--from the hotbed of subversion in Canada: the University of Toronto--

March 12, 2002

WELFARE FALLS SHORT OF FOOD COSTS, SAYS STUDY

A nutritional diet - as defined by the Ontario government's own standards -
is out of reach for Toronto?s welfare recipients, says a U of T study.

"This speaks to the need for a review of welfare benefit levels and housing
policies to ensure that people on these programs are not put at risk," says
author Professor Valerie Tarasuk of the Department of Nutritional Sciences.

The study, published today in the Canadian Journal of Public Health,
assessed whether people on welfare in Toronto could afford a nutritious
diet. The researchers compared welfare incomes for three hypothetical
households to the monthly costs for food, shelter and other essential
expenditures in Toronto. Food expenses in the study were based on the cost
in Toronto of the Ontario Nutritious Food Basket, a model developed by the
Ontario Ministry of Health to reflect average food purchasing patterns, meet
current nutrition recommendations and be moderate in price.

Tarasuk, lead author Nicholas Vozoris and Barbara Davis of nutritional
sciences found that in rental market accommodation, welfare failed to cover
expenses for a single-person household and for a two-parent, two-child
family. It was barely adequate for a single-parent family with two children.
For households with children, the inadequacy of welfare?s ability to cover
nutritious meals increased as children grew older.

The study also showed that although living in rent-geared-to-income housing
substantially reduced financial hardship for those on welfare, single people
still could not afford to buy nutritious food.

"These findings indicate discrepancies between welfare incomes and costs of
basic needs which may explain the vulnerability of welfare recipients to
food insecurity," says Tarasuk. She notes that previously published research
has shown welfare recipients to be 13 times more likely than other Canadians
to report child hunger.

"One change to current practices that would make a big difference to
families on Ontario Works would be if the provincial government stopped
clawing back the National Child Benefit Supplement dollar for dollar from
recipients? monthly welfare cheques," suggests Vozoris.

The study was done in Toronto and it could be argued that it is a worst-case
scenario because of the high costs of living there, says Tarasuk. However,
she adds, "It is important to note that others in Ontario and elsewhere in
Canada have done similar income-expense comparisons and drawn similar
conclusions about the inadequacy of current welfare incomes."


CONTACT:

Professor Valerie Tarasuk                Nicholas Vozoris
Department of Nutritional Sciences       Faculty of Medicine
416-978-0618                       416-423-5107
[log in to unmask]              [log in to unmask]

Jessica Whiteside
U of T Public Affairs
416-978-5948
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