Our Analysis:
This low grade is a reflection of where people in poverty score on the government’s overall priority list. Everyone has the right to a livable income that affords them a good quality of life, whether their income is from wages, pensions, or other supports. No one has the right to decide who is entitled to live in dignity, free from cold and hunger. We know that the Minister of Social Services and Seniors has tried to call the federal government to account. We know that the Department has made improvements where they can and has tried to use well the resources allotted to their work. But the resources are inadequate. Even after a long winter and rising oil, fuel, and food costs that left people struggling, the Provincial Budget for the
coming year barely keeps pace with current needs and actual spending from last year for people on social assistance.
It’s time for government to set consistent “low income” measurements. Some programs set $30,000 as the low income cut-off for households, while others set the bar at $40,000. If you’re “poor” for one service, you’re “poor” for another.
This is an excerpt from the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women 2008 Equality Report Card for PEI, released in June 2008 and based on information updated to May 30, 2008.
