Social assistance recipients will soon no longer have dedicated agents under a new digital shift in the services of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Crying about the “dehumanization” of the system, social groups are launching a final appeal to the government to step back.
“That these people need to re-explain their case with the difficulties they are experiencing is completely absurd,” says Christian Daigle, president of the Quebec Public and Parapublic Service Union. “They are going to become a number. »
Before being released to exercise union functions, Mr. Daigle was a socio-economic aid agent for people who benefit from income support.
“We have extensive training in social work or in a field related to social services. This training is to help people. It’s not about being on an assembly line, it is not to provide customer service, as we do at Videotron, at Bell or at Mastercard. »
In an open letter published Friday, its union and more than 300 representatives of social groups urge the government not to move forward and brandish the threat of a “new fiasco”. In addition to the SFPQ, the letter is co-signed by representatives of the Collective for a Quebec without Poverty, the Family Economy Cooperative Associations, the Common Front of People on Social Assistance and organizations helping disabled people and the homeless, among others. others.
“The inability to speak with a single agent responsible for their file will increase the anxiety of many providers, limit the quality of the follow-up offered to them and increase the potential for errors in complex files. » According to Mr. Daigle, this could even push some people onto the street.
The reform aims to consolidate social assistance files in a new computer system, which will distribute tasks and calls to agents throughout the territory according to their availability.
In the works for at least five years, the changes were implemented in 2023 for the 88,000 and some basic income recipients, a new government program – more generous than the others – which is intended for people with a work disability recognized for several years.
In the case of other categories of social assistance recipients (nearly 170,000 people), the government’s plans are less clear. : “A gradual deployment is envisaged for other clienteles, depending on the progress of the work,” indicated the ministry in writing.
Better support
Contacted yesterday, the office of Minister Chantal Rouleau directed The duty to the communications department of the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity. The latter indicates that “new technologies will allow agents to have more time to support customers”.
Having a dedicated agent posed a problem during vacations and absences, the ministry also argues. Thus, with the new system, “customers” will be able to obtain a response at any time, even when absent, from the first available agent (continuity of services), “regardless of their origin or the territory served”.
Another advantage: fairness. According to the ministry, this would allow “more uniform and equitable processing of requests based on priority activities and documents”.
The ministry finally promises that people will be able to have “personalized support” by coming to the Service Québec offices in their sector. Verification carried out, this means that the person is seen “by the first available agent when they present themselves”, specified the ministry in response to questions from the Duty.
This is not the first time that unions and community groups have challenged the government on this issue.
“We have been asking to meet the ministers for three years,” underlines Mr. Daigle. “We do not understand why there is such a great lack of collaboration for a measure that will have such a major impact on people on social assistance. »