Social Assistance Reform Complete
For Release ##08-128
May 28, 2008
WHITEHORSE - Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers today announced changes to the social assistance regulations that finalize the government's Social Assistance Reform.
"The goal of Social Assistance Reform was to implement our commitment to review the social assistance program to ensure adequacy of rates, and provide incentives to recipients to help them enter the workforce and scale the welfare wall," Cathers said.
Changes to the regulations are broad, and include providing an increased incentive to assist recipients in entering the workforce, raising the amounts recipients receive for basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, and reducing red tape for persons with severe disabilities.
"The most significant improvement we made to the social assistance structure changes the earned income exemption to help recipients enter the workforce, and become self-reliant," added Cathers.
Targeting the nearly 70% of recipients who have been on and off of social assistance, the three-month waiting period for the earned income exemption has been eliminated and working recipients will be able to keep $2 out of every $4 earned, rather than $1 out of $4 under the old structure. The re-entry period is available for a maximum of three years, recognizing that clients who are able to remain in the workforce for two years or more typically never return for social assistance again.
The changes announced today are in addition to two initiatives already implemented to help low-income Yukoners - increases to the Child Care Subsidy and to the Yukon Child Benefit.
The change to the earned income exemption takes effect June 1, 2008 and the rate increase takes effect July 1, 2008.