Social assistance

Social assistance provides income support to a wide array of people in different situations. Their access to employment services will often depend on whether they are considered employable. Assessment of employability is often based on criteria reflecting life contingencies of the individuals rather than the actual range of possibilities and desires of those people. Moreover, the criteria vary from province to province. Although we recognize that all social assistance recipients may not be able to take a job immediately, we believe that an appropriate range of employment services (counselling, training, job search assistance) should be available to them. A coherent transition system should promote the integration of social assistance recipients into the work force by providing the employment services they need.

Several issues must be addressed to make the social assistance system contribute to enhancing individuals' employability:

• Access to information about services: Social assistance recipients are often isolated from information sources; we address this issue in our recommendation (no. 13) for a one-stop information system whereby all information about the full range of employment services is provided in one location.
  
  
• Access to high-quality employment services: The income support systems do not base allocation of benefits on recipients' need to get back into employment. All those in need of employment services should have access to them, regardless of the type of income support they receive.
  
  
• Provision of training: Social assistance recipients are often prevented from engaging in training programs because they need complementary assistance to allow them to cope with their specific situation. Training providers must be empowered to provide, or direct their clients to providers of, such additional services to ensure that nothing prevents their clients from acquiring training.
  
  
• Access to training without penalty: Social assistance recipients are often prevented from entering training because they would lose their entitlement to benefits. Income support systems should encourage people to engage in training programs that are appropriate to their needs and those of the labour market. If one income support system ceases providing benefits, individuals should be able to get support from another source. For example, a social assistance recipient planning to enter a university program should have access to a loan or grant program if the entitlement to social assistance will end.