Components of welfare incomes
In Quebec, households that qualify for basic social assistance payments also qualify for:
- Recurring additional social assistance payments from the province,
- Federal and provincial child benefits for households with children, and
- Federal and provincial tax credits and/or benefits.
Together, these components form a household’s total welfare income. Households may receive less if they have income from other sources, or more if they have special health- or disability-related needs.
Although in other jurisdictions we typically analyze the incomes of four households, in Quebec we analyze the incomes of six households. This is due to recent policy changes in Quebec that changed the way that the Social Assistance program works for new entrants. [Our methodology requires us to look at the situation of those who are newly enrolled in Social Assistance programs starting January 1 of the calendar year in question. See the Methodology section for more information.]
Starting in 2018, new entrants into the Social Assistance program in Quebec were required to participate in the Aim for Employment program, which is intended to help recipients “enter the labour market and become financially self-sufficient” by providing a variety of training opportunities and other supports. [More information can be found here: http://bit.ly/44lIoGc and here: https://bit.ly/3HGVrJp] The program is made up of several streams, each of which provides a different level of benefits depending on the work-related activity that is undertaken. As of the 2019 report, the unattached single considered employable and the couple with two children were assumed to be receiving Aim for Employment benefits instead of Social Assistance program benefits.
Starting in July 2022, the provincial government introduced a major policy change intended to further incentivize work-related activity by allowing Aim for Employment program recipients to receive the benefits offered to other Quebecers receiving training and employment supports through the Allocation d’aide de l’emploi (Manpower Training) measure as one of the streams in the program.
These benefits resulted in significantly higher total welfare incomes than are offered through other program streams. Note that households receiving Manpower Training benefits are ineligible for regular monthly Aim for Employment benefits, although they stay on the program’s caseload and are eligible for in-kind services.
As of 2022, we have chosen to include two additional example households to illustrate the variety of incomes available to new entrants in the Aim for Employment program. For both the unattached single considered employable and the couple with two children, we have included households that reflect typical “lowest” and “highest” benefit amounts, depending on their Aim for Employment program stream and, for the couple with two children, the number of adults engaged in employment-related activities.
Throughout this section, the designation “(AIM)” represents a household receiving a basic benefit that is equivalent to the regular Social Assistance program allowance plus a Participation Allowance for an “intensive employment search” or the “development of social skills,” which constitutes a typical “lowest” amount from the Aim for Employment program. [Although these benefits are representative of a typical “lowest” benefit amount, some recipients may receive lower amounts based on their particular circumstances.] The designation “(MAN)” represents a household receiving the Manpower Training measure benefit, which includes a Participation Allowance for recipients who undertake qualifying training activities, which is a typical “highest” amount available through the Aim for Employment program.
Note that recipients can only participate in the Aim for Employment program for 12 months, with a possible extension to 24 months. Following this period, households are eligible to receive the Social Assistance program monthly benefit amounts instead; in 2024, these were $829 per month for the unattached single considered employable ($784 in the basic benefit plus $45 for the monthly adjustment) and $1,258 per month for the couple with two children ($1,213 in the basic benefit plus $45 for the monthly adjustment), plus any additional allowances.
Also note that the Government Action Plan for Economic Inclusion and Social Participation 2017–2023 introduced a Basic Income Program in Quebec for people with severe employment constraints. Program implementation began January 1, 2019, and it was fully phased in as of January 2023. Social Solidarity Program recipients who have been in the program for at least 66 of the past 72 months become eligible for a new Basic Income Program benefit. Given that our methodology requires us to look at the situation of those who are newly enrolled in Social Assistance programs starting January 1 of the calendar year in question, we do not calculate the total welfare income of an unattached single with a disability receiving benefits through the Basic Income Program. [As of January 1, 2024, the amount of the Basic Income Program benefit was $1,627 per month for unattached singles ($1,273 in basic benefits plus $354 for the singles adjustment).]
Table 1QC shows the value of the welfare income components of the six example household types in Quebec in 2024. All six households are assumed to be living in Montreal, receiving provincial social assistance starting January 1 and for the entire year, and earning no employment income. The child in the single-parent household is two years old and the children in the couple households are ten and 15. Other assumptions for calculating incomes are in the Methodology section.
Table 1QC: Components of welfare incomes for all example households in Quebec, 2024
Total annual welfare incomes in 2024 ranged from $15,094 for the unattached single considered employable (AIM) to $48,423 for the couple with two children (MAN). The unattached single with a disability received $17,068, the unattached single considered employable (MAN) received $26,341, the single parent with one child received $27,644, and the couple with two children (AIM) received $46,401.
Basic social assistance: The unattached single considered employable (AIM) and the couple with two children (AIM) received the basic Aim for Employment monthly allowance from Social Assistance in the amounts of $784 and $1,213, respectively. These allowances increase with inflation in January of each year. They also both received the Monthly Adjustment amount of $45 per month, which remained unchanged in 2024. Both households also received a Participation Allowance for an “intensive employment search” or the “development of social skills” of $70 per week for each adult in the household, which represents the lowest Participation Allowance amount available through the Aim for Employment program.
The single parent with one child received the basic monthly Social Assistance program allowance, also in the amount of $784, as well as the Monthly Adjustment amount of $45 per month. They also received a work-related allowance, which for this household was the Temporarily Limited Capacity allowance of $166 per month. Note that we include this allowance in our calculations due to the young age of the child, which typically means the single parent is not required to undertake work-related activity.
The unattached single with a disability received benefits from the Social Solidarity program, which included an allowance of $1,191 per month and a Monthly Adjustment amount of $103 per month. Social Solidarity benefits increase with inflation in January every year, while the Monthly Adjustment amount remained unchanged in 2024.
The unattached single considered employable (MAN) and the couple with two children (MAN) received the Manpower Training measure benefit under the Aim for Employment program. Our calculations reflect the maximum available benefit amount of $475 per week for an adult, which applies to those people in the Skills Development Component who undertake qualifying training activities. In the case of the couple with two children, our calculations reflect only one adult receiving the maximum Manpower Training benefit.
Additional social assistance: In addition to basic assistance, all three households with children received $170 per month from the Shelter Allowance administered through Revenu Québec. The couple with two children (AIM) also received the annual School-Related Allowance of $76 for the ten-year-old and $123 for the 15-year-old. The amounts of both allowances remained unchanged in 2024.
Federal child benefits: All households with children received the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), which increased with inflation in July from $619.75 to $648.92 per month for a child under six years of age and from $522.92 to $547.50 per month for a child aged six to 17.
Provincial child benefits: All three households with children received the Family Allowance, which increases with inflation each January; in 2024, the amount was $2,923 for each child. The single parent with one child received the Family Allowance Single Parent Supplement of $1,026. The two couples with two children also received the School Supply Supplement, which increased from $115 to $121 per child aged four to 16 as of January.
Federal tax credits/benefits: All six households received the GST/HST credit, which increased with inflation in July. All three unattached single households received $332.50 in basic GST/HST credit, the single parent with one child received $665, and both couples with two children received $1,015.
Four households also received the GST/HST credit supplement. The unattached single considered employable (AIM) received $31.29, the unattached single considered employable (MAN) received $166.63, the unattached single with a disability received $65.33, and the single parent with one child received the maximum amount of $175.
The federal Grocery Rebate, which was provided as a one-time GST/HST credit payment in response to high inflation in 2023, was not available in 2024.
Provincial tax credits/benefits: All six households received the Social Solidarity Tax Credit, which increased with inflation in July from $93.58 to $96.83 per month for the unattached single households, from $101.67 to $108.83 for the single parent with one child, and from $142 to $147.25 for the couples with two children.
Cost-of-living payments: Several jurisdictions, including the federal government, provided additional payments in 2022 and 2023 related to the increased cost of living resulting from high inflation. Although four provincial and territorial jurisdictions continued to provide inflation-related payments in 2024, neither Quebec nor the federal government did so. See the Overview section for more information.
Changes to welfare incomes
Figures 1QC, 2QC, 3QC, and 4QC show how the total welfare incomes of the example households in Quebec have changed over time.
Note that the values are in 2024 constant dollars, not current dollars, and are calculated using the Canada Consumer Price Index (CPI). Using constant dollars takes into account the effect of inflation given that inflation reduces current dollar values over time. Also note that using the CPI for Quebec would have resulted in a slightly different trendline.
Figure 1QC: Welfare incomes for example unattached singles considered employable in Quebec 1986–2024, in 2024 constant dollars
Figure 1QC shows three trendlines: the unattached single considered employable until 2018, the unattached single considered employable (AIM) starting in 2019, and the unattached single considered employable (MAN) starting in 2022.
After increases in the late 1980s and early 1990s and a slight decline from 1993 to 1998, the total welfare income of the unattached single considered employable was relatively stable until 2011. A slight increase in 2012 was followed by another static period until 2018.
In 2019, the provincial government instituted the mandatory Aim for Employment program for new recipients of Social Assistance. Given that our households are assumed to be new entrants in each calendar year, the new program resulted in a substantial income increase in our year-over-year analysis between 2018 and 2019, primarily due to the program’s higher work-related allowances. As such, a new trendline starts in 2019 – at a higher level than the previous one – for the unattached single considered employable (AIM). The income of this household is assumed to represent a typical or “lowest” Aim for Employment income. In July 2022, the provincial government instituted another major policy change that allowed Aim for Employment recipients to receive benefits through Quebec’s Manpower Training measure. As such, another trendline starts for the unattached single considered employable (MAN) in 2022, which represents a “highest” Aim for Employment income. See the Components of welfare incomes section for more information about the policy changes described above.
The AIM household saw an increase in 2020 due to COVID-19 benefits, a decline in 2021 due to the loss of those benefits, another increase in 2022 due to higher work-related allowances as well as inflation-related payments from both the provincial and federal governments, a decline in 2023 due to the loss of most inflation-related payments, and an increase in 2024 due to higher provincial tax credits. The MAN household’s income was much higher in 2022 compared to the AIM household’s income due to the significantly higher payments received from Manpower Training as well as inflation-related payments from both the provincial and federal governments; another increase in 2023 was primarily due to receiving these higher payments for the entire calendar year. The decline in 2024 was primarily due to the impact of unchanged Manpower Training benefits and the loss of the federal Grocery Rebate.
In 2024, the total welfare income of the unattached single considered employable (AIM) was $15,094, which is a 2 per cent decrease compared to 2023, a 3 per cent increase since 2019 when Aim for Employment participation was made mandatory, and a 34 per cent increase since 2018 (i.e., their total income prior to Aim for Employment), in constant 2024 dollars. The total welfare income of the unattached single considered employable (MAN) was $26,341, which is a 2 per cent decrease compared to 2023, an 18 per cent increase since 2022 (when Manpower Training benefits were made available), and a 134 per cent increase since 2018 (i.e., their income prior to Aim for Employment), in constant 2024 dollars.
Figure 2QC: Welfare income for the example unattached single with a disability in Quebec 1986–2024, in 2024 constant dollars
The welfare income of the unattached single with a disability increased from the start of the time series until 1994, remained relatively stable until 2011, increased in 2012, then declined slightly until 2017. Their income increased again in 2018 and 2019, largely due to enhancements in basic Social Assistance benefits, and again in 2020 largely due to COVID-19 pandemic-related payments. The decline in 2021 was primarily due to the loss of pandemic-related payments and the effects of high inflation. The increase in 2022 was due to inflation-related one-time payments from both the provincial and federal governments and the decline in 2023 was due to the loss of those payments. The increase in 2024 was due to the impacts of inflationary adjustments to most benefit payments.
In 2024, the total welfare income of the unattached single with a disability was $17,068, which is 3 per cent decrease compared to 2023, and a 24 per cent increase since the start of the time series, in constant 2024 dollars.
Figure 3QC: Welfare incomes for the example single parent with one child in Quebec 1986–2024, in 2024 constant dollars
The total welfare income of the single parent with one child fluctuated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, increased in 1994, decreased in 2000, then plateaued through to 2004. Increases through to 2006 were followed by a period of relative stasis until 2011 and a generally increasing trend through to 2019. Increases between 2015 and 2017 were primarily the result of changes to federal child benefits. This household’s income peaked in 2020, then declined again through to 2023. The 2020 increase was primarily due to COVID-19 pandemic-related payments, while the 2021 decline was largely due to the loss of those payments. The 2022 decline was primarily due to very high national inflation despite additional inflation-related payments, while the 2023 decline was due to the loss of those payments. The increase in 2024 was due to the impacts of inflationary adjustments to most benefit payments.
In 2024, the total welfare income of the single parent with one child was $27,644, which is a 2 per cent increase compared to 2023, and a 19 per cent increase since the start of the time series, in constant 2024 dollars.
Figure 4QC: Welfare incomes for example couples with two children in Quebec 1986–2024, in 2024 constant dollars
Figure 4QC shows three trendlines: the couple with two children until 2018, the couple with two children (AIM) starting in 2019, and the couple with two children (MAN) starting in 2022.
After increases in the early 1990s, the total welfare income of the couple with two children saw decreases from 1993 to 1997, relative stasis through to 2004, a slight increase in 2005, and another period of stasis through to 2011. Thereafter, their income increased through to 2018, primarily due to changes to federal child benefits.
In 2019, the new and mandatory Aim for Employment program for new recipients of Social Assistance was instituted. Given that our example households are assumed to be new entrants in each calendar year, the new program resulted in a substantial income increase in our year-over-year analysis between 2018 and 2019, primarily due to the program’s associated much higher work-related allowances. As a result, we see a new trendline start in 2019 at a higher level than the previous one for the couple with two children (AIM). The income of this household is assumed to represent a typical “lowest” Aim for Employment income. In July 2022, the provincial government instituted another major policy change that allowed Aim for Employment recipients to receive benefits through Quebec’s Manpower Training measure. As such, another trendline starts for the couple with two children (MAN) in 2022, which represents a typical “highest” Aim for Employment income. See the Components of welfare incomes section for more information about the policy changes described above.
The AIM household saw an increase in 2020 due to additional COVID-related benefits provided by both levels of government, and a decline in 2021 due to the loss of those benefits. Their income increased in 2022 due to higher work-related allowances as well as inflation-related payments from both the provincial and federal governments, declined slightly in 2023 due to the loss of most inflation-related payments, and increased again in 2024 due to the impacts of inflationary adjustments to most benefit payments. The MAN household’s income was much higher than that of the AIM household in 2022 due to the significantly higher payments received from Manpower Training as well as inflation-related payments from both the provincial and federal governments; another slight increase in 2023 was primarily due to receiving these higher payments for the entire calendar year. The slight decline in 2024 was primarily due to the impact of unchanged Manpower Training benefits and the loss of the federal Grocery Rebate.
In 2024, the total welfare income of the couple with two children (AIM) was $46,401, which is a 1 per cent increase compared to 2023, a 26 per cent increase since 2018 (i.e., their income prior to Aim for Employment), and a 4 per cent increase since 2019 (when Aim for Employment participation was made mandatory), in constant 2024 dollars. The total welfare income of the couple with two children (MAN) was $48,423, which is a 1 per cent decrease compared to 2022 (when Manpower Training benefits were first made available), and a 32 per cent increase since 2018 (i.e., their income prior to Aim for Employment), in constant 2024 dollars.
Adequacy of welfare incomes
The adequacy of a household’s total welfare income can be assessed by comparing it to established thresholds of poverty and/or low income.
Two measures of poverty are commonly used in Canada:
- The Market Basket Measure (MBM), Canada’s Official Poverty Line, identifies households whose disposable income is less than the cost of a “basket” of goods and services that represents a basic standard of living.
- The Deep Income Poverty (MBM-DIP) threshold identifies households whose disposable income is less than 75 per cent of the MBM.
Two measures of low income are also commonly used:
- The Low Income Measure (LIM) identifies households whose income is substantially below what is typical in society (i.e., less than half of the median income).
- The Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) identifies households that are likely to spend a disproportionately large share of their income on food, clothing, and shelter.
Note that MBM thresholds vary by province and community size, and LICO thresholds vary by community size. As such, we use the thresholds for the province’s largest city, Montreal, in the analysis below. Note also that we use after-tax LIM and LICO thresholds, and that the LIM thresholds for 2024 are estimates based on increasing the 2023 thresholds to account for inflation.
Also note that none of the poverty or low-income measures currently in use in Canada accounts for the higher cost of living faced by people with disabilities, and that these additional costs are not reflected in our analysis.
More information about the thresholds is available in the Methodology section.
A table containing comparisons of the welfare incomes of the six example household types in Quebec with all four poverty/low-income thresholds is available for download.
Poverty threshold comparisons
The welfare incomes of five of the six example household types in Quebec were below Canada’s Official Poverty Line in 2024, and two were also below the MBM-DIP. This means that five of the six households were living in poverty and two were also living in deep poverty in 2024.
Figures 5QC and 6QC compare 2024 welfare incomes for the six example household types to the 2024 MBM and MBM-DIP thresholds for Montreal.
Figure 5QC: Welfare incomes and poverty thresholds for example unattached single households in Quebec, 2024
The unattached single considered employable (AIM) had the least adequate income relative to the poverty thresholds. Their income was $3,369 below the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $9,523 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 82 per cent of the MBM-DIP and 61 per cent of the MBM.
The unattached single considered employable (MAN) had the most adequate income relative to the poverty thresholds. Their income was $7,879 above the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $1,724 above the Poverty Line. This means their income was 143 per cent of the MBM-DIP and 107 per cent of the MBM.
The unattached single with a disability had an income that was $1,395 below the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $7,549 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 92 per cent of the MBM-DIP and 69 per cent of the MBM.
Note that the poverty experienced by people with disabilities is underrepresented because neither the MBM nor the MBM-DIP accounts for the additional costs associated with disability. See the Methodology section for more information.
Figure 6QC: Welfare incomes and poverty thresholds for example households with children in Quebec, 2024
The single parent with one child had a welfare income that was $1,534 above the Deep Income Poverty threshold but $7,170 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 106 per cent of the MBM-DIP but 79 per cent of the MBM.
The couple with two children (AIM) had a welfare income that was $9,476 above the Deep Income Poverty threshold but $2,833 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 126 per cent of the MBM-DIP but 94 per cent of the MBM.
The couple with two children (MAN) had an income that was $11,498 above the Deep Income Poverty threshold but $811 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 131 per cent of the MBM-DIP but 98 per cent of the MBM.
Low-income threshold comparisons
The welfare incomes of the example households were below or at the low-income thresholds, as shown in the table linked above.
The lowest income relative to these thresholds was that of the unattached single considered employable (AIM), whose total welfare income was only 49 per cent of the LIM and only 58 per cent of the LICO. The highest was that of the unattached single considered employable (MAN), whose total welfare income was 85 per cent of the LIM and 102 per cent of the LICO.
The unattached single with a disability had a total welfare income that was 55 per cent of the LIM and 66 per cent of the LICO. The single parent with one child had a welfare income of 63 per cent of the LIM and 88 per cent of the LICO.
The couple with two children (AIM) had a total welfare income that was 75 per cent of the LIM and 95 per cent of the LICO. The couple with two children (MAN) had a total welfare income that was 78 per cent of the LIM and 99 per cent of the LICO.
The LIM and LICO thresholds used are for after-tax income, as noted above.
Changes to adequacy of welfare incomes
Figures 7QC, 8QC, 9QC, and 10QC show the total welfare incomes of each of the six example households in Quebec as a percentage of the Market Basket Measure (MBM) threshold for Montreal, starting in 2002.
The black line at the top of each graph (i.e., the 100 per cent threshold) represents Canada’s Official Poverty Line. This means that the graphs show how far below the Poverty Line the six households’ total welfare incomes have been in each year over the past 23 years.
The grey line indicates the Deep Income Poverty threshold, which is 75 per cent of the MBM. The graphs therefore also show the relationship between total welfare incomes and deep poverty in each year over the past 23 years.
Three trendlines for each household are shown in the graphs. These lines illustrate the relationship between welfare incomes and changes made to the MBM due to “rebasing.” The two rebasings, occurring in 2008 and 2018, are indicated with a dotted vertical line. Rebasing updates the measure, including the items and costs included in the basket, to better reflect contemporary circumstances and typically creates a higher poverty threshold than that of a previous base. The trendlines demonstrate changes to household poverty levels within the years in which each base is applied. A trendline rise within those periods indicates an improvement in a household’s level of poverty while a decline indicates a deepening of their poverty. For the years in which rebasing took place (2008 and 2018), we include the percentage of welfare income relative to the MBM using both the previous and the new base to show how rebasing affects adequacy.
Note that fluctuations in the graph trendlines are due to a combination of changes in welfare incomes and the cost of living. Both factors must be considered when analyzing trends.
Figure 7QC: Welfare incomes as a percentage of the MBM for example unattached singles considered employable in Quebec, 2002–2024
The welfare income of the unattached single considered employable began the time series in 2002 at only 56 per cent of the Poverty Line. Their income declined slightly to 53 per cent in 2007 and declined even further after the 2008 rebasing to 46 per cent of the Poverty Line. Although it increased slightly to 51 per cent in 2017, their income returned to 46 per cent of the Poverty Line after the 2018 rebasing.
In 2019, changes for new entrants into the Social Assistance program (as described in the Components of welfare incomes section) resulted in a total welfare income for the unattached single considered employable (AIM) that was 60 per cent of the Poverty Line. Their income then vacillated between 60 and 63 per cent of the Poverty Line, ending the time series in 2024 at 61 per cent.
In 2022, when Manpower Training benefits became available, the total welfare income for the unattached single considered employable (MAN) was 91 per cent of the Poverty Line. Their income increased to 109 per cent in 2023 and declined to 107 per cent in 2024.
Overall, the income of the unattached single considered employable declined by 10 percentage points between the start of the time series and the 2018 rebasing, which represents a significant worsening of the poverty experienced by households in these circumstances in those years. The policy changes in 2019 and 2022 resulted in much higher total welfare incomes for both the unattached single considered employable (AIM) and the unattached single considered employable (MAN), and therefore households in these circumstances would have had much more adequate incomes relative to the Poverty Line. It is important to note, however, that the unattached single considered employable (AIM) would still have been living in deep poverty since the Aim for Employment program was introduced in 2019. Although the unattached single considered employable (MAN) would have been living in poverty in 2022, their income would have risen above the Poverty Line in 2023 and 2024.
Figure 8QC: Welfare incomes as a percentage of the MBM for the example unattached single with a disability in Quebec, 2002–2024
The welfare income of the unattached single with a disability started the time series at 80 per cent of the Poverty Line; it decreased to 78 per cent in 2007 and to 69 per cent after the 2008 rebasing. A general increase through the next decade resulted in their 2017 income being 72 per cent of the Poverty Line, and after the 2018 rebasing their income declined to 68 per cent. Some fluctuation followed, with peaks in 2020 and 2022 at 71 per cent, a decline in 2023 to 67 per cent, and an increase in 2024 to end the time series at 69 per cent.
Overall, the welfare income of the unattached single with a disability was 11 percentage points lower relative to the Poverty Line in 2024 than it was in 2002. This indicates a deepening of the poverty experienced by households in these circumstances across the time series. As well, their income would have started the time series above the Deep Income Poverty threshold but would have fallen below it in 2008, meaning that households in these circumstances would have consistently lived in deep poverty for the majority of the time series.
Figure 9QC: Welfare incomes as a percentage of the MBM for the example single parent with one child in Quebec, 2002–2024
The welfare income of the single parent with one child started the time series in 2002 at 82 per cent of the Poverty Line. Their income generally increased relative to the Poverty Line until 2007 but declined after the 2008 rebasing to 79 per cent. This was followed by another general increase to 86 per cent in 2017, and a decline to 77 per cent after the 2018 rebasing. After an increase to 81 per cent in 2020, their income declined to 77 per cent of the Poverty Line in 2023 but increased again to end the time series in 2024 at 79 per cent.
Overall, the welfare income of the single parent with one child declined by 3 percentage points relative to the Poverty Line across the time series. This indicates a slight deepening of the poverty experienced by households in these circumstances over the last 23 years. It is notable that their income would have been above the Deep Income Poverty threshold across the entire time series, meaning that although households in these circumstances would have been living in poverty for the last 23 years, they would not have been living in deep poverty.
Figure 10QC: Welfare incomes as a percentage of the MBM for the example couples with two children in Quebec, 2002–2024
The welfare income of the couple with two children started the time series at 74 per cent of the Poverty Line, increased to 81 per cent in 2005, and declined slightly to 80 per cent before the 2008 rebasing. After rebasing, their income decreased to 71 per cent of the Poverty Line. A period of relative stasis followed until 2014, after which their income increased to 85 per cent of the poverty line before the 2018 rebasing. After rebasing, their income was 76 per cent of the Poverty Line.
In 2019, the changes for new entrants into the Social Assistance program (as described in the Components of welfare income section) resulted in a total welfare income for the couple with two children (AIM)that was 92 per cent of the Poverty Line. Their income then fluctuated, reaching a high of 98 per cent in 2020 and ending the time series in 2024 at 94 per cent.
In 2022, when Manpower Training benefits became available to this household, the total welfare income for the couple with two children (MAN)was 100 per cent of the Poverty Line. Their income decreased slightly to 99 per cent in 2023 and 98 per cent in 2024.
Overall, the income of the couple with two children increased by 2 percentage points between the start of the time series and the 2018 rebasing, which represents a slight improvement in the poverty experienced by households in these circumstances in those years. The policy changes in 2019 and 2022 would have resulted in much higher total welfare incomes for both the couple with two children (AIM) and the couple with two children (MAN), and therefore much more adequate incomes relative to the Poverty Line. It is important to note that both couples with two children would have still been living in poverty since the changes in 2019, although the income of the couple with two children (MAN) would have reached the Poverty Line in 2022.
Access to data
The data for Quebec is available for download, including:
- Components of welfare income for all households.
- Welfare incomes in 2024 constant dollars over time for all households.
- Welfare incomes in current dollars over time for all households.
- Adequacy of welfare incomes: a comparison of each household’s welfare income with all four poverty and low-income thresholds.
- Adequacy over time: each household’s welfare income relative to the Official Poverty Line (MBM) from 2002–2024.