>Date:  Mon, 15 Nov 1999 12:52:55 -0600
>From:  "Cram, Kathie SDH" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: SaskbriefonSocialAssistance
>To:    "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
>X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0)
>X-Orcpt: rfc822;[log in to unmask]
>
>I thought some of you maye be interested in the work done by the Political
>Action Group on Poverty (PAGOP). We have put together a brief on social
>assistance which we will be using to organize around some poverty issues. An
>Executive Summary is below. If you are interested in receiving the entire
>copy, please let me know and we can e-mail it or send it through regular
>post.
>
>So far we have taken the brief through a couple of forums, but have not had
>a great deal of immediate success. Why does this not surprise me? We will
>likely be spending more of our time on working with small groups of people
>in the inner city and doing some leadership development.
>
>Kathie Cram
>Saskatoon
>
>Executive Summary
>
>Health and Poverty
>
>1.     No matter what the measure used- income, education, occupation, or
>residence- those that have high socio-economic status are healthier live
>longer and enjoy enhanced quality of life, than those that have lower-socio
>economic status.
>
>2.     Canadian data shows that the gap between the rich and poor is
>increasing at an alarming rate. In 1973 the top 10% of income earners
>enjoyed an income that was 21 times as high as the bottom 10% of income
>earners. By 1996 the top 10% were earning 314 times the income than the
>bottom 10%.
>
>3.     Research done by the Canadian Council on Social Development shows
>that the level of family income plays a critical role in child development.
>After examining 27 indictors of child development (eg: health status, family
>functioning, aggression, math and vocabulary scores, participation in sports
>and clubs), they found that in 80% of the cases the risks of negative child
>outcomes were noticeably higher for children living in families whose annual
>incomes were below $30,000.
>
>Saskatchewan Data
>
>1.     There are a total of 34,003 heads of households receiving social
>assistance. This is a decrease over   the last four years.
>
>2.     Almost 60% of people who are on social assistance are considered
>"not fully employable"; that is people who are physically disabled, have
>mental health problems, parents with pre-school children who do not have
>social supports, individuals with poor work histories.
>
>3.     A total of 31,472 children live with parents who are on social
>assistance. This is about 7% of the child population in Saskatchewan.
>
>4.     Over 1/3 of the people on social assistance are single mothers with
>dependent children.
>
>5.     Social assistance clients are living thousands of dollars below the
>Statistics Canada 'low income cut-off' rates. A family of four for example
>receives $17,451 annually from Social Assistance. But the low-income cut-off
>rate is $27,982. This family is living $10,753 below the national poverty
>line.
>
>6.     Over a sixteen-year period the real purchasing power of people on
>social assistance has declined by 23%.
>
>7.     The poverty rate amongst aboriginal families and their families is
>severe. The rate of poverty amongst aboriginal children under 15 years of
>age is the highest - 61.5%
>
>Recommendations
>
>1.     Increase the basic allowance for food, clothing, personal and
>household expenses by 25%. Review the social assistance rates every four
>years and allow for a cost of living increase.
>
>2.     Develop an integrated housing and shelter policy that includes: an
>increase in the shelter allowance for people on social assistance to cover
>the real cost of shelter; building on the current success of not-for profit
>housing intiatives; develop a rent management system.
>
>3.     Reduce the barriers experienced by people on social assistance who
>are looking for work. This includes provision for transportation, clothing
>and childcare.
>
>4.     Reinstate the transportation allowance for people on social
>assistance.
>
>5.     Increase the minimum wage to $7.40 per hour. This hourly rate would
>bring a single person up to the poverty line.
>
>
>
>
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Masters of Health Science Program in Health Promotion
Department of Public Health Sciences
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