Assistance recipients on government hit list
CCPA Policy Notes
March 8th, 2010
Keith Reynolds

On March 4th the government issued a press release with the Orwellian headline, “Province Protects Services for Low Income Clients.” A backgrounder attached to the release, however, makes clear that there is no protection from the government for people on assistance.  The backgrounder states the government will:

• Reduce regular dental visits from twice to one a year
• Cut dental X-rays from annual to once every two years
• Slash their budget for funeral services for people on assistance by nearly half
• Eliminate payments for contraceptive devices, pre-made foot orthotics, diagnostic testing devices (such as glucometers), optical, dental or extended therapies including chiropractic and physiotherapy.
• Cut supports that were supposed to help people transition from assistance to other programs
• Cut shelter allowances for people with disabilities and people aged 60 to 64.

Assistance recipients used to be eligible for nutritional supplements if they had a serious symptom. Now they will need two symptoms to get the supplements.

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