To facilitate transitions, the various income support systems should be complementary. Frequently, rules for income support dictate the accessibility of labour market programs (career and job search counselling, training programs, etc.).

Considering the characteristics of the Canadian environment, especially the diversity of individuals' situations when confronted with making a transition into employment,

Statement of belief

We believe that an appropriate system of income support is of utmost importance in ensuring equality and effectiveness in a transition system. However, assistance to people in transition should be provided on the basis of individual need rather than on the basis of the type of income support they are receiving.

This requires a radical change in the current philosophy behind the provision of publicly supported assistance services.

Unemployment Insurance

The objectives of UI relate directly to the transition into employment process. This income support system relieves the unemployed from immediate and serious financial troubles allowing them to concentrate energy and efforts on effective job search. As an insurance-based program, eligibility criteria are related to accumulated entitlement resulting from previous employment.

In the past, eligibility criteria have been modified in response to financial problems in the UI fund, rather to diversification of forms of employment. The result has been a growing number of unemployed people who are not entitled to UI benefits. This is a particular matter of concern when eligibility for assistance in a transition (i.e., job search assistance, counselling, skills assessment, and training) depends on whether one receives such benefits. It is even more important as access to training, in particular, is more and more directed at UI recipients, through the Unemployment Insurance Developmental Uses (UIDU) program, at the expense of other groups who would benefit from publicly supported training.