Literacy, Welfare, & Work - Longitudinal Research Project - Final Report and Recommendations

Welfare in Manitoba

On September 16, 1996, Manitoba passed Bill 36: a series of welfare-to-work policies which were designed to move people off of income assistance and into the labour market within the shortest time possible.

Our focus is on education programs which are going to lead clients directly into employment, hopefully one year in duration.
(Employment and Income Assistance Spokesperson)

The majority of adults enrolled in literacy programs receive some sort of government income assistance. Over the last few years, sweeping changes to income assistance programs have taken place across Canada. These "welfare reforms" are largely a result of the 1996 implementation of the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST), which replaced the federal Canada Assistance Plan, or CAP, as it was known. CAP funded social assistance, health and post- secondary education with the provinces on a cost-shared basis. With the introduction of CHST block funding, significant changes to the welfare system took place:

virtually all national conditions or standards were eliminated (except for the prohibition of residency requirements;
health, welfare, and post-secondary education were combined under the same block funding apparatus; and
substantial reductions in overall payments to social programs occurred (an estimated 25% or $7 billion was eliminated over a 2-year period).⁶

Provincial governments in turn implemented a variety of policies intended to respond to the CHST. On May 1st, 1996 the Manitoba government announced cuts that would reduce payments to employable⁷ single person and couples without children. Then, on September 16, 1996, Manitoba passed Bill 36: a series of welfare-to-work policies which were designed to move people off of income assistance and into the labour market within the shortest time possible. Also referred to as "Workfare", these initiatives were administered by the Department of Family Services and the Department of Education and Training (which includes the Literacy branch).

Under the new legislation, clients deemed "employable" are expected to develop a personal case plan, which includes undertaking an active job search, and/or employment, education or training programs. Participation in these programs is dependent upon individual assessment by a case worker and must lead to self-support or reduced dependency on assistance within a reasonable time. Client benefits can be denied or reduced if the case plan is not followed (Province of Manitoba Municipal Assistance Program Manual. February, 1997, pp. 30-33).

⁶ National Anti-Poverty Organization "Monitoring The Impacts On Social
	Assistance Recipients Of Welfare Cuts And Changes: An Overview" Oct., 1996.

⁷ The 'employable' category applies to all non-disabled single persons,
	non-disabled couples with or without children, single parents with children over the age of six, and single parents with dependent children who have taken an education or training program while on assistance. Source: "Employment and Income Assistance: A Bridge to the Future" Manitoba Family Services pamphlet, p. two.

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