montants des prestations d’aide sociale – Project Genesis

Opinion: Quebec’s welfare reform bill is aiming at the wrong target

PG — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 19:12:00 +0000

Montreal Gazette – February 2, 2016

(en anglais)

The purpose of Bill 70, “An Act to allow a better match between training and jobs and to facilitate labour market entry,” supposedly is to encourage welfare applicants to “escape the vicious cycle of poverty” by forcing them to look for work and to accept any job.

The sad reality is that frequently the largest obstacle that welfare recipients confront when struggling to get back on their feet and into the job market is the welfare system itself.

For example, far from encouraging welfare recipients to find work, the welfare system makes getting back to work an obstacle course. Agents frequently make mistakes when calculating how much money to deduct from someone’s benefit when they have work income. For those living so close to the edge, the smallest underpayment can have disastrous consequences, as welfare recipients simply do not have enough of a cushion to make up for any shortfall. They risk losing benefits by working. This is not paranoia; it is a real danger for someone who can already barely pay the rent.

Sam Hamad, then minister of Labour, presents a bill to the Quebec legislature, Tuesday Nov. 10, 2015. On Jan. 28, he became president of the Treasury Board. Dominique Vien is the new minister responsible for Labour. (CLEMENT ALLARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS )

Welfare recipients also often need to ask employers for assistance to comply with the welfare system’s incessant requests for documents. This means they have to come out of the closet to their employers, a situation that is heart-wrenching given the incredible stigma in our society toward people who need to rely on government assistance to survive. It is not uncommon for employers to terminate employment or to refuse to re-hire someone, as some employers would prefer not to have to deal with an employee on welfare, given the system’s insatiable need for documentation.

To break out of this cycle of short-term, dead-end jobs, people need to be able upgrade their skills or retrain. Yet, professional courses are off-limits to welfare recipients. For example, many CEGEPs offer recertification programs for nursing assistants who have not worked recently. As welfare recipients are not allowed to be full-time students, they are not allowed to take these kinds of courses, making them completely inaccessible as they are also not covered by the loans and bursaries program. It is as though the government would prefer that welfare recipients stay mired in poverty.

Emploi Quebec does offer some training programs and it is possible to get an exemption from an Emploi Quebec agent so as to be allowed to study. However, if an agent turns a recipient down for a program, there is no way to contest that decision, even though it may have been unreasonable.

Even after completing a program, the vast majority of welfare recipients cannot find employment. This is not surprising as most welfare recipients are not out of work because of a personal failing, but because there are simply not enough jobs to go around. In 2014, Statistics Canada estimated that there were 43,000 open positions in Quebec, for 332,000 unemployed people in Quebec.

It is naive to believe that in the current job market it is easy to find work without extensive networking. The current welfare system keeps people in such extreme poverty that they lose contact with their former friends and colleagues. This kind of isolation is a recipe for being stuck in the system for the long term. How are you supposed to find a job when you can’t even afford a bus ticket to get to the interview?

The fact that the government refuses to address these well-known issues in the welfare system that lead to chronic unemployment leads to serious doubt about its intentions.

Is the purpose of Bill 70, which is currently the subject of hearings before a committee of the National Assembly, truly to help welfare applicants find work?

Or is it merely to create yet another justification for cutting someone’s welfare benefit?

By making policy based on prejudice and myth, the government is ensuring that poverty will be even more firmly entrenched in our society.

Cathy Inouye and Rosario Tapia are members of the Project Genesis Anti-Poverty Committee. Other members of the committee contributed to this article.

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Opinion: New welfare rules unfair to immigrants in particular

PG — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 22:17:00 +0000

Montreal Gazette – April 9, 2015

(En anglais)

Nobody wants to be on welfare. We are fed up of hearing that welfare recipients are a bunch of lazy bums who take it easy and travel. Those living on welfare are a heterogeneous group of people whose various life circumstances have forced them to ask for assistance. People may have lost their job due to sickness or accident, or been unable to find a job due to a variety of complex reasons. The government has an obligation to assist people in these circumstances as a means of ensuring that basic human rights are respected within its territory. Welfare was created to act as a social safety net in 1969, and would have continued to play that role had it been indexed adequately. Instead, a single person living on welfare is trapped on a budget of $616 per month, which is, needless to say, not enough cover rent, food, and other basic necessities.

Quebec Education Minister Francois Blais speaks during question period Thursday, March 19, 2015 at the legislature in Quebec City. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot)

Welfare is hard enough on people trying to survive on it. They face a gargantuan struggle to feed themselves, keep their apartment, and pay their bills. But the Ministry is threatening to put even more pressure on them with new rules, one of them being to limit the amount of time they can spend outside of the province. This decision seems to be based on the presumption that welfare recipients can afford to travel.

The reality is that there are immigrants who have not been able to go back to their countries of birth to visit family members in years; some have been invited by a family member to attend a relative’s wedding; some would have to travel back and forth between Montreal and out-of-province cities to be at a parent’s bedside while he or she was sick or dying.

People on welfare are already subject to scrutiny by the welfare system. They have to fill out a declaration each month regarding their activities and may be ordered to furnish bank statements going back years along with affidavits from friends, employers, and religious communities explaining how they have been able to survive on such a meagre cheque. By limiting the amount of time people can leave the province to 15 days, the government is further tightening the screws on the people with the least money in our society.

We also believe that these changes are going to affect immigrants more than any other people on welfare, penalizing those who have to cross a border to visit a sick parent, or attend a wedding or funeral. It might take years for someone’s family to raise enough money to offer them a plane ticket so they can visit, and through sheer mean-spiritedness the welfare system would cut this rare visit short.

The previous minister responsible for employment and social solidarity, François Blais, stated that the purpose of the reform was not to save money. It is projected that Quebec would save about $1.8 million dollars by cutting people off welfare when they leave the province for more than 15 days, out of a global budget of $4 billion. That’s a drop in the ocean!

Though this change would only have a tiny effect on the government’s budget, it would have a big effect on the concerned individuals. Even more shocking, these kinds of reforms, based on prejudices and misconceptions about the welfare system, affect all welfare recipients because it spreads the idea that they have it so easy. The new minister, Sam Hamad, should back down on these reforms and instead deal with the real incoherencies in the welfare system.

Myrtle Anderson, Mohamed Benkiran, Candy Barnes, Leroy Wedderburn and Susan Fitch are members of Project Genesis’s Anti-Poverty Committee.

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Travailler pour une solution

PG — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 03:38:16 +0000

Aissatou, bénévole du comité anti-pauvreté

TRAVAILLER POUR UNE SOLUTION

«Je trouve que tout mon travail dans le Comité anti-pauvreté est inspirant et enrichissant, mais je n’oublierai jamais notre jeu de serpents et échelles qu met en lumière le cercle vicieux qu’est la vie sur l’aide sociale. Peu importe ce qu’une personne fait, son revenu à la fin du mois est insuffisant. Lorsque nous avons fait notre présentation devant le public, l’intérêt des gens était très vif et ils étaient très accrochés.

Au sein de notre comité, nous continuons à travailler vers une solution et je crois qu’elle existe bel et bien. Nous devons nous assurer que les gens soient traités avec dignité.»

Aissatou, bénévole du Comité anti-pauvreté

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Impliquez-vous

Lutte à la pauvreté

‘Counter-productive’: Groups denounce welfare reform

PG — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 14:38:00 +0000

The Suburban – February 4, 2015

(En anglais)

“There’s still time,” says Clement Citeya of the Comité des Personnes Assistées Sociales de Pointe-Saint-Charles (CPAS). Still time that is, for the province to reconsider its welfare reforms that the groups calls counter-productive and shows “shocking contempt for welfare recipients and are based on a false understanding of the welfare system.”

Quebec is applying its austerity belt cinching to welfare rolls as well, affecting many of the nearly half-million Quebecers receiving social assistance.

CPAS along with Côte-des-Neiges based Project Genesis and other groups held a press conference last week to denounce the changes and Employment Minister François Blais’ “spreading false ideas rather than dealing with real social assistance issues.”

Quebec will begin cutting benefits to anyone outside the province for more than 15 days per month; slash benefits for those living in a property above a certain value, and decrease assistance for those with more than one roommate; and for those with modest levels of earned income. That last one is especially misdirected says David Régnier of ATD Quart Monde, and is actually a disincentive for recipients to integrate into the workforce. “Returning to work is therefore penalized rather than being encouraged. If Québec really wants to support social assistance recipients in their work integration efforts, it should increase the allowable work income of welfare recipients, which would be a simple and inexpensive measure.”

Some 127,000 Montrealers (including 50,000 children) live on social assistance according to a statement by the coalition, adding that many people find themselves on welfare rolls due to medical condition or disability, and experience ongoing barriers including “lack of jobs, low schooling levels, reading difficulties, limited professional experience, inaccessible work sites and linguistic barriers.” Most will likely receive “as little as $616 a month to deal with all their expenses including housing – this is not nearly enough to survive on,” stated Bénoît Racette of Ex-Aequo.

The group counters that individuals who receive the most support are those able to leave social assistance in the greatest numbers.

Quebec says a very small amount of recipients would be affected by the changes to the property and roommate rules, and is also including a $200 benefit for recipients living in a recognized rehabilitation centre, along with extra benefits to ensure they maintain their housing.

Joel Ceausu

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Letter: We should be waging a war on poverty, not on the poor

PG — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 23:27:00 +0000

Montreal Gazette – January 29, 2015

(En anglais)

Re: “Quebec to make changes to welfare program” (Montreal Gazette, Jan. 29)

One of the changes to the welfare system proposed by the Quebec government will make it harder for people on welfare to have roommates in order to split the rent. Given that the basic welfare cheque of $616 doesn’t even cover the average rent of a 3 1/2 in Montreal, the government is putting welfare recipients in an impossible situation: We won’t allow you to have enough income to cover the rent alone, but if you try to band together, we’ll call it income and cut your cheque.

As for the indexation of welfare benefits, they went up by a whopping 1.06 per cent this year.

MONTREAL, QUE.: July 8, 2010–Project Genesis members protest outside their local MNA, Quebec Minister of Finance Raymond Bachand’s office in Montreal Thursday July 8, 2010. (Allen McInnis / THE GAZETTE)

According to Statistics Canada, in Quebec, the price of food in stores went up 4.9 per cent this year. The hydro rate went up by 4.3 per cent as well.

The poorest among us are falling further behind. Government policies have become less effective at redistributing wealth over the past 30 years. How much longer will the people of Quebec stand by while the government wages this irrational war on the poor when we should be waging a war on poverty?

Cathy Inouye (community organizer at Project Genesis), Montreal

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(Audio) Changes to the welfare program

PG — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 23:11:00 +0000

CBC Radio Noon – January 28, 2015

(En anglais)

Radio call-in show discussing welfare reform. Speakers include MNA Manon Massé (QS), Solange Laliberté (ADDS MM), and Cathy Inouye (Project Genesis.)

Listen on Soundcloud.

Quebec unveils new rules for welfare recipients

PG — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 22:09:55 +0000

CTV News – January 28, 2015

(en anglais)

Upcoming rule changes will affect welfare recipients with two or more roommates, who own homes or who spend significant time outside of the province.

Social assistance recipients who spend 15 days or more outside of the province will also be cut off from welfare, according to the new rules that will take effect on July 1.

Those with more than one roommate will receive less and recipients who fail to report their full income will also be punished, Employment Minister Francois Blais announced in Montreal Wednesday.

Some critics were quick to denounce the measures.

« The type of changes they’re proposing certainly propagate a lot of prejudice about welfare recipients. We believe these changes are based on miscomprehensions about the reality of the most marginal people in our society, » said Cathy Inouye of Project Genesis.

The Quebec government expects to save $16 million from the adjustments, which they estimate will affect 16,000 of the 442,000 welfare recipients in the province.

One social worker noted that the adjustments will compound difficulties caused by other social cuts.

“We have a place where people can come and work on certain objectives that will eventually lead them to employment. Recently the government has made cutbacks to that program,” said Kady Cavanaugh of Multi-Caf.

Watch video on the CTV news website.

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Pas plus de deux semaines à l’étranger pour les assistés sociaux

PG — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 19:55:02 +0000

Journal de Montréal – 27 janvier 2015

Les prestataires de l’aide sociale ne pourront voyager plus de deux semaines à l’étranger sans être pénalisés selon de nouvelles mesures qui seront annoncées sous peu par Québec, ce qui renforcera les préjugés envers les assistés sociaux, déplorent les organismes qui leur viennent en aide.

«Il n’existe pas de Club Med pour les assistés sociaux! s’exclame Russell Harrison, un ancien enseignant d’anglais qui vit maintenant de l’aide sociale. C’est un mensonge de dire que les assistés sociaux ont les moyens de se payer des vacances.»

(Image: Journal de Montréal, Pierre-Paul Poulin)

Le ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale devrait présenter «très bientôt» des «ajustements» à l’aide sociale, a confirmé au Journal Julie White, attachée de presse du ministre François Blais. Ces mesures permettraient d’économiser entre 10 et 15 M$, sur un budget total de 2,9 G$ par année, selon le ministère.

Un bénéficiaire de l’aide sociale ne pourra plus partir deux mois à l’extérieur du Québec (le maximum, présentement), mais seulement 15 jours.

Plusieurs groupes sociaux, réunis en conférence de presse hier, dénonçaient que le gouvernement propage des idées fausses sur les prestataires de l’aide sociale. «On ne vit pas bien sur le BS, a martelé David Régnier, d’ATD Quart-Monde. Ce n’est pas vrai qu’on a les moyens d’aller en vacances en Floride.»

«Ceux qui se retrouvent dans cette situation, ce sont des gens qui doivent aller voir leur famille malade à l’étranger, par exemple», a expliqué Cathy Inouye, de Projet Genèse.

Un seul «chambreur»

Une autre mesure de la réforme de l’aide sociale pénaliserait les prestataires qui louent plus d’une chambre dans leur appartement. Actuellement, une personne qui reçoit de l’aide sociale peut avoir un maximum de deux colocataires, lorsque seul son nom figure dans le bail.

C’est le cas de Jonathan, un jeune Montréalais qui a préféré taire son nom de famille par crainte de représailles du bureau d’aide sociale. Il a dû déclarer qu’il avait seulement deux colocataires dans son 6 1/2 pour mettre fin à son calvaire, alors qu’il en a trois. C’est que l’aide sociale lui enlevait 40 % de ses «revenus». Résultat: il se retrouvait avec un chèque mensuel de 120 $.

«Comment je suis censé vivre avec ce montant-là, payer mon loyer? Ça n’a aucun sens!» s’exclame-t-il.

Si le nombre de chambreurs accepté est réduit à un seul, Jonathan ne sait pas comment il arrivera.

«On ne s’attaque pas au bon endroit, avec cette réforme, croit l’avocat Jimmy Lambert, spécialisé en droit social. C’est un coup d’épée dans l’eau… Mais pendant ce temps-là, on ne débusque pas les vrais fraudeurs.»

La réforme de l’aide sociale prévoirait également de pénaliser les prestataires qui possèdent une résidence dont la valeur dépasse 200 000 $.

«Le gouvernement reconnaît que seulement quelques centaines de personnes pourraient être touchées par ces mesures, affirme David Régnier. Et pendant ce temps, il ne s’attaque pas aux “vraies affaires”, c’est-à-dire aider ces personnes à retourner sur le marché de l’emploi.»

Camille Laurin-Desjardins

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La réforme de l’aide sociale risque de renforcer les préjugés, dénoncent des organismes

PG — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:04:45 +0000

Métro – 27 janvier 2015

Neuf organismes de soutien aux personnes assistées sociales et aux travailleurs précaires ont dénoncé mardi les modifications à l’aide sociale qui devraient être annoncées prochainement par le ministre de la Solidarité sociale François Blais.

Six mesures règlementaires sont présentement envisagées par le ministre, a confirmé son attachée de presse Julie White, dont la majorité se traduiraient par des coupures de prestations. Selon des informations obtenues par La Presse, l’objectif est notamment d’économiser 15 M$ par année.

(Image : Métro)

«Ces mesures ne vont toucher qu’une minorité de personnes, mais elles véhiculent des préjugés et elles n’aideront pas les gens à revenir au travail», a plaidé David Régnier, de l’organisme ATD Quart-Monde. Pour déboulonner certains «mythes» tenaces sur les personnes pauvres, ATD Quart-Monde a produit des publicités et un petit manuel présentés par M. Régnier mardi.

Un premier préjugé propagé par ces mesures serait qu’on vit bien en étant sur l’aide sociale. En témoignerait la mesure qui proposerait d’empêcher les prestataires de quitter le Québec plus de 15 jours consécutifs. «Ce n’est pas vrai que les personnes sur l’aide sociale peuvent voyager pour le plaisir, a affirmé Cathy Inouye, organisatrice au Projet Genèse. Les seules personnes qu’on reçoit chez nous qui veulent sortir du pays, c’est pour visiter leurs familles à l’étranger lorsqu’il y a des décès ou de la maladie.» L’allocation de 704$ par mois pour une personne seule suffirait à peine à couvrir les besoins de base. Il en faudrait néanmoins 1437$, selon les chiffres du Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion du Québec.

«Pourquoi cibler ceux qui sont déjà les plus pauvres pour faire des économies, au lieu de regarder où s’en va l’argent des plus riches?» – Russell Harrison, membre du Projet Genèse

Une autre mesure qui fait sourciller est celle qui obligerait ceux qui sous-louent des chambres de leur logement à déclarer les revenus qu’ils en tirent dès la deuxième chambre. Ces revenus seraient ensuite pris en compte dans le calcul de leurs prestations. «En coupant ces revenus, ces personnes débrouillardes ne seront plus capables de payer le loyer et vous allez vous retrouver avec plusieurs personnes à la rue. Ça va créer de l’itinérance», a dénoncé un bénéficiaire de l’aide sociale qui a préféré ne pas s’identifier.

Toujours selon les organismes présents à la conférence de presse, les mesures restreignant les prestations entretiennent l’idée fausse selon laquelle les bénéficiaires de l’aide sociale sont des fraudeurs et qu’il faut couper dans leurs chèques pour les remettre au travail. «C’est plutôt en leur offrant plus de soutien par le biais de programmes d’aide que ces personnes pourront quitter l’aide sociale», a soulevé M. Régnier.

Roxane Léouzon

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Vidéo : « Prochaines sorties barrées » // 10/10/2014

PG — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 19:39:19 +0000

GRFPQ – 10 octobre, 2014

Film documentaire par le groupe de recherche et de formation sur la pauvreté au Québec (GRFPQ).

À partir de l’expérience et du point de vue d’un groupe de personnes qui vivent au Québec de prestations d’aide sociale, le film documentaire illustre comment différentes «barrières» socio-économiques entrainent et surtout maintiennent dans la pauvreté.

Il est d’abord conçu comme outil de sensibilisation en s’attaquant aux préjugés que subissent les personnes qui vivent dans la pauvreté et en particulier les personnes assistées sociales.

Il est aussi utilisable dans une démarche conscientisante avec des personnes qui subissent elles-mêmes la pauvreté.

Avec la participation des membres et bénévoles du comité anti-pauvreté de Projet Genèse.

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Lutte à la pauvreté

novembre 25, 2013

Notre travail d’organisation communautaire de lutte contre la pauvreté part de l’idée que tout le monde doit avoir les moyens financiers pour accéder à une qualité de vie décente.