Poverty protest disrupts MLAs’ lunch
Demonstration highlights social assistance cuts
Saskatchewan MLAs eating lunch at the Legislative Building cafeteria were disrupted Monday by protesters trying to call attention to the smaller social assistance cheques being handed out to some people in the province following a government review.
Peter Gilmer of the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry said the disruption of one meal by him and other protesters “is much less” of a disruption than the one caused by cuts to Social Services’ benefits and stagnant monthly payments.
The Saskatchewan Party government continues to review the benefits people on social assistance receive. Part of that review has led to some getting more money taken off their monthly cheques, while others are receiving less than they used to for special diets.
In June, there were close to 36,000 people receiving benefits from one of the province’s main social benefit programs, or roughly nine per cent more than at the same time a year earlier.
About 15,000 of those people are on the Saskatchewan Assured Income Disability (SAID) program, designed for those with long-lasting disabilities.
At the beginning of October, SAID clients had more restrictions put on access to money for home repair and an increase in the amount of “overpayment” money taken off their monthly cheques.
Gilmer said this is resulting in people having to “jump through hoops” to maintain their benefits.
Around 6,000 people are on the Transitional Employment Allowance (TEA) program.
Earlier this year, benefits for clients under that program were reduced by $20 a month. A single adult living in a city receives less than $600 a month for food, clothing and other household needs. They are provided $310 for rent or accommodation.
“Benefit levels have been way too low,” said Gilmer, who was escorted out of the cafeteria by security after briefly handing placards out to those in the cafeteria.
Social Services Minister Paul Merriman said he is “looking forward” to meeting with Gilmer in the coming days. Before the protest took place, the two had a meeting set up.
Merriman said the Sask. Party government contended “our supports have gone up considerably” in recent years and noted Social Services received more money in the March budget that resulted in most other ministries getting a decrease.
Last year, the Sask. Party government released its Poverty Reduction Strategy. It had the ambitious target of reducing the number of people who experience poverty for two years or more, by 50 per cent by the end of 2025.
When released, 20 of the 36 pages in the document outlined work already being done in the province and there were no tangible targets outlined in the 21 short-term goals.