Clients
Every person regardless of status, whether on assistance for singles, or
persistent barriers to employment, would be allowed to earn $500.00
over and above their cheque without having it deducted. Those on
disability pension will be allowed to earn $800.00 come Oct. of 2012.
The government has decided to allow all others to earn $200.00 per month,
regardless of family size. I have read the article regarding the new legislation for
Social Assistance, and unless you have a degree in legalese,
it makes no sense. I couldn't make head nor tales of the article.
The way to get people back to work is not through threats and intimidation.
Policies need to be worded in a way that everyone can understand.
The way it would work, is that if someone wanted to make bread and sell it for some extra money, there would be an expense to the client. It costs them money for the ingredients, whatever electricity or propane is needed to cook the bread, bags to put them in etc.
In the middle of the monthly cycle of the cheques, (on the 15th of the month, instead of the 5th) they would sit down, take all the money they made, and subtract the expenses. They would only be required to declare the profits. That way, the deductions, if any, would be reflected in the very next cheque.
The way it is now, Jane Doe makes some money in January, receives a cheque at the end of January, and declares her income, which is what she is supposed to do. She gets penalized for that at the end of February, and has even less money to survive on in the month of March.
Then, if someone is lucky enough to get a job, the system starts deducting right away, until that client is almost totally off welfare. If that client loses their job, they are expected to survive on $25.00 for a month. I have seen it happen more than once.
It seems to me, that, that kind of behaviour on the government's part is detrimental, cruel, inhumane, although I don't believe they are doing it on purpose. They just don't understand what it's like.
I challenge anyone who does not believe me, especially someone from the current Legislature to live on Assistance for 3 months. No favours! You would be expected to live exactly how everyone else does, from the intake, all the way through. If it is required of you to fill out a job search form in order to receive another cheque, then you yourself will have to go out and pound the pavement. No cheating, meaning you are not allowed to access any of your own money, only what you get from Social Assistance. You will have to find a place to live, pay your own bills, and buy your own food.
People on the system live all month with little to no money, then society wonders why they go crazy on and just after cheque day. There are even months when clients have to go for 5 weeks between cheques.
The system, as it stands now, has not kept up with inflation, and furthermore is designed to keep people down.
