Transit pass a ticket out of welfare; 'Expected-to-work' beneficiaries need transportation to look for a job, which will benefit all in the long run
Vancouver Sun
June 23, 2008
By: Jessey Basi, graduate of the master's degree program in public policy at Simon Fraser University.

In British Columbia, welfare beneficiaries classified as "expected to work" are required to be actively searching for employment or participating in job preparation and life skills programs.

While we expect these individuals to find work, our public policies deny some of them the key resources needed to meet these expectations….

My research on expected-to-work beneficiaries in B.C. found significant barriers to their gaining re-employment. These findings mirrored in part studies from other jurisdictions that identified access to child care and transportation as key obstacles to welfare clients obtaining jobs.

My analysis drew on interviews with advocates, client service providers and employment assistance workers; all groups cited the impact of inadequate access to transportation on the ability of clients to find work.

The interviews uncovered multiple adverse impacts on beneficiaries from their limited access to transit: Restricted geographical job search, lost job opportunities because of an inability to attend interviews scheduled on short notice, social isolation and exclusion, and problems transporting children to daycare….