Welfare in Canada, 2023 report now available
Published on July 25, 2024

Welfare in Canada, 2023 breaks down the total welfare incomes available to four types of households that qualify for social assistance in each province and territory. The report also describes the components of welfare incomes, their change from previous years, and how their adequacy compares to measures of poverty.
About Welfare in Canada
The latest edition shows that households who received social assistance continued to live on incomes that were below the official poverty line in 2023. A large majority of households receiving social assistance also lived in deep poverty, or 75 per cent of the poverty line.
What’s in the report
- Explore total welfare incomes across all 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions.
- Dive into the components of welfare incomes.
- Understand long-term changes in welfare incomes.
- Assess the adequacy of welfare incomes compared to poverty thresholds.
- See how adequacy has changed over time.
- New this year: Explore three aspects of social assistance programs – eligibility assessment, inflation indexing, and benefit structure.
Four key takeaways
- Deep inadequacy: In 2023, welfare incomes remained deeply inadequate. Fifty-five out of 56 (98%) households were in poverty, with 40 of them (71%) living in deep poverty.
- Growing gap: Income support investments varied across jurisdictions. Some made improvements, while others lagged.
- Cost-of-living impact: The expiration of temporary cost-of-living-related payments in 2023 negatively affected households.
- Federal contribution: Despite the need, the federal government’s support for households receiving social assistance remained minimal.