CAQ introduces Bill 71 to improve social assistance in Quebec

The Legault government is proposing major changes to the social assistance system, in order to provide better support for the 300,000 or so recipients, without necessarily improving their benefits.

On Wednesday, Chantal Rouleau, Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, tabled Bill 71, “An Act to improve support for people and simplify the social assistance system.”

This piece of legislation will provide, for example, for the distribution of one cheque per claimant, rather than per household, as is currently the case, in order to encourage people’s autonomy and help them overcome issues of codependency and domestic violence.

However, the claimants in question would not receive more money, the ministry was careful to specify on Wednesday.

Moreover, the 30 or so measures set out in the bill would be still be financed from the existing $3.3 billion budget, Minister Rouleau explained at a press conference at the National Assembly.

No new hires are planned to better support service providers.

“We’re proposing to move from a punitive system to one that’s more humane, simpler, and more conducive to a return to employment,” said Rouleau. Various aspects of the plan no longer correspond to today’s reality, and we intend to remedy this.”

According to Rouleau, there are now fewer claimants, but many of them face greater challenges, particularly those related to mental health.

Bill 71 would therefore allow other health professionals, not just doctors, to recognize people’s physical and psychosocial constraints.

It proposes to open the “Objectif emploi” program to people re-applying for last-resort financial assistance. At present, this program is reserved for first-time applicants.

Given that 40 per cent of claimants do not have a high school diploma, the bill would also introduce an education supplement and a graduation bonus.

In addition, the parental contribution would be abolished in the calculation of benefits for young adults leaving youth centers, for example, and no longer living with their parents.

Finally, a social participation component would be added to the Social Assistance and Support Program. This component would promote the social participation of claimants who present socialization challenges that create barriers to employability.

The last major amendments to the Social Assistance Act were made 20 years ago.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews