Stories:

Kim - rent $960 for a famliy of 6
Rose - income $1069 - rent $861
Asma - income $957- rent $760
D.W. - income $1120 - rent $675
Melody - income $775.00 and $213.00 child support- rent $950.00
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My name is Kim. I have a common law husband and four children ages 3 to 9, our monthly income varies because my husband works at a minimum wage job and welfare takes most, if not all, of his wages. Our rent is $960.00 a month.

With four kids and two adults to feed every month we have to decide weather to pay all of the rent and depend on the food banks to feed the kids and ourselves or if we should go to a grocery store and buy food to feed all of us and not pay the rent then pray that we don't get kicked out of our apartment. This is what we have to do every month and if an emergency ever comes up we are in trouble because we don't have the means to do anything about it.

On welfare you never get a chance to catch up or get ahead in life because if you are on welfare and you get a job they take your wages and you have to budget everything. I just wish people would understand that life’s not as easy as they think it is living on welfare for honest people.

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Rose is a single mother with two children aged 15 and 19. On social assistance she gets $1069.00 per month which includes her child support money as well.
Her rent is $861.00 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. She lives there with two grown-up children but can't afford to move to a bigger place.

After I pay my rent each month, there is very little money left to buy food and other necessities. The child tax benefit of $203.00 that I get every month helps me to get by somehow. However, I still don’t have enough money to buy food. Having a dinner is a luxury for my family; we usually eat a small supper, as that’s all I can afford. We never have enough food and I always worry about the fact that my children are not eating enough. I do not feel comfortable to use the food bank; I have never used any. I am so worried about not being able to pay my bills. I can’t afford not to pay my rent or my phone bills. I would rather cut back on food expenses and not eat than be homeless.

I came to Canada a few years ago; I don’t have the education that would help me to find a job. I have been trying so hard to find a job, but it has been extremely difficult for me. I don’t want to be on social assistance, but I have no choice. I am tired of the struggle. If I could have the child support money not deducted from my social assistance cheque, things would be easier for me. I don’t think that it is fair to single mothers on social assistance like us that the government is not allowing us to have the benefit of the child support money. What is the point of getting it when it is deducted dollar for dollar from my social assistance cheque? I could support my children so much better with this extra money.

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Asma lives with her 8 year old daughter. She has a total monthly income of $957.
Her rent $760.

I know how to do very well with very little. My mother taught me this. I buy what I can in bulk, like rice or flour. The rest of my money I spend carefully, a little at a time, to make it last. I try to buy what fresh food I can with this. Some things, like juice, are very expensive.

Overall, I do very well with the little I have. I know how to feed myself and my child. I have good business skills, and learned these in my country before I came to Canada.

I do not want social assistance. I want a job. I have training and experience. Did I go to school for so many years for nothing?

So many people struggle. Things are very tough. I know many people, who even when they speak English well and have much training, cannot find work. How come it is so very hard to find a job here?

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D.W. lives with his wife and 4 year old son. Their total monthly income is $1120.
Thier rent $675, plus hydro.

D.W. talked about the frustration he felt. They were doing reasonably well until his wife was injured at work. Now he feels he cannot work unless there is help for his wife at home with their child.

He spoke of times when they did not eat because of pride, and how difficult it was to make that first trip to the food bank. He spoke bitterly of things that people take for granted, like TV, that are seen as unnecessary luxuries for people on social assistance. He spoke about how hard all this was on his four year old son.

With support, he could work; he has skills. If he could work, even for a short time, he could get them off of social assistance. He would even volunteer at the food bank, to give something back. Without support, he feels his whole family is trapped. He does not feel this current system gives that kind of support. D.W. is so angry about it all, he would run for political office if he could.

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Melody has two children aged 8 and 3½ years old.

I am struggling every day to make ends meet on my meager welfare income. My social assistance income is $775.00. I receive a monthly child support of $213.00 from my ex-husband, but that is not really helping me as it is deducted from my cheque every month. All this money is spent on my rent, which is $950.00 per month. The Child Tax Benefit that I get every month helps me to pay for other expenses. But there is nothing left after I pay for food and necessity items. Every month I worry about how to pay my bills; I can’t pay two bills in a month – I am always late. I don’t have any options other than borrowing money from my friends.

I don’t want to be on social assistance; I want to have a job and give my children everything that they deserve to have. But I can’t find a job – it’s extremely hard to find a full time job these days. My rent is going up every year, my bills are costing more now, but my income is not increasing. I am terrified to think of the aspect of being on the street with my children. We need cheaper housing in Toronto – the government has to do something to make housing affordable. When would they realize how much suffering and indignation people are going through? Before there was money available from the shelter enhancement program that would help people like me to pay their rent. But we don’t get that money any more. At least if I could get that shelter money back and my child support money had not been deducted, I would be better off. But who is going to listen to our problems and make things better for us? This government doesn’t care a bit for us.

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