We have carefully read in The duty the text of François Blais (“Basic income and the future of social solidarity”), professor at Laval University and former Minister of Social Solidarity in the government of Philippe Couillard. We remembered those long months spent debating with an inflexible minister who had given himself the mandate to withdraw rights from a portion of people on social assistance. In fact, Bill 70 reduced the benefits of new recipients of social assistance by up to 50% if they refused to enroll in a study or work integration program.
The minister was adamant that we had to “earn” state aid. He argued that people on social assistance without employment restrictions — in ministerial jargon — had to make efforts, help themselves a little. Of course, we would say, and that’s what people at the bottom try to do. Because it is really not fun to survive on meager benefits, in unsanitary housing, with very often social and health problems.
A misery
Former Minister Blais had therefore decided to slash the right to a decent income, which was included in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. In 2016, a person receiving social assistance said to be “able to work” received $630 per month. A misery. So we fought the battle, with the support of several advocacy organizations.
For a year, we relied on jurists, philosophers, trade unionists, and above all on testimonies from social workers, to tell the Minister that his orientation was going to further despair people who really did not need us starves them to help them. The law was finally passed in 2016 despite notable opposition from Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois.
What about today ?
We do not share the former minister’s enthusiasm for the changes made to the Individual and Family Assistance Act. Yes, 84,000 people will see their situation improve thanks to a few long-awaited measures. People with “severe long-term employment constraints” will have an annual income of around $21,000 in 2023. Kudos for that…but there are currently 319,000 welfare recipients.
We are therefore talking about approximately 236,000 people who will see no change in their situation. We rejoice for those who, finally, will live better. But there is everything that the former Liberal minister does not say!
He does not say that currently a person on social assistance who is said to be “able to work” receives around $800 per month, therefore close to $10,000 per year. One will ask: “If she is able to work, why does she not work?” If it were that simple! All the social workers explain that these people are experiencing significant problems: young people who have left youth centers, completely disoriented, illiterate adults, older people who have lost their jobs and are in distress, immigrants or refugees who do not know where to start… The situations are many and complex. Real specialists say, “Let us help them, give them time, and above all, increase benefits, because who can live on $800 a month?” »
Indeed, who can live with so little in this period of galloping inflation and housing crisis? And that’s why food banks are no longer sufficient. The Legault government grants them an additional amount of six million dollars. Very good. But would it not finally be fair and worthy to increase the basic benefits of all people on social assistance?
Significant increase in the minimum wage
Many voices are rightly raised to demand a marked increase in the minimum wage. We are. Note, however, that a person at the very bottom of the scale, therefore on social assistance, and said to be “able to work” receives three times less than a person who works at the minimum wage. We no longer speak of a decent life, but of survival.
We do not believe that Quebeckers voted for that. We believe that the fight against poverty requires recognizing that a decent income is a right. We do not believe it is acceptable for some to enrich themselves at the expense of Quebec, like Rio Tinto, which pays almost no tax, while others, our poorest brothers and sisters, suffer from hunger. It is simply intolerable. It must be said.