BC Welfare Legislation Remains Oppressive to the Poor

The Active Community Presence Committee of Stop the Welfare Cuts Coalition urges British Columbians not to be fooled by the recent Liberal government’s addition of an exemption to the Two Year Time Limit cut off.

As Benita Bunjun from Vancouver Status of Women notes,: “Let us not forget that as of April 2002 the Liberal government of BC introduced wide-ranging regressive changes to income assistance, affecting approximately 150,000 British Columbians.”  Such changes are designed to enable a cut of $581 million, approximately one-third of the Ministry of Human resources operating budget over the next three years (Klein and Long 2003). These changes occurred and are still occurring at the same time as intense restructuring of almost all other government services, including health education, labour, and the environment.

“The reality is that BC’s current Employment and Income Assistance Act and Regulations continue to be detrimental to the lives of people on income assistance,” says Megan Oleson of the Anti-Poverty Committee. Since April 2002, the BC Liberal government has attacked poor, women and the marginalized by implementing the following welfare changes:

• Restructuring of Disability Benefits – complete overhaul via assessment review for every person on Disability Benefits.
• Cuts to rates and benefits – welfare benefit rates for employable single parents have been cut by $51 a month (BCCEDAW, 2003) and support allowances for single “employable welfare recipients between the ages of 55 and 64 have been cut by between $47 and $98 per month, while couples in this age group have lost up to $144 per month (Klein and Long; BCCEDAW, 2003)
•  Two year time limit cuts and reduction –Starting April 1, 2002, single and couples without children classified as “employable” by the Ministry of Human Resources will only be entitled to receive benefits for two out of every five years.  In addition, after the two year time limit, benefits for single parents and two parents families will be reduced by $100 and $200 per month respectively.
• Targeting single moms – single parents categorized as “employable” are expected to work as soon as their youngest child turn three.
• Two year independence rule – Applicants age 19 over are required to demonstrate that they have been financially independent for two consecutive years before they are eligible to apply for income assistance.

Active Community Presence mobilizes all communities to fight welfare cuts.  Join us on Monday Feb 23 at 1pm across the province we will be organizing and participating in a Day of Action. We are inviting groups and individuals to adopt a welfare office, and to rally and show their fight back to cuts to welfare, across the city.

For Information and an Organizing Tool Kit, contact the Anti-Poverty Committee at 604-682-2726