In these times of food drives, Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Chantal Rouleau, I think it is appropriate to challenge you on the fight against poverty in Quebec. I am writing to you because it is impossible for me to cover the majority of my basic needs. Basic social assistance benefits are $726 per month. This is what I currently receive because my job limitations are not recognized. Prices go up every month, while my benefits only go up once a year and don’t keep up with inflation.
The prices are so high that I cry every time I go grocery shopping. I also have to pay for my prescriptions, as their costs are not fully covered. My prescriptions cost me close to $100 a month and without my meds I can’t get treatment. It’s a huge cost for such small benefits. However, I should not choose between eating and treating myself. I find this unacceptable when we live in a supposedly rich country.
Even living in an HLM, I can’t cover my other basic needs. I would like to move in order to live in a safe environment for me, but your ministry would not help me to cover the costs. I have to live with violent neighbors without any support. Access to private accommodation is impossible for me, because the monthly payment is too high. When one of my appliances no longer works, I can’t afford to buy another one, even second-hand. The unexpected in life can happen to anyone, including you, Mr.me Roll.
Your leader, François Legault, believes that a non-recurring check for $600 in December would help people with an annual income of less than $50,000 to cope with inflation. This amount would help me buy new winter boots because I have big feet and not all clothing counters have boots in my size. The boots I have have holes, the snow gets in and melts inside. We get the first snow each year in November, so my feet will be freezing for a few weeks. Without this check, I couldn’t get myself new boots without cutting into another essential need. In addition, this one-time check does not allow me to get out of poverty for the rest of the year, like the food drive.
Despite my unrecognized job constraints, I hope to find a job one day. But if I found one, I couldn’t earn more than $200 each month from work, otherwise the surplus would be cut 100%. This equates to about four hours per week. Do you know any employers who could hire me for such short hours of work?
I feel like you don’t want me to come out of poverty.
However, solutions exist, such as extending the Basic Income Program to all social assistance recipients. This would allow me to cover all my essential needs: housing, groceries, prescriptions, body care, clothing, leisure, transportation, housekeeping, furniture and communication. Unfortunately, my benefits do not even cover half of my basic needs.
So M.me Rouleau, are you going to put in place real measures to fight against poverty? Or do you prefer to fight against the poor, as your predecessor did? In four years, your political party has done nothing to really help people in precarious situations like me.