Times Colonist

Grant helps people navigate COVID-19 support programs

- PEDRO ARRAIS parrais@timescolon­ist.com

The Together Against Poverty Society has ramped up efforts to help people understand and access the various government assistance programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with help from a grant from the Victoria Foundation’s Rapid Relief Fund.

Doug King, executive director of the Together Against Poverty Society, said the society assists people dependent on government support in navigating the many changes to benefits in the last few months.

“We saw a flash flood of people in the first few months of the year,” King said. “Those dependent on government support were confused by all the changes to programs, many seemingly made up on the fly.”

The society advocates for clients who rely on provincial income-assistance and disability benefits, helping them to wade through the various government benefits and relief measures, and advising them on how the new programs can affect the assistance they are receiving.

TAPS typically serves 7,000 to 8,000 clients a year, but has seen up to 2,000 more people seeking help since the beginning of the pandemic. Many never thought they would be unemployed and facing hunger and homelessne­ss, King said.

“Closing down business to control the pandemic has had a disparate effect on a segment of the working population that had been living on the edge — living from paycheque to paycheque,” said King.

“You could see that this group found the new reality really hard to understand. It was especially difficult for men, as there is still a stigma attached to admitting that you are poor and need help.”

The new clients are given emotional support and informatio­n on how to apply for federal programs, such as employment insurance, the Canada Recovery Benefit, Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit. There are also a number of provincial programs, such as a COVID supplement, a bus-pass program, an emergency-supplies supplement, a rental benefit and the provincial moratorium on evictions.

“There is a level of complexity to the different programs available to people in crisis,” King said.

“We need to make people understand what they need to do. But we have to explain it to people who are at various levels of desperatio­n.”

The grant from the Rapid Relief Fund could not have come at a better time, said King, adding other organizati­ons have cut funding as they transition from emergency to recovery programs.

The funding means the society can continue to engage with various levels of government and advocate for its clients.

As the government ponders post-pandemic aid, King says it’s a good time to look at the idea of a universal basic income plan.

“I am heartened to have this conversati­on,” he said. “Sometimes it takes something dramatic — in this case the pandemic — to get it to start.

 ??  ?? Douglas King, executive director of TAPS Society, says the society saw a “flash flood” of people, many of whom were confused by changes to government support programs.
Douglas King, executive director of TAPS Society, says the society saw a “flash flood” of people, many of whom were confused by changes to government support programs.

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