The Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté (Collective for a Poverty-Free Quebec), along with other Quebec social movements, has denounced the intention of the Quebec government to make changes to the Individual and Family Assistance Act that would reduce social assistance benefits for people aged 55 to 57 and for couples with children under five. This is yet another attempt to implement a “work incentive” approach.
For the government, “inciting” someone back to work means keeping benefits as low as possible in order to push people on social assistance back into the workforce. That the government would yet again dare to invoke this principle is abhorrent, as this approach has been completely discredited.
In Quebec, families have left welfare more often than recipients without children in the last few years. This departure from welfare followed the introduction of measures that significantly increased their income. Returning to school or work is facilitated, not delayed, by increased financial assistance. To compromise the health and dignity of people by leaving them in survival mode is everything but an incentive to return to the workforce!
The cuts proposed by Agnes Maltais, Minister for Labour and Social Assistance, are inacceptable and indecent. The people of Quebec must act now to so that the poorest in society do not bear the brunt of the government’s decision to avoid a deficit.
The purpose of this action is to encourage as many people as possible to send an email to the 125 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) asking them to 1) recognize that the best “incentive” to work is to increase the income of people living in poverty and 2) make a commitment to do everything in their power to convince the Quebec Government to abandon its plan to change the regulations of the social assistance system
For this action to succeed, each person must send the email. Don’t hesitate to forward it to the organizations in which you are involved, as well as your co-workers, friends, acquaintances and family!
You will find all the material and information you need to participate in the attached file entitled How to participate in the Collectif’s email-action.
The Collectif also invites you to participate in any future actions to convince Ms. Maltais to reverse the cuts. To learn more about upcoming actions, you can become a fan of the Facebook pages of the [Front commun des personnes assistées sociales du Québec->https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fcpasq-Regroupement/211263715593158?ref=ts&fref=ts] and/or the [Collectif->https://www.facebook.com/collectif.quebecsanspauvrete?fref=ts].
You also have until April 13th to sign the [petition->https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-3619/index.html] that demands that the government abandon the proposed cuts to social assistance.
