases from 1991.
However, with the average two-bedroom apartment in Whitehorse renting for $755 monthly, the shelter allotments - $492 a month for singles and $807 for families - don't keep pace with economic realities.
NDP Leader Todd Hardy welcomes the changes but said the increases don't "nearly reflect how much basic costs have risen since the last SA increase."
"In reality, a single person living in a hotel room with no cooking facilities will have trouble eating properly for only $201 a month and a family with teenaged kids will be hard-pressed to keep them clothed on a monthly clothing allowance of only $216," said Hardy.
Kate O'Donnell of Maryhouse, an emergency food program in Whitehorse, agrees, sharing similar reservations about SA money reflecting the reality on the ground.
"It's not the total answer, but it's a good step in the right direction," she said in an interview today.
"At least these amounts have been increased," O'Donnell said.
It's difficult to imagine a family of four eating well on $804 a month, the new SA family allowance for food, she added.
"You'd have to be pretty good at budgeting ... $200 doesn't seem like a lot (for a single person either) because you can drop a lot of money fast at the grocery store."
Comments (11)
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Aleine Shaw on Jun 9, 2008 at 9:55 am
JT
"How is $11 crap? You should check out the wages in Alberta"
Well i live in Edmonton alberta and your wages in the yukon are a joke.
We are hurting for people to come here and work, a large majority of business's in edmonton-calgary area pay upward to 18.00 an hour.
Subway restarants in edmonton pay 15.00 an hour to start with a 1000.00 bonus if you stay longer than 3 months, in fact a signing bonus is becoming more and more daily with business's here.
Your cocky attitude shows that you dont know alot when it comes to employment EVEN in your own town, nonless in my province.
I love the yukon, its a nice break from a busy city like mine, but i have to agree, wages up there are just not in line.
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JT on Jun 7, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Really? Then why is every business in town crying for staff? People are lazy. You will not change my opinion. After seeing countless employees start work only to never be seen again after three or four shifts.
How is $11 crap? You should check out the wages in Alberta.
You want to know what is crummy? Going to college for two years only to find you are paid $9 an hour WITH a degree. The employees at Superstore are paid more (see above) with no experience and no college.
I'm full of something alright. It's called a strong work ethic and there is not a lazy bone in my body.
But...you are entitled to your opinion.
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Angie on Jun 7, 2008 at 3:04 am
Wow, I am appalled at the atitutde of some here.
FYI not everyone on income assitance is lazy. I dare you to live on income assistance and see how YOU like it. I bet more then a few people would like to be working, but due to bad health, other reasons they are NOT working
Sounds like someone has a chip on his block, eh JT? What does "Stupid" Store have to do with the income assitance rates anyways?!
You forgot to mention, Super Store only hires part time! So how is that supposed to go towards earning a meaningful wage when one might have children to support?
Give your head a shake buddy, and welcome to reality. You want to bitch about the rates and the people on income assitance, then why not do something yourself to change it?!
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JT on Jun 6, 2008 at 9:40 am
Let me correct myself. Superstore pays 11.05 an hour to start with a shift premium during the day of 1.00. Every department is hiring so apply!
To the customers who are complaining that there are no cashiers when you are ready to check out remember it is not the cashier's fault who IS there nor the supervisors, managers or other staff. They came to work and are made to work three times as hard due to the staff shortages. The last thing they need is you yelling at them or giving them a hard time.
Why don't you ask them how THEIR day is going and think about what it is like in your workplace when you are treated that way. You wouldn't like it if that particular employee came to your business and treated YOU that way.
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joe on Jun 6, 2008 at 9:31 am
Lazy... Wow.. Your full of something there. I know a few people on assistance and they are anything but.. they work hard, yet cant seem to make ends meet in our crummy yukon economy. 9.00 to 11.00 an hour is crap while you live in the yukon.
Typical hater of people on assistance, thinking all of them are lazy. get a life
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JT on Jun 4, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Superstore pays 10.40 an hour with a shift premium of 1.00 if you work during the day. That is 11.40 an hour plus if you are available anytime you will get 37 hours a week. There is also full time positions available so don't tell me that they have to stay on SA. That is crap.
Businesses do not need to wake the hell up. People do. There are very lazy people living here. Get to work!
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Jeff on Jun 4, 2008 at 9:49 am
Well if various business would pay more to meet the yukon economy, im sure less people would get off of sa.. I actually know a few mothers in town that try and have more kids so SA will bump there monthly cheques up, so they sit at home, sell weed and make more money. now that is crap. There should be rules and laws but im afraid the yukon is beyond the times. A single parent cannot make it on 9.00 an hour, business's wake the hell up and up your pay.
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JT on Jun 3, 2008 at 7:15 am
Why don't they get a job? Do you know how many businesses in town do NOT have enough people to work? If anything, they should have lowered it. I for one am sick of working hard (harder) so they can have more money to sit at home.
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Anthony on Jun 2, 2008 at 7:23 pm
CT - "We have been waiting a long time for the much needed increases in pay."
Waiting a long time? Social assistance isn't a long term solution, it is largely a social safety net that should be designed around mobilizing people back into the work force. While I understand there are those simply unable to work there are also many who'd rather take a cheque for doing nothing. If you're healthy there should be no reason you can't work, almost every place in town is looking for workers with virtually any set of skills.
Workfare - Bring it on.
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Florian Lemphers on Jun 2, 2008 at 7:09 am
This is a very positive development. Costs of basic items such as fuel, food and housing have risen tremendously over the last several years. The Yukon government should index the SA rates back to the spatial consumer price index in the Yukon, as was done 1980's for a time, so that rates can automatically keep up with increased costs. This would tend to de-politicise the whole matter of changes to the social assistance rates.
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CT on May 30, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Well its a start, it could have went up a few more dollars for single parents but at least the government is trying to help those in need. We have been waiting a long time for the much needed increases in pay. It should have been implented a few months ago but better now than never.