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Introduction: Key features of social assistance

  • OverviewMain page
  • Download the full report
  • About the report
  • Methodology
  • OverviewMain page
  • Download the full report

Location

Total welfare incomes by location

  • Introduction: Total welfare incomes
  • Overview: Welfare incomes across Canada
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon

Key features of social assistance

Key features of social assistance

  • Introduction: Key features of social assistance
  • Eligibility for social assistance: Assets and income
  • Indexation of benefits and credits
  • Cost-of-living and shelter benefits breakdown

Download the data

Download the data

  • – All jurisdictions
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon

Previous editions

Welfare in Canada editions

  • Welfare in Canada 2023
  • Welfare in Canada 2022
  • Welfare in Canada 2021
  • Welfare in Canada 2020
  • Welfare in Canada 2019
  • Welfare in Canada 2018
  • Welfare in Canada 2017
  • Welfare in Canada 2016
  • Welfare in Canada 2015
  • Welfare in Canada 2014
  • Welfare in Canada 2013
  • Welfare in Canada 2012
< Back to Welfare in Canada

Introduction: Key features of social assistance

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Last updated: July 2024

As social assistance is a provincial/territorial responsibility, each of Canada’s 13 sub-national jurisdictions has its own program or programs with unique regulatory frameworks, administrative rules, eligibility criteria, benefit levels, and provisions for special benefits or other types of assistance. Although the specifics may vary, the basic structure of these programs is very similar across the country. Note that while the federal government has no responsibility for program design or administration, it does provide some funding for social assistance through the Canada Social Transfer.

The three sections examine several key features of social assistance programs and how they vary across the country.

The first section, Eligibility for social assistance: Assets and income, looks at the “needs test,” which is the primary determinant of eligibility for benefits. Each jurisdiction imposes asset and income limits beyond which a household is not eligible for benefits, as well as exemptions to these limits. This section provides a brief overview of how the needs test works for assets and two types of income, and enumerates the allowed limits or exemptions for each.

The second section, Indexation of benefits and credits, provides information about whether social assistance benefits in each jurisdiction are indexed to inflation. Information is also included about the indexation of other provincial or territorial benefits and tax credits received by our example households, as well as which jurisdictions have newly indexed benefits or credits in this calendar year.

The third section, Cost-of-living and shelter benefits breakdown, outlines the structure of social assistance benefits in each jurisdiction, indicating whether basic cost-of-living benefits and shelter benefits are accounted for and delivered separately or together in one benefit amount. Basic cost-of-living benefits are those that are intended to pay for items like food and clothing, and shelter benefits are those intended to pay for items like rent and utilities. Details about the other benefits received by our example households are included in the footnotes.

Explore the Report

  • OverviewMain page
  • Download the full report
  • About the report
  • Methodology
  • OverviewMain page
  • Download the full report

Location

Total welfare incomes by location

  • Introduction: Total welfare incomes
  • Overview: Welfare incomes across Canada
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon

Key features of social assistance

Key features of social assistance

  • Introduction: Key features of social assistance
  • Eligibility for social assistance: Assets and income
  • Indexation of benefits and credits
  • Cost-of-living and shelter benefits breakdown

Download the data

Download the data

  • – All jurisdictions
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon

Previous editions

Welfare in Canada editions

  • Welfare in Canada 2023
  • Welfare in Canada 2022
  • Welfare in Canada 2021
  • Welfare in Canada 2020
  • Welfare in Canada 2019
  • Welfare in Canada 2018
  • Welfare in Canada 2017
  • Welfare in Canada 2016
  • Welfare in Canada 2015
  • Welfare in Canada 2014
  • Welfare in Canada 2013
  • Welfare in Canada 2012

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