Canadians and Welfare--Permanent Poverty?: from Poor No More, a Canadian feature documentary

[kamatl4]

In America/Pennsylvania the welfare system is not much different. They ask for your assets, what is in the bank and what kind of car you drive and how many cars you have. If you go to work they start degrading your welfare even if you are disabled. They don't care.

[camzidan]

I also want to know why he could not find a job? If you are poor why the hell would you have kids....so that they can grow up in poverty. That's so cruel

[TechTVChannel]

Canada is a commodity rich third world shit hole...get your facts straight...

[mt80008]

If you have to sell your car to get on welfare then how do all these immigrants living in government housing with 11 kids get welfare and have cars? I know plenty of poeple that are in that sitution and get it.

[tessilee]

@mt80008 You're right. Its because when you are an immigrant, you get more benefits then Canadians get. If you are an Indian - WHOA... do you EVER get whatever you want monetarily from the gov't. Its the working class canadians that get nothing. They are expected to work to pay for the immigrants and Indians. They get so many handouts its RETARDED. If you are Canadian (ie: born and raised here, and not status indian), you get NOTHING. Let me assure you, that is the reality of it.

[videowatcheer]

Con't....The systems does set you up for poverty. Not just the amount but how it works. I do not have enough time to go in to it. I don't wish that hell on anyone. I am no longer living below the poverty line but it is not as simple as some people make it out to be to get out of poverty!

[videowatcheer]

Con't...I applies for low income housing so I could go back to school but the wait list was several months to a couple of years. The cycle of poverty is hard to get out of. The deppression and anxiety increated was even worse. When my child was born I droped thirty pounds in one month b/c I couldn't afford to eat three meals a day.

[videowatcheer]

I was on social assistance when i was 21. I was pregnant and my husband left me . I was eight months pregnantand only working part-time. When he left, I was left with a two bedroom apartment($700 per month) and I could no longer work due to health reason with my pergnancy.The money they gave wasn't even enough to make my rent ($520). I had to choose between food or rent

[rubrbandball]

People who physically cannot work can get money. That's okay.

If you physically can work, then work. sometimes jobs aren't available- in which case the welfare money needs to be used to create jobs for the lower class.

The welfare department wastes like 80% of the taxes that they are given to hand out on welfare. If we are really looking to just give to the poor, we should do it on a charity basis where the money is actually going to people who need it.

[newcayococo]

The only people that should get welfare should be the invalide (people with severe handicaps )

That woman with the 2 kids should look in to a dictionary for the word (CONDOM)

It makes me so mad to think we (the working middle class) have to pay for her basterd kids cuz she couldent keep her legs close .

I have no problem with a system of welfare but ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ((REALY)) NEED IT! AND FUCK THE LASY A.HOLS AND WOMAN THAT CAN'T PROPERLY USE CONTRACEPTION.

[NFmexicanX4]

@newcayococo the kids are inocent!

[newcayococo]

I don't blame the kids... I blame the mother

[steerhead9]

PS. Income assistance only covers your rent for a family of 5, as well. You get less on minimum wage in BC.

[steerhead9]

I'm assuming the welfare system is different in every province. I "believe" you are allowed to keep a vehicle worth up to $4000 in BC. We are without a vehicle right now & have 3 small children & cannot find a doctor in our town - we would have to drive to another town to get them the proper care they need.

I don't know anything about RRSPs, etc - never been able to afford them.

[snowbiker111]

i agree that welfare should be more readily available....FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT!!! the one guy complains that you have to cash in your rrsp, and sell your expensive car... well a person should do all of those things before going to welfare anyways. Canada needs to get the abusers off of welfare, then it could do what it was made for, a temporary helping hand to those who need it. mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients is a good place to start in my opinion...

[micksauntie]

Even more draconian than having to cash in your retirement savings (RRSP), is that you are asked if you have a pre-paid funeral. (Not joking) If you do, you must cash it in and live on the monies until they are basically gone before you attempt to reapply for assistance. You are also asked if you have a safety deposit box. If you do have one, pray that you don't have a coin collection or a nice ring given to you by your parents for graduation in the box. (You're required to try and sell these.)

[snowbiker111]

@micksauntie anyone with any pride would do all those things before going to welfare in my opinion... welfare should be a helping hand FOR THOSE THAT REALLY NEED IT... not a career choice as many make it... there are more jobs in canada than people who want to work.. hence the immigration of foreign workers... funny how people like the lady on this clip complains about how downtrodden she is, yet an immigrant comes to this country and sees nothing but opportunity...

[micksauntie]

Living on $576 a month for a single person isn't enough to pay the rent AND eat. Do you know of any housing in a major Canadian city (not infested by vermin and with running water) that you can rent for $576? Especially if you plan to eat. I didn't think so. There's a 7 to 10 yr waiting list for assisted housing and regular housing is not within most means.

It begs the question of why we paid taxes while we were working? So that we could be out on the street if we lost our jobs?

[videowatcheer]

@micksauntie I agree with you. I worked up until the time I needed b/c I could work and I almost ended up in a shelter and pregnant. It was the most horrible thing I have ever been through