Regina Anti Poverty Ministry speaks out against SK government removing benefits
Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry advocates for and with low income people from all over the province. Since the pandemic began, they have expressed extreme concern that the federal government’s income support, CERB, and First Nations income supplements for elders, have resulted in the SK government removing benefits. In effect, the provincial government is worsening both pandemic-related and overall poverty by clawing back these supports, and is saving money off others’ contributions.
A CBC article notes, “Peter Gilmer of the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry, which advocates for low-income families, said he’s troubled that the Saskatchewan government is clawing back social assistance payments when it didn’t cost the province anything for people to collect federal CERB money.
“We do see this as the province saving money on the backs of the poorest people in the province,” Gilmer said. “They clawed it back 100 per cent. It ended up really being a federal transfer to the province where they made a savings on the CERB monies as opposed to it being a real benefit for people on provincial income assistance programs who really needed it. I think it’s really disturbing.”
For the full article, including comparisons with other provinces and concerns from more people, click here. If you’d like to express your concern to your MLA, click here for their email. A short, simple email or print letter with a direct request is best.
