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Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada

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Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA FEDERAL POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN: WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS REDUCING POVERTY IN CANADA Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Candice Hoeppner, MP Chair NOVEMBER 2010 40th PARLIAMENT, 3rd SESSION The Speaker of the House hereby grants permission to reproduce this document, in whole or in part for use in schools and for other purposes such as private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary. Any commercial or other use or reproduction of this publication requires the express prior written authorization of the Speaker of the House of Commons. If this document contains excerpts or the full text of briefs presented to the Committee, permission to reproduce these briefs, in whole or in part, must be obtained from their authors. Also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire: http://www.parl.gc.ca Available from Communication Canada — Publishing, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0S9 FEDERAL POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN: WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS REDUCING POVERTY IN CANADA Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Candice Hoeppner, MP Chair NOVEMBER 2010 40th PARLIAMENT, 3rd SESSION STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES, SKILLS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CHAIR Candice Hoeppner VICE-CHAIRS Raymonde Folco Yves Lessard MEMBERS Josée Beaudin Michael John Savage Hon. Rick Casson Maurice Vellacott Ed Komarnicki Jeff Watson Tony Martin Alice Wong Hon. Maria Minna OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WHO PARTICIPATED Dean Allison Ruby Dhalla France Bonsant Jacques Gourde Gordon Brown Mike Lake Dona Cadman Ben Lobb Ron Cannan Hon. Judy Sgro Rodger Cuzner Hon. Lynne Yelich CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE Georges Etoka LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Parliamentary Information and Research Service Chantal Collin, Analyst Sandra Gruescu, Analyst André Léonard, Analyst iii THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES, SKILLS AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES has the honour to present its SEVENTH REPORT Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(2), the Committee has studied the Federal Contribution to Reducing Poverty in Canada and has agreed to report the following: v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SHORT-TERM ................................................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 1: POVERTY IN CANADA ............................................................................. 9 1.1 Defining and Measuring Poverty in Canada ......................................................... 9 1.2 Recent Trends ................................................................................................... 14 1.3 Vulnerable Populations ...................................................................................... 20 a. Children .......................................................................................................... 20 b. Lone-Parent Families ..................................................................................... 22 c. Women ........................................................................................................... 24 d. Unattached Individuals ................................................................................... 25 e. Seniors ........................................................................................................... 27 f. Aboriginal People ............................................................................................ 29 Aboriginal Children ..................................................................................... 31 g. People with Disabilities ................................................................................... 32 h. Recent Immigrants and Visible Minorities ....................................................... 34 i. Low-Wage Workers ......................................................................................... 37 1.4 Relationship Between Poverty and Physical and Mental Health ........................ 38 1.5 Food Security ..................................................................................................... 44 1.6 Poverty, Housing and Homelessness ................................................................ 52 1.7 Socio-Economic Costs of Poverty ...................................................................... 58 CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES IN CANADA AND OTHER COUNTRIES ........................................................................................... 63 2.1 Poverty Reduction Strategies in Canada’s Provinces and Territories ................ 63 vii a. Consultation Processes .................................................................................. 65 b. Defining Poverty ............................................................................................. 67 c. Poverty Reduction Targets ............................................................................. 67 d. Main Areas of Intervention .............................................................................. 68 e. Strategy Implementation ................................................................................. 72 f. Monitoring and Accountability .......................................................................... 73 g. Poverty Measures and Indicators ................................................................... 74 h. Calling for Federal Support ............................................................................. 75 i. Successes ....................................................................................................... 76 j. Moving forward ................................................................................................ 78 2.2 Poverty Reduction Strategies in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland ............. 79 a. The United Kingdom’s Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Social Exclusion ...... 79 b. Ireland’s Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Social Exclusion ........................... 84 c. Summary ........................................................................................................ 89 CHAPTER 3: THE FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION TO REDUCING POVERTY IN CANADA ................................................................................................. 91 3.1 What Should the Federal Government’s Role be in Reducing Poverty in Canada? Canadians Answer the Question ................................................... 91 a. Canadians Call for the Recognition of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ................................................................................................ 92 b. Canadians Call for a Federal Action Plan to Reduce Poverty in Canada ....... 95 3.2 Improving Coordination and Integration of Poverty Reduction Efforts Across Canada—a Federal Action Plan to Reduce Poverty in Canada ........ 96 a. Supporting Provincial and Territorial Poverty Reduction Initiatives ................. 96 b. Canada Social Transfer .................................................................................. 98 c. Beyond the Canada Social Transfer—A Federal Poverty Reduction Fund ... 101 viii 3.3 Developing a Framework for a Federal Action Plan to Reduce Poverty and Measuring Results ...................................................................................... 102 a. Legislative Framework .................................................................................. 102 b. Institutional Framework ................................................................................ 103 c. Poverty Measures ......................................................................................... 106 3.4 Building Community Partnerships .................................................................... 108 a. Administrative Burden .................................................................................. 112 b. Inadequate Funding ...................................................................................... 113 CHAPTER 4: ASSISTING CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ........................................................................................................... 119 4.1 Benefits and Programs for Children and Families ............................................ 119 a. The Canada Child Tax Benefit and National Child Benefit Supplement ....... 123 b. The Child Tax Credit ..................................................................................... 126 c. The Child Care Expense Deduction and the Universal Child Care Benefit ... 126 d. Transfers to Provinces and Territories .......................................................... 128 e. Maternity and Parental Benefits .................................................................... 130 4.2 Benefits for Persons with Disabilities ............................................................... 131 a. Human Rights ............................................................................................... 133 b. Income Security for People with Disabilities ................................................. 134 Canada Pension Plan Disability Program ................................................. 135 Employment Insurance Special Benefits
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