“It’s not right at all,” said Sandra Pronteau, a woman on disability.  ”$20 is insane.  Why can’t they be realistic and put the needs of the people first?  It’s like we’re being punished.”  People on disability won’t get any increase, according to the NDP platform statement.

The total $630 a month welfare rate won’t be enough to allow single people on welfare to both rent a cheap place to live and buy nutritious food.  According to the BC Dietitians 2011 report, the minimum cost of rent and nutritious food for a single person is $950, not counting bus fare, telephone, and other necessities.  The current welfare rate for a single person is $610 a month.

The NDP announcement also said if the NDP is elected it will give low income children about $70 a month more, but there was no increase at all for people with disabilities who subsist on a mere $906 a month, compared to $1588 in Alberta.

The NDP also said it would index welfare benefits to the cost of living.  While this could be a good idea, if the benefits are too low to survive on in the first place, the indexing will only perpetuate desperation.

“This paltry increase won’t reduce my anxiety about voting NDP,” said Tami Starlight, who is on disability.

“It’s completely insignificant,” said Herb Varley.  “For me the earning exemption of $400 will help but not everyone can work.”

Last year Raise the Rates challenged MLAs to live on $610 a month and organized over 100 people to live on $26 a week, the amount people on welfare have to spend on food.

“A lot of people in BC want an effective poverty reduction strategy,” said Jean Swanson of Raise the Rates.  “The foundation of that strategy is a significant increase in welfare to the poorest people in the province.  This $20 announcement is an insult.  Voters who want poverty reduction are left wondering who to vote for.”

 Read some of the media coverage:

BC NDP releases proposal to reduce child poverty
BC NDP’s $20 welfare raise won’t tackle poverty, says advocate
Anti-poverty activists call Dix’s proposal ‘pathetic’

Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territory

Photos from the walk are available here.

The weather shone on the Raise the Rates’ Walk for Welfare Justice today, March 27. Over 100 people joined at least part of the 15 kilometre walk across Vancouver.

The journey started with over 40 people at a Rally at the Premier of BC, Christy Clark’s office in Point Grey. We then walked along Broadway to Commercial Drive, up Victoria Drive and along Kingsway and then up Joyce. The walk ended with a rally of over 60 people at the Leader of the Opposition, Adrian Dix’s office. Along the way there were quick soap box rallies at several main intersections. Thousands of flyers were given out and many people honked their horns in support or said well done to us on the streets.

Along the way we chanted:
• Tax the rich to feed the poor – Raise welfare now!
• Mend the social safety net – Raise welfare rates now!
• Welfare rights are workers rights! Migrant rights are workers rights!
• What do we want? Social Housing!

At the all the rallies people spoke movingly about the harm that poverty causes people, the struggles of surviving on $610 a month, of living on an inadequate diet and the struggles of raising children. People end up in poverty and on welfare because of misfortune – loss of their job, serious injury, physical and mental ill-health and escaping violence and abuse. Most people in BC live only a couple of pay cheques away from poverty.

“I haven’t walked this far in as long as I can remember but I’m a grandmother & I did it to raise welfare rates.” said Victoria Bull.

GwinGadlthAmetGoot (Herb Varley) remembered that “When I lost my job I had to wait 5 weeks for welfare so I lost all my savings & lost my home before welfare would help me. Need to end the 5 week wait so people don’t become homeless.”

“We need a welfare increase so we don’t have to sell sex to survive” stated LuLu B.

Harold Lavender explained that “the welfare system is punitive and that’s not just. We’re here against inequality and for justice.”

At each office Raise the Rates handed a letter to Christy Clark’s office and Adrian Dix. It pointed out that people cannot live a healthy life on welfare. The Dietitians of Canada in their report, Cost of Eating in BC, 2011, point out that people on welfare would have to spend almost every cent they receive on food and still would not have a healthy basic diet. This assumes they spend nothing on clothing, looking for work or keeping clean. A single person on welfare really only has $26 a week for food and even a trained dietitian or chef cannot make the money stretch.

The BC government decides how many people will live in poverty by the decisions the MLAs make about welfare rates, minimum wage and low paid work. How can they justify a disability rate of $906 a month while Alberta has a rate of $1588 a month?

Poverty costs BC at least $8 billion a year, with over $1 billion in health costs alone. A strategy to end poverty would cost around $4 billion a year, so ending poverty in BC would save $4 billion a year. Yet politicians claim they cannot afford to end poverty – really we all cannot afford them not to act.

It is clear that most of the people of BC want action on poverty and with good reason. Compared to the rest of Canada, BC has the worst poverty, the worst inequality and has had the worst or 2nd worst record on child poverty for a decade. A recent opinion poll commissioned by the BC Healthy Living Alliance found that 78% of people support a provincial poverty reduction strategy and 75% support adjusting income assistance rates to account for the real cost of a nutritious diet and real market rental rates.

Several major city councils, including Victoria, Vancouver and Surrey have passed resolutions calling for action on poverty including the province to raise welfare rates.

Raise the Rates challenged both leaders to show really leadership and act to raise welfare and end poverty in BC.

Wednesday, March 27

Raise the Rates and others are organizing a Walk for Welfare Justice on Wednesday, March 27. The purpose is to highlight the need for a real and significant increase in welfare rates as part of a comprehensive anti-poverty plan.

We will start at Christy Clark’s office (3615 West 4th Ave) and plan to deliver an open letter and maybe even speak with her or her staff. We will then walk across town, holding brief soapbox meetings at main intersections, to Adrian Dix’s office (5022 Joyce Street), where again we will deliver an open letter and seek a meeting. We will hold a news conference/rally at the start and finish.

We are inviting people to join us for all or part of the walk. You are welcome to bring banner and home made placards. We are working on the details of food, toilets, support transport (there will be an escort vehicle if people need help, etc), etc. Click here for  the timetable of the walk.

Take a look at the poster and the flyer for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact me, Bill Hopwood, bill50@vcn.bc.ca.

“Even though the Premier says families are first, families on welfare are last.”  Stacey Bonefant was explaining why a group of about 15 people, including single parents on welfare, were at the Vancouver Aquarium 4 days before Family Day on Feb. 11^th. “Families on welfare don’t have enough money to eat and pay the rent, let alone take our kids to the Aquarium,” Bonenfant said.

The mothers and grandmothers are part of Parents and Grandparents in Poverty, a group that meets in Strathcona and works to get higher welfare rates and better housing.  A single parent with one child gets about $1236 a month to live on from welfare and the Child Benefit.  Rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in a cheaper area of Vancouver is over $1000 a month, the group pointed out.

“Shouldn’t low income kids get to see whales too?” asked Colleen Boudreau, a single parent on disability.  “It helps them learn and socialize. But welfare rates are too low for us to afford the Aquarium.”

“Where am I going to get $57 for  Aquarium admission for my two boys and me, plus transit fare to get here?” asked Bonefant.  “I’d have to not buy milk or vegetables.”

The group wants government to increase welfare rates to the federal government’s market basket level, about $1300 a month for a single person.

At the news conference, Bonefant went through a “Do the Math” sheet showing how little she had to pay for necessities and things that her boys need.

“One of the reasons BC has the highest or second highest  poverty and child poverty rate in Canada is that welfare rates are too low to live on,” added Paul Comeau.

“If families really are first in BC, the Premier should raise welfare rates so families on welfare can survive without harming children or their parents,” added Sandra Pronteau.

“Most people on welfare don’t live in social housing,” said Pronteau. “Their rent is way above what they can afford and they have to take it out of their food money.”

A delegation of twenty people from Raise the Rates told the NDP that they want an immediate commitment to increasing welfare rates.  The group delivered this message by hand to Adrian Dix’s office.

A year ago today Jagrup Brar, NDP MLA for Surrey Fleetwood, completed his month of living on the welfare rate of $610. Brar found he could not live on welfare; he lost 26 pounds in weight. A year later welfare rates have not changed and people still cannot live on $610. The letter called on Adrian Dix and the NDP to make a clear commitment to increase welfare rates substantially. 

Sandra Pronteau, a grandmother raising her grandchild in poverty, explained how life was a constant struggle and fine words were not enough; people needed to have their income raised to be free from poverty and to be able to live with dignity.

“Across the globe, popular movements of ordinary people have emerged, declaring in words and actions that they are no longer satisfied with the status quo. People have grown restless with a leadership that serves the interests of the political, social and economic elite while ignoring the needs of the majority,” said part of the letter from Raise the Rates.

The letter reminded the NDP that over 70% of people in BC support a provincial poverty reduction strategy, raising welfare to cover real food and housing costs and a program to build social housing. A government that acted on these popular policies, paying for it by taxing the rich, would significantly reduce inequality

Poverty costs BC a fortune, said Fraser Stewart, a single person on welfare. The cost of poverty in health alone is more than a billion dollars. And there are all the other costs to education, criminal justice system, and lost economic opportunities. At a time when politicians say money is tight it is astounding they waste so much money due to poverty. Fixing poverty would save money and make people happier and BC a better place.

Poverty forces women to survival sex work stated Colleen Boudreau, a single parent on disability allowance. She reminded the NDP that BC has the worst poverty and child poverty and needs to act to end this disgrace.  Boudreau passionately demand that the NDP make a clear statement that it will raise welfare rates.

The Raise the Rates letter pointed out that peoples’ “allegiance cannot be purchased by traditional political loyalties or mere election promises.” It urged Adrian Dix and NDP to do, “More than words alone, we insist on the action with real change for the better [and] Align yourself with this movement of popular resistance and social change. Dare to envision and enact a future of equality and justice.”

Dear Adrian Dix,

We are a small group here today, but we are not alone as we represent hundreds of thousands of British Columbians who are affected by poverty and the millions more who want action. We are here to ask you to publicly state that you support increasing welfare rates substantially.

Across the globe, popular movements of ordinary people have emerged, declaring in words and actions that they are no longer satisfied with the status quo. People have grown restless with a leadership that serves the interests of the political, social and economic elite while ignoring the needs of the majority. There is a growing disconnect between the popular mood and leaders who are reluctant to act. Increasingly people are taking action and not waiting for leaders.

A year ago today, Jagrup Brar, NDP MLA for Surrey Fleetwood, completed his month of living on the welfare rate of $610. Raise the Rates had challenged all MLAs, “Can you live on $610 for a month?” Brar took the challenge and found he could not live on welfare; he lost 26 pounds in weight. A year later welfare rates have not changed and people still cannot live on $610.

Poverty is bad for individuals and society. Cost of Eating in BC, 2011 points out that many in BC cannot afford healthy food and that this has many negative impacts. Last October, over 100 people in BC spent only $26 for a week’s food, what a single person on welfare has for food. Even the people who were trained dietitians and chefs could not make the money stretch. Some people who couldn’t cope gave up before the week was out and all who finished were hungry, stressed and bad-tempered. A person on welfare cannot afford a healthy diet.

At a time when politicians talk about being careful with money it is astounding to see the waste of money due to poverty. The CCPA report, The Cost of Poverty in BC, estimated that poverty costs BC at least $8 billion a year, over $1 billion in health alone. A strategy to end poverty would cost around $4 billion a year, so ending poverty in BC would save $4 billion a year.

When you ran for leader of the NDP tackling inequality was a top priority. BC has the biggest inequality gap of any province between the richest and poorest 20% of the population; the highest portion of the population in poverty; and either the worst or second worst record on child poverty for the past decade. An opinion poll in October 2012 found over 70% support for action including a provincial poverty reduction strategy, raising welfare to cover real food and housing costs and a program to build supported and affordable housing. A government that acted on these popular policies, paying for it by taxing the rich, would significantly reduce inequality.

The BC Government imposes poverty on hundreds of thousands of people of all ages. The NDP states that, if elected, it will implement a poverty reduction plan with clear targets and timelines. Increasing welfare rates is the most direct way to reduce poverty for the poorest. We call on you to agree to do this. More than words alone, we insist on the action with real change for the better.

The tide is shifting; people are restless and rising up. Their allegiance cannot be purchased by traditional political loyalties or mere election promises. Align yourself with this movement of popular resistance and social change. Dare to envision and enact a future of equality and justice.

Yours,

Raise the Rates

A simple act of kindness is a complicated thing

“Temporary” Vancouver Food Bank Hits 30 Years of Service

Organized by Raise the Rates, the group set up its tent on the CBC Plaza
and ran ‘Poor People’s Radio’ for an hour. The show was hosted by Lorna
Bird and Paul Taylor and gave people living in poverty an opportunity to
speak out.

Richard said, “I get discouraged when I go to the food bank; it is
downgrading and causes a loss of dignity. Right now we need food banks
because of poverty, but it has to change and welfare needs to be raised.”

“Having to wait in long lines is hard with arthritis and the food is not always
healthy. Feeling like I have to grovel to get food is degrading, and makes me
feel isolated” explained Marilyn.

Irene pointed out that, “Rent and food prices go up, but welfare rates haven’t
gone up for years, we are always struggling.”

“A lot of food I get is out-of date and no good for my allergies. My rent is
$450 a month so I have nothing left to buy food. I didn’t choose poverty; I
had a serious work accident so can’t work,” Rocky stated.

Peter said, “Government is shirking their responsibility by forcing people to
rely on charity to survive. Food is a right and people should have enough
money to buy good and healthy food.”

Stacey described her situation. “I’m a widow raising 2 children on welfare,
after rent we have only $416 for clothes, food and everything else, so I’m
forced to go to food banks. Standing in line with little kids waiting for food is
hard and then some of it is no use – a lot of it is outdated.”

Poor People’s Radio also had entertainment with songs from the Solidarity
Notes choir.

Raise the Rates had written to the CBC offering them the opportunity to
interview people who live in poverty and depend on Food Banks. Instead
the CBC ignored the poor people outside and their security guards tried to
harass them, while inside the feel-good programs continued.

This time of year there are many charities collecting food, presents and
money to give to ‘those less fortunate’. However in all this fund raising, the
experiences and voices of those people forced into poverty by government
policies are hardly ever heard. Why are the poor ignored?

The CBC Food Bank day will raise around $500,000 for the year. This is
a large sum for people to donate. Yet it is less than $5 a year, or a dime a
week, for every child in poverty in BC.

Food Banks were set up in 1982 as a ‘temporary’ measure. Surely, after 30
years, it is time to ask ‘Why have Food Banks been here so long?’ and ‘Why
is there so much need and poverty in BC?’. Food Banks temporarily treat
hunger, which is a symptom, the cause is poverty and Raise the Rates
wants treatment for the causes of poverty.

“We need food banks because people are starving, because people can’t
live on welfare”, said Jean Swanson of Raise the Rates, “but people should
not have to rely on charity for a basic human right like food.” She explained
that charity could not possibly provide enough to meet the needs of 178,000
people on welfare who are living way below the poverty line. “In addition,
charity comes with humiliation and shame. And charity helps make it seem
like our economic system is working ok when really people are starving.”

Bill Hopwood, Raise the Rates, pointed out that “Poverty cost BC $billions
every year and causes enormous unnecessary suffering. Raising welfare
rates would save money, give people justice and make BC a better place.
We wish the politicians would show one tenth the heart of the people of BC.”

This is the audio from the 44 minute broadcast of Poor People’s Radio. It features voices of community members currently living on social assistance who have had to rely on food banks because the welfare rates are so low.

Listen now.