Manitoba

Manitoba

Updated May 28, 2010
Page révisée le 28 mai 2010

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[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

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Jump directly further down on the page you're now reading: * Key Welfare Links in Manitoba(scroll down to the grey box below, right column) * Latest Manitoba Budget * Poverty reduction in Manitoba * Non-governmental sites in Manitoba

Ombudsman's report slams social assistance program
By Larry Kusch
May 27, 2010
The province's goal of moving people off welfare and into the workforce is undermined by poorly communicated policies, overwhelming staff caseloads and a failure, in some instances, to provide such basic job-searching tools as a telephone. Provincial ombudsman Irene Hamilton Wednesday released the first outside review of the province's social assistance programs since the early 1980s. Her probe arose out of complaints from 12 community organizations, many of which have clients on Manitoba's Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) program. According to Hamilton's report, very few caseworkers describe their workload as manageable, and many spoke of working in "crisis response mode."
Source:
Winnipeg Free Press

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Related links from
the Manitoba Ombudsman:

Manitoba Ombudsman releases her Report on
Manitoba's Employment and Income Assistance Program (PDF - 234K, 9 pages)
News Release
(incl. Executive Summary + Ombudsman’s recommendations)
May 26, 2010
Manitoba Ombudsman Irene Hamilton released a report on the Employment and Income Assistance Program of Family Services and Consumer Affairs. The report contains 68 recommendations for administrative improvement. (...) In its initial response to the report, the department noted that the collaborative undertaking "resulted in a well-balanced and informed report." The department added, "these reviews help programs determine strengths and identify ways to improve service delivery to increase efficiency and effectiveness."

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The complete report:

Report on Manitoba's
Employment and Income Assistance Program (PDF - 1MB, 134 pages)
Prepared by Irene A. Hamilton, Manitoba Ombudsman
May 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* Executive Summary and Recommendations
* Introduction
* Employment and Income Assistance Program
--- Application for Employment and Income Assistance
--- Inadequate Disclosure of EIA Entitlements, Benefits, Rights and Responsibilities
--- The Right to Apply and Receive EIA Benefits
--- Application for Disability Category
--- Categorical Eligibility
--- Participants with Work Expectations
--- Participants with Multiple Persistent Barriers
--- Disability Category Participants
--- A Non-Categorical System
--- Rate Setting
--- Program Policy
--- Common-Law Relationships
--- Code of Conduct and Complaints
--- EIA Appeal Process
--- Staffing and Workload
--- Discretionary Decision Making
* Departmental Response

Bonus for welfare history buffs:

 

"The Employment and Income Assistance program was last reviewed externally in 1982/83 by the Manitoba Task Force on Social Assistance, chaired by Dr. Joseph C. Ryant. The report of the task force (the Ryant report) was issued publicly on August 11, 1983. The most significant change in the ensuing 25 years has been the abolition of the “two-tier” system, whereby people with disabilities and single parents were served by the province and people who were deemed employable were the responsibility of municipalities. This change occurred in 1999 in Winnipeg and elsewhere in the province in 2004. The program is now administered solely by the province." (Report, page 14)

[ earlier Manitoba Ombudsman reports ]

Source:
Manitoba Ombudsman

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CBC coverage:

Welfare rules unfairly applied: Ombudsman
May 26, 2010
Manitoba's Ombudsman is recommending a slew of changes to improve the provincial welfare system and how clients are treated after finding that the rules of the system are sometimes unevenly applied, resulting in the possibility some people are getting more benefits than others. In a report into her findings released on Wednesday, Irene Hamilton has recommended the Employment and Income Assistance Program make 68 separate changes to make the social-assistance system better.
Source:
CBC Manitoba

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Manitoba looks at debit cards for welfare recipients:
Plan would circumvent cheque-cashing companies’ fees
By Steve Lambert
May 12, 2010
Winnipeg — The Manitoba government is looking at giving welfare recipients special debit cards to get around the stigma, fees and hurdles that can come with cashing monthly cheques. The cards would be attached to an account where money would be deposited every month. People on social assistance would no longer have to wait for cheques to arrive in the mail and then find a place to cash them. They could spend money by swiping their card at any retail outlet, and the card would be automatically reloaded every month. (...) The government prefers to use direct deposit for welfare payments, but less than two-thirds of recipients have signed up. Many don’t have bank accounts and must pay fees at cheque-cashing companies to get their money. It’s why poverty-rights groups are encouraging the government to set up the debit cards.
Source:
Globe and Mail

From
All ABoard : Manitoba's Poverty Reduction Strategy

Province invests $950 million this year in All Aboard Poverty Reduction Strategy
More Than 560 Organizations, Individuals Helping Guide Priorities: Irvin-Ross, Mackintosh
April 9, 2010
The province is committing $950 million this year to fighting poverty and promoting opportunities for low-income Manitobans including more than 30 new initiatives and program enhancements, Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross and Family Services and Consumer Affairs Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today. (...) The province set its priorities for program enhancements and new initiatives under ALL Aboard based on research and discussion with stakeholders and individuals living in poverty, the minister said. At the top of the list are housing, getting Manitobans off welfare, more child care and building awareness of existing supports.

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Hotlinks The links below will take you directly to the following Manitoba government and non-governmental web pages: Government of Manitoba Home Page Human Services Guide Departmental Index Daily News Releases Department of Family Services and Consumer Affairs Disabilities Issues Office Housing and Community Development Department of Finance Department of Labour and Immigration Department of Education and Literacy Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Status of Women Department of Health Legislative Library of Manitoba Manitoba Human Rights Commission Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat Manitoba WorkInfoNet (MBWIN) Laws and Regulations of Manitoba Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg Harvest City of Winnipeg Social Planning Council of Winnipeg Manitoba WORKink Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation

Key welfare links Department responsible for welfare Manitoba Family Services and Consumer Affairs (formerly Manitoba Family Services and Housing) Name of the welfare program Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) Legislation Employment and Income Assistance Act - Employment and Income Assistance Regulation Source: Laws and Regulations of Manitoba Policy Manual EIA Administrative Manual Online - online welfare policy manual, includes legislation Welfare statistics Go to the Departmental. annual report - welfare stats are under "Employment and Income Assistance Division" See also: Number of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page) Source: National Council of Welfare Welfare rates (benefits) Employment and Income Assistance Facts See also Schedule "A" of the EIA Regulation (above) Latest search results on Google.ca for "welfare, -child, -animal, Manitoba" - Web search results - News search results - Blog search results Related Links * ALL Aboard: 2010-11 Highlights (Word [.doc] file - 39K, 1 page) - April 2010 * AllAboard - Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PDF - 562K, 8 pages) - May 2009 Source: ALL Aboard: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy * Rewarding Work (2007 - four-year Manitoba strategy to address poverty) * Annual Reports - Manitoba Family Services and Housing (2001-2002 to 2006-2007) * Anti-poverty initiatives to help Manitobans help themselves (November 26/07) * New Child Benefit, Lower-cost Child Care, Stronger Work Incentives, And Skills Package in 10-point Reconstruction of Income Supports (April 10, 2007) For more information about welfare in other Canadian jurisdictions, see the Canadian Social Research Links Key Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page

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Government of Manitoba Home Page

Page d'accueil du Gouvernement
NOTA: Certains ministères offrent une version en français de leur page. Cliquez sur "version française" pour y accéder.
Répertoire des ministères

Daily News Releases
Departmental Index
Statutory Publications

Laws and Regulations of Manitoba - Manitoba provincial laws and regulations are available online for free.
This online service makes laws and regulations accessible for reference, research and private use.

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Human Services Guide - contains information on services provided by Manitoba Advanced Education; Manitoba Education, Training and Youth; and Manitoba Family Services and Housing. You can choose to browse the full list or a list by service category (recommended), or do a keyword search.  This is an extensive list of programs and services, and it includes descriptions and links to further information in the following areas: Adoption - Child day care - Counselling - Emergency Assistance - Employment - Financial Assistance - Housing - Parent and Caregiver Supports - Protection of Children and Adults - Services for Employers - Supports for Adults with a Disability - Supports for Children with a Disability - Training - and more.

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All ABoard : Manitoba's Poverty Reduction Strategy NOTE: this link takes you to the Manitoba section of the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page of this site: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm As of May 26, 2010, ALL links to content concerning poverty reduction strategies and campaigns have been moved to the above page from the individual provincial/territorial pages, including government and NGO links.

 

Government Departments

Manitoba Family Services and Consumer Affairs ...........................version française
(formerly Manitoba Family Services and Housing)
The Department of Family Services and Consumer Affairs is committed to improving the quality of life for Manitobans through furthering the social, economic and labour market inclusion of all citizens

Sitemap --- see everything on one page.

For links to general information about the site and the Department, start on the Departmental home page - it also includes links to Popular Topics and Key Initiatives including child care, housing, welfare (Employment and Income Assistance), Manitoba's Five-Year Plan for Child Care, the Affordable Housing Initiative, Child and Family Services Restructuring, the Manitoba Provincial Strategy on Disability, the National Child Benefit Restoration and more.

2005-06 Annual Report - Family Services and Housing
- incl. links to earlier annual reports back to 2001-2002 and Social Services Appeal Boards reports
Source:
Annual reports of the Department of Family Services and Housing

Channels
[Each channel is a portal to further resources on a particular theme (including online publications)]
- Children and families - all services to families and children, from adoption, day care and child welfare to the Shelter Assistance for Family Renters program
- Persons with disabilities - covers a range of programs, including : day care for children with disabilities - services for children in care with disabilities - children's special services - Home Adaptations for Seniors' Independence - Income Assistance for Persons with Disabilities - Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) for Persons with Disabilities - Supported Living - Vocational Rehabilitation - and more...
- Financial assistance - An expanded view of this section appears below.
- About the Department

Employment and Income Assistance Facts
- incl. links to the following info: Basic Assistance (Rate Information) - Shelter Assistance - Health Needs - Other Assistance - Employment - General Information

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Financial assistance -
Programs covered in this section include :

Building Independence - offers opportunities to Employment and Income Assistance participants who are looking for work

Child Day Care Subsidy - helps eligible families with the costs of child care

Children's Special Services - support for families to care for children who have physical and/or mental disabilities

Employment and Income Assistance - provincial program of last resort for Manitoba individuals and families in financial need

55 PLUS - income supplements to lower-income Manitobans who are 55 or older

Health Services - provides essential drug, dental, and optical supplies and services to Employment and Income Assistance participants and children in care

Income Assistance for Persons with Disabilities - financial assistance for low-income adults with a disability
[ Related link : Manitoba Services for People with Disabilities ]

Municipal Assistance - assistance provided by a local municipality to those in financial need who live outside of Winnipeg

Department responsible for welfare
Department of Family Services and Housing

Name of the welfare program
Employment and Income Assistance (EIA)

Legislation
Employment and Income Assistance Act
- Employment and Income Assistance Regulation
Source:
Laws and Regulations of Manitoba

Policy Manual
EIA Administrative Manual Online - online welfare policy manual, includes legislation

Welfare statistics
Go to the Departmental. annual report - welfare stats are under "Employment and Income Assistance Division"
See also:
Number of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare

Welfare rates (benefits)
Employment and Income Assistance Facts
See also Schedule "A" of the EIA Regulation (above)

Latest search results on Google.ca for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Manitoba"
- Web search results
- News search results
- Blog search results

Related Links
* AllAboard - Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PDF - 562K, 8 pages) - May 2009
Source: ALL Aboard: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy
* Rewarding Work (2007 - four-year Manitoba strategy to address poverty)
* Annual Reports - Manitoba Family Services and Housing (2001-2002 to 2006-2007)
* Anti-poverty initiatives to help Manitobans help themselves (November 26/07)
* New Child Benefit, Lower-cost Child Care, Stronger Work Incentives, And Skills Package in 10-point Reconstruction of Income Supports (April 10, 2007)

For more information about welfare in other Canadian jurisdictions,
see the Canadian Social Research Links Key Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page

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Selected links:

Welfare conditions spur complaint to province
March 26, 2010
The quality of life on social assistance in Manitoba has triggered an ombudsman complaint against the Manitoba government. "There were a number of items on the complaint, such as people not getting information about what they're eligible for," said Paula Keirstead, spokesperson for the Community Employment and Income Assistance Education Program. "[And] people being detracted from applying for EIA, when everyone has the right." Keirstead was one of the signatories of the complaint.
Source:
CBC Manitoba

$30-Million strategy opening doors for Manitobans with Disability
New Investments Kick-start Consultations to Build Foundation for Comprehensive Strategy
June 4, 2009
News Release
The province is renewing its commitment to a long-term strategy for Manitobans who have disabilities with a $30-million down payment on more accessible housing, enhanced access to public buildings, more support for children with disabilities in child care, better employment services and improved supports for caregivers, Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh, minister responsible for persons with disabilities, announced today. (...) As a basis for consultations, Mackintosh released a document that focuses on 10 priorities for action as the province seeks to build on its 2001 strategy: Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability.

The new discussion paper:

Opening Doors: Manitoba's Commitment to Persons with Disabilities (PDF 1.83MB, 46 pages)
June 2009
(...) In 2001, the Manitoba Government released Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Provincial Strategy on Disability – a policy document detailing the province’s vision for the full participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Manitoba. Over the past eight years, this strategy has guided the province’s approach to disability. We have made significant strides in each of the strategy’s four building blocks: income support, access to government, disability supports and employment for persons with disabilities. (...) The goal of this discussion paper is to expand on the vision for persons with disabilities that was outlined in the 2001 strategy.

Manitoba's 2001 strategy:

Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability (2001)
The White Paper, Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability, proposes a comprehensive Provincial strategy on disability. It responds to recommendations from the disabilities community in the areas of access to government, employment, disability supports, services to Aboriginal persons with disabilities and income supports. It further proposes measures to enhance government accountability for access and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Source:
Manitoba Disabilities Issues Office
[ Manitoba Family Services and Housing ]

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May 21, 2009
Province launches homeless strategy with focus on mental-health housing
Up to 2,000 Manitobans to Benefit from 285 More Mental-health Housing Units, 600 to Benefit from New Portable Housing Benefit: Ministers
A new strategy to reduce and prevent homelessness will connect homeless people and those with mental-health challenges to stable, secure housing and support services, Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross and Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh said today.
The HOMEWorks! homeless strategy includes 10 new initiatives in the following program areas:
* Emergency Shelters * Outreach * Housing with Services * Prevention

For more information on Manitoba's HOMEWorks! Homeless Strategy homeless strategy, go to the
ALL Aboard: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy home page, where you'll find links (in the right-hand margin) to:
* Homeless Shelters * Emergency Homeless Shelter Standards * The Salvation Army Project * Cold Weather Strategy * Homeless Outreach Team * Project Breakaway * Housing with Services * Portable Housing Benefit * Community Wellness Initiative * Homelessness Prevention Summit * Housing First * The Mental Health Commission of Canada * Housing and Supports for People with Mental Illness * Contacts

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Low-income Families in the North Get Increased Assistance to Address High Cost of Food and Essentials
March 15, 2007
Employment and income assistance (EIA) for residents of Manitoba’s northern and remote communities will increase effective April 1 to help residents buy expensive essential goods and nutritious food, Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today.

2002/03 - 2003/04 Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) Report
May 18, 2005
"This Canada-Manitoba Agreement on Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) Report describes activities that were cost-shared under the EAPD Agreement during the 2002/03 and 2003/04 fiscal years. The EAPD Agreement provides for the transfer of federal funding to provinces and territories for a range of programs and services that enhance the economic participation of working age adults with disabilities in the labour market. Programs and services eligible for funding under the EAPD Agreement must provide the skills, experience and supports necessary to assist persons with disabilities prepare for, attain and retain employment. Funding is also provided for programs and services for individuals who are experiencing vocational crisis."

Related Links:

Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities (LMAPD)
Baseline Report 2004-2005
November 2004
"This Canada-Manitoba Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities (LMAPD) Baseline Report describes objectives, services, target populations and planned expenditures for programs and services to be cost-shared under the LMAPD Multilateral Framework for the 2004/05 fiscal year. Societal indicators of labour market participation from Statistics Canada.s Participation Activity Limitation Survey for Canada and Manitoba are also included. The LMAPD provides for the transfer of federal funding to provinces and territories for a range of programs and services that enhance the economic participation of working age adults with disabilities in the labour market. Programs and services eligible for funding under the LMAPD must recognize the unique labour market challenges faced by persons with disabilities and consider the distinct needs of each individual with a disability in determining the set of interventions required to prepare for, attain and retain employment."

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Improvements to Exemptions for People with Disabilities Receiving Employment and Income Assistance Announced
April 14, 2003
"Manitobans with disabilities living in the community can now use certain lump-sum payments to improve their quality of life, without affecting their Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) benefits (...) The new exemptions for EIA were developed with the community and allow people to obtain enhanced disability supports."

Manitoba Announces New Support For Families And Children
April 28, 2003
"More for Day Care and Children with Disabilities, Legislation to Improve Collection of Child Support Payments"
Related Links:
Health Child Manitoba
Source: Department of Family Services and Housing

Social Services Appeal Process Improved By New Legislation
News Release
February 19, 2002
"The new Social Services Appeal Board Act, which ensures Manitobans have a fair and impartial appeal process for a variety of social services programs, has been proclaimed."

Sale announces initiatives to improve housing
Family Services and Housing
October 11, 2000
The provincial government has introduced the Neighbourhood Housing Assistance Program (NHA) to help communities improve housing stock and has taken over
administration of the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) from the federal government. As well, a more generous heating allowance is being used
to calculate rental payments for public housing accommodations. More...

Government Restores Increase to the National Child Benefit Supplement
July 27, 2000

Building Independence : Lowering Barriers to Employment
Initiatives Designed to Help People Looking for Meaningful Work

$9.1 Million Increase In Funding For Manitoba’s Child Care System
Family Services Minister Announces New Direction For Employment Income Assistance Recipients
Manitoba Ministers Critical of Federal Homelessness Announcement
December 17, 1999
Family Services and Housing Minister to Chair Ministerial Council
Increased Spending to Enhance Programs, Services for Children and Youth
National Child Benefit Reinvestments Support Lower-income Families
Manitoba Government Introduces New Legislation to Support New Welfare Reform Initiatives
July 5, 1999
Learnfare: Providing Young Parents And Their Children With The Keys To Success Parents Under 18 on Welfare Required to Stay in School, Take Parenting Courses
June 18, 1999
Work Requirements for Able-bodied Recipients : New Policy Initiatives Build on Successful 1996 Welfare Reform Strategies
June 17, 1999
Province Looks To Improve Income Program For Disabled
June 1999

Provincial and City Social Assistance Merge
March 1999
New One-tier System to Improve Service For Manitobans in Need: Minister Bonnie Mitchelson 
$1.5 Million More Announced for Training
October 1998
Program to Assist Lower Income And Income Assistance Families (NCB Reinvestment) 
Manitoba Invests in Children and Families
June 17, 1998 
Manitoba to Invest in Children and Youth: Province Surpasses the National Child Benefit To Invest in Manitoba's Future
March 1998 
Investing in Children and Youth a Priority
March 1998 
Manitoba Reaffirms Commitment to National Child Benefit
January 1997 

New Directions in Child and Family Services (July 1996) 
Statement of Government Policy on Manitoba Children and Youth 
March 1998 
Province Releases ChildrenFirst Status Report
May 31, 1999
$9.1 Million Increase In Funding For Manitoba’s Child Care System

Department of Finance ------------------ version française

Budgets

Department of Labour and Immigration

Minimum wage to increase to $9.50 per hour Oct. 1
Province Balancing Needs of 28,000 Minimum Wage Earners with Needs of Manitoba Businesses: Howard
April 8, 2010
The province will increase the minimum wage by 50 cents to $9.50 an hour on Oct. 1, Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard announced today. (...) The minimum wage rate last increased by 25 cents to $9 per hour on Oct. 1, 2009, following an additional 25-cent increase on May 1, 2009. (...) With this increase to the minimum wage, Manitoba will maintain its position near the middle of Canadian rates. Regular increases to the minimum wage are an important factor in reducing poverty and are part of ALL Aboard, Manitoba’s poverty reduction strategy, said the minister.

Disabilities Issues Office
In 2002, the Government of Manitoba established the Disabilities Issues Office (DIO) to support and report to the Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities. The DIO works independently across government and acts as a centerpiece for coordinating policy and programs for persons with disabilities.

Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability (PDF - 8.1MB, 47 pages)
May 4, 2001
The White Paper, Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability, proposes a comprehensive provincial strategy on disability. It responds to recommendations from the disabilities community in the areas of access to government, employment, disability supports, services to Aboriginal persons with disabilities and income supports. It further proposes measures to enhance government accountability for access and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Source:

Housing and Community Development

* Housing Programs and Initiatives

Womens' Directorate

 Manitoba Women's Advisory Council
" The Manitoba Women's Advisory Council advises the Manitoba government on issues concerning the status of women. The Council, a self-governing organization operating at arms-length from government, ensures that the voices of women throughout the province are heard."
- inl. links to Who We Are - Events/Information (Manitoba) - Parenting on your Own (resources for single parents, see link below) - Links to Women's Organizations

Parenting on Your Own - Manitoba (and some national) resources for single parents, incl. descriptions and links under the follwoing headings : Aboriginal Services - Abuse - Child Care - Disabilities - Employment/ Education/ Training - Health - Housing - Income Assistance - Legal - Money Management & Stretching The Dollar - Recreation And Wellness - Support For Families
Introduction - Parenting on Your Own
Table of Contents - Parenting on Your Own

Single Parent Families to Benefit from New Online Resource Guide
News Release
April 05, 2002
- Release of the sixth edition of Parenting on Your Own, a guide designed to support single parents, and launch of the Internet version of the guide.
"The handbook provides information about and resources for health, child care, finances, housing and many other topics. Hundreds of resources as well as contact information for community organizations are included. Over the years, more than 60,000 copies have been printed."

 Department of Health ..................................version française

Legislative Library of Manitoba.

 Manitoba Human Rights Commission

Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat
[ version française ]

Manitoba Seniors' Guide 2008-2009 (PDF - 2.2MB, 100 pages)
Table of contents:
* Personal Information/Frequently Called Numbers * Information * Seniors Organizations * Community Resource Councils * Senior Centres * Finances * Housing * Health Services (Provincial, Community) * Community Living * Resources for Newcomers * Safety and Security * Index

From CBC Manitoba:

Not Enough Money
Baby food or a bus pass? A TV or a telephone?
About 100,000 Manitobans make these decisions every day. They live below the poverty line. Some are the poorest of the poor in the country. Who they are and where they live will surprise you.

From March 22-26, CBC Television, Radio and cbc.ca will explore why so many Manitobans struggle with poverty and how they survive with Not Enough Money.

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NOTE: if you click the link above and scroll to the bottom of the page that opens, you'll find "Poverty by Area", a map of the City of Winnipeg showing family income by neighbourhood throughout the city. I *should* say "...a map of Winnipeg that's SUPPOSED to show family income by neighbourhood..." because that's what a Geographic Information System can do, according to Wikipedia. The Winnipeg map on the Not Enough Money page should be called "How NOT to do a GIS Map."
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Making Ends Meet
You don't have much money, but you do have a lot of choices.

Live Chat: Who's accountable?
A round table on poverty.
March 26, 2010

Fighting poverty
What stakeholders and anti-poverty activists say.

Measuring Poverty
Who's to say I am poor?
Looking at the three low-income measures.

Profiles
* Newcomers - Refugees have a particularly hard time making ends meet.
* Single Parents - Single parents are poorer than their married counterparts.
* The Working Poor - You can work and still be poor.
* The Disabled - Earn about $10,000 a year less than those without a disability.
* Seniors - For many older Manitobans on fixed incomes the "golden years" aren't exactly brilliant.
* Aboriginal people - Manitoba has the largest per capita Aboriginal population in Canada.

Source:
CBC Manitoba

Poverty statistics misleading
By Harvey Stevens
December 5, 2009
The recently released November 2009 Manitoba Child and Family Poverty Report Card 2009 (PDF - 458K, 25 pages) states that "Manitoba is once again the Child Poverty Capital of Canada, tied with British Columbia for having the highest number of citizens under the age of 18 living in poverty." It goes on to show how Manitoba has held that highest ranking for eight of the last 19 years and second highest ranking for an additional five of those years. Unfortunately, these are very misleading statistics which are extremely unfair to Manitoba because they are based on a faulty yardstick -- the pre-tax low income cutoffs (LICOs) developed by Statistics Canada more 40 years ago.
Source:
Winnipeg Free
[ Harvey Stevens is a retired civil servant who worked for 18 years as a senior policy analyst with Family Services and Housing. His area of expertise is poverty measurement and income assistance policy. He tried championing the use of the MBM for setting welfare rates while in government but was unsuccessful. ]

Dauphin's great experiment: Mincome,
nearly forgotten child of the '70s, was a noble experiment
By Lindor Reynolds
November 28, 2009
DAUPHIN — Thirty-five years ago, this pretty town surrounded by farm land and far from big cities was the site of a revolutionary social experiment. For five years, Mincome ensured there would be no poverty in Dauphin. Wages were topped up and the working poor given a boost. The experiment, a collaboration between Ed Schreyer's provincial NDP and the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau, would cost millions before the plug was pulled. The program saw one-third of Dauphin's poorest families get monthly cheques. In 1971, at a federal-provincial conference held in Victoria, Manitoba expressed interest in being the testing ground for a guaranteed income project. The Schreyer government applied for funding. In June, 1974, Mincome was approved...
Source:
Winnipeg Free Press

20 Years Lost: The Poverty Generation
Manitoba Report Card on Child and Family Poverty (PDF - 458K, 25 pages)
November 2009
All of the children living in poverty in Manitoba today were born since the members of the House of Commons passed the resolution to eliminate child poverty in 1989. (...) In Manitoba, 47,000 children live in poverty. That’s 18.8 per cent of all children, nearly one in five. Manitoba is once again the Child Poverty Capital of Canada, tied with British Columbia for having the highest number of citizens under the age of 18 living in poverty. That’s almost four percentage points above the national average.
Source:
Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

One is too many (PDF - 75K, 2 pages)
Media Release
November 24, 2009
Winnipeg Manitoba—a report released today by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPC) shows that Manitoba has regained the title of Child Poverty Capital of Canada, with nearly 1 in 5 children living in poverty.

Related link:

Campaign 2000

“We got evicted...did I leave that out?”
Stories of Housing and Mental Health (PDF - 1.4MB, 52 pages)
By Ian Skelton and Richard Mahé
February 2009
This study begins to explore ways of supporting processes of community transformation through enhancing the provision of housing and supports for people living with mental illness. In particular, the study is concerned with factors that mediate between individuals living with mental illness and the broader social environment. (...) In-depth, face-to-face interviews were held over the summer of 2008 in Winnipeg
with people living with mental illness, family members with responsibility for giving care and key informants. This report attempts to portray experiences of housing and mental health as recounted by the interview participants.
Source:
Manitoba Office - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
[ More publications from CCPA-Manitoba ]

Poverty and Social Exclusion
Solving Complex Issues through Comprehensive Approaches (PDF - 249K, 4 pages)
September 2008
* Definitions of social exclusion
* Government strategies to address poverty and social exclusion (Europe - Canada - Newfoundland and Labrador - Québec - Ontario)
* Common features of poverty and social exclusion strategies (targets - timelines - citizen consultations - action plans/strategies - accountability and reporting - evaluation of progress)
* Why Manitoba needs a Strategy

Source:
CCPA Manitoba Office

CCPA National Office link:

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice. Founded in 1980, the CCPA is one of Canada’s leading progressive voices in public policy debates.

The Housing Circumstances Of Recently Arrived Refugees:The Winnipeg Experience
By Dr. Tom Carter et al.
(July 2008 for Prairie Metropolis)

Housing is a central component of the settlement experience of refugees. A positive housing situation can facilitate many aspects of integration. Unaffordable, crowded, unsafe housing, however, can cause disruptions in the entire settlement process. A two-year study of recently arrived refugees in the city of Winnipeg illustrates the significant housing challenges they face. In the first year 75 households who had been in the city a year or less were interviewed. Fifty-five of these households were re-interviewed a year later. The research findings highlight the housing and neighbourhood challenges the households faced in the first year and the changes in their circumstances that had occurred by the time interviews were conducted in the second year.

Download full report (PDF - 2.3MB, 146 pages)

Source:
Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg

Manitoba Chamber of Commerce calls for welfare hike
March 28, 2008
In an unusual pairing, the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg to urge the province's NDP government to raise welfare rates.After a year of talks with anti-poverty groups, chamber president Graham Starmer has concluded the money welfare recipients receive to pay for shelter falls well below what they need. Social assistance recipients have to dip into other funds because their shelter rates haven't kept pace with inflation, he said.
Source:
CBC

Related links:

Manitoba Chamber of Commerce

Social Planning Council of Winnipeg

Echoes of Inner City Voices (PDF File - 3.6MB, 56 pages)
April 2005 (posted online Feb. 22/08)
By Mike Maunder and Virginia Maracle with Tom Carter, Chesya Polevychok and Tom Janzen
From June 1997 to September 1999, the Winnipeg Free Press ran a weekly series of stories – Inner City Voices – that gave voice to people in the inner city. (...) Five years later the authors revisited some of the people they interviewed to see how their lives had changed and how the inner city had changed.
- incl. statistics profiling inner city characteristics and change; program and policy based material; and, socio-economic, demographic and housing information.
Source:
Winnipeg Inner City Alliance
[ Institute for Urban Studies - University of Winnipeg ]

NOTE : the Winnipeg Inner City Alliance has also just released a January 2008 report on financing providers (PDF file - 311 K, 37 pages) in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario and to three New Local Social Economy Research Projects.

NOTE: When I checked the links on this page in the Spring of 2010, all of the links to Panhandling in Winnipeg were dead.
However, this is such an excellent report that I left the links and text below in case you wish to do some further digging.
The link to the Institute of Urban Studies (at the University of Winnipeg) is still active so you could start there...
Gilles

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Panhandling In Winnipeg: Legislation versus Support Services
by Tom Carter - Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Adaptation -
with Anita Friesen, Chesya Polevychok, John Osborne
May 2007
In June 2005, The City of Winnipeg passed an amendment to By-Law 7700/2000 prohibiting some methods of panhandling, and placing restrictions on some aspects of panhandling activity, particularly related to specific types of services or locations. This project addresses the following questions regarding the need for, and the effectiveness of, this legislation:
- Given the nature, number and activity of panhandlers in the city, is this legislation an appropriate response to the circumstances?
- Is the legislation likely to be effective? and,
- Are there more effective means of addressing the issues of panhandling? Is legislation the answer or should the focus be on services and programs to address systemic problems that lead to panhandling in the first place?

The report is available in four volumes:

(scroll to the bottom of the list of journals for a brief summary of the content of each of the four volumes whose links appear below)

Volume 1: Executive Summary (PDF file - 300K, 8 pages)
This volume presents an overview of Volume 2, 3 and 4, and summarizes the findings of the Panhandling in Winnipeg research project.

Volume 2: Literature and Legislation Review (PDF file - 598K, 55 pages)
Academic literature provides valuable insights into who panhandles and why they are on the streets of North American cities. The studies reviewed here document the increasing diversity and overall growth in the numbers of people panhandling. Negative reactions to panhandling have prompted many municipal governments to attempt to control panhandling through legislation and/or program approaches that assist panhandlers to “get off the street”. The main legislative/program approaches to addressing panhandling are reviewed here.

Volume 3: Mapping of Panhandling Activity (PDF file - 10.2MB, 76 pages)
This volume presents the results of field observation of panhandling activity in central Winnipeg. It focuses on the mapping of panhandling locations and panhandling methods, including distribution of panhandlers throughout the study area, priority or high traffic locations for panhandling activity, and proximity to “sensitive services.” The types of panhandling methods used, and the distribution and frequency of occurrences of different methods was also recorded and mapped.

Volume 4: Interviews with Panhandlers (PDF file - 403K, 83 pages)

If you have any comments or questions about the report, please direct them to Tom Carter at t.carter@uwinnipeg.ca or you may contact him by phone at (204)982-1148.

Source:
Journal articles, research reports ===> See also : * Research Highlights * Background and Resource Documents * Community Briefs
[Institute of Urban Studies (University of Winnipeg)]

Also from the Institute for Urban Studies:

Twelve recent reports on panhandling (special focus on Winnipeg)
Click the link above to access 20 reports of the Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Adaptation at the Institute of Urban Studies (University of Winnipeg).
The titles of the 12 most recent reports appear below; click the link above to access these studies and more...
* Why Panhandlers are on the Streets of North American Cities (June 2007)
* Who Panhandles in Winnipeg? (June 2007)
* Panhandling in Winnipeg Project: Mapping Methodology (June 2007)
* Location of Panhandling Activity in Winnipeg (June 2007)
* Panhandling Alone or in Groups: What is the Approach in Winnipeg? (June 2007)
* When Panhandlers are Active in Downtown Winnipeg (June 2007)
* Different Groups' Perception of Panhandling in Winnipeg (June 2007)
* Legislative Approaches to Panhandling (June 2007)
* Program Approaches to Panhandling (July 2007)
* Housing Circumstances of Panhandlers in Winnipeg (July 2007)
* Does Panhandling Provide a Living (July 2007)
* Why do Panhandlers Panhandle in Winnipeg? (September 2007)

Source:
Publications / Research Highlights
[ Journal articles, research reports ] ===> See also : Background and Resource Documents * Community Briefs
[ Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Adaptation ]
[ Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg ]

Society for Manitobans with Disabilities

Aboriginal People in Manitoba (872K, 101 pages)
April 2006
The information contained in this publication is intended to:
* Serve as a resource for policy makers
* Provide general information for those who want to learn about Aboriginal Manitobans
* Provide factual information to aid in eliminating misinformation and stereotypes
* Provide baseline information for measuring program results.
Aboriginal People in Manitoba was produced by Service Canada in co-operation with the Province of Manitoba.
Source:
Service Canada

Service Canada Regional Information:
Manitoba
This page provides information on region-specific services for Individuals, Business and Organizations.
Services include: Jobs * Financial Benefits * Employment Insurance * Taxes * Training and Careers * Identification Cards * Travel and Passports * Health * Consumer Information * Canada and the World * Environment and Resources * Economy * Public Safety * Culture and Recreation * Science and Technology.
Source:
Service Canada
Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Manitoba Office - CCPA
- Publications
Related Link:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) - National Office
"The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice. Founded in 1980, the CCPA is one of Canada’s leading progressive voices in public policy debates. By combining solid research with extensive outreach, we work to enrich democratic dialogue and ensure Canadians know there are workable solutions to the issues we face. "

Recent reports:

The Expressive Liberty of Beggars:
Why it matters to them, and to us (PDF file - 282K, 28 pages)

FastFacts: Manitoba's Minimum Wage? Be Realistic! - PDF file - 32K, 2 pages)
August 4, 2005
"A job at $10.00 per hour, with benefits and opportunities for advancement, would draw many into the labour force. Such jobs provide dignity and respect. A wage of $7.25 does not. Nor does it make economic sense."

In for the Long Haul: Women’s Organizations in Manitoba - PDF File - 199 K, 24 pages)
August 16, 2005
"Just as women in Manitoba have done for decades past, feminist and women’s organizing for cultural, economic, political, and social change continues unabated. Indeed, many of the issues remain the same as during the second wave women’s movement. Although there may not be a province-wide group mobilizing women under one banner, this study has demonstrated that there is a substantial amount of activity taking place across a wide range of issues emanating from diverse perspectives and experiences."

Source:
Manitoba Office Publications (CCPA)

"There are No Banks Here"
Financial & Insurance Exclusion in Winnipeg's North End (PDF file - 276K, 56 pages)
by Jerry Buckland & Bruce Guenther with Georgi
Boichey, Heather Geddie & Maryanne Mutch
September 2005
"Financial exclusion is a matter of growing concern in Canada considering the decline in the number of mainstream bank branches in some inner-cities and the concurrent rise in the number of fringe banks. This study reports on results from a survey of residents from Winnipeg's North End, a low-income area of the city. The study seeks to understand resident's experiences with financial and insurance services: which ones they use, which ones are important to them and how accessible the services are. As a follow-up to research completed in 2002-2003 in the North End this survey asked questions about a greater number of services (banks, fringe banks, informal financial services and insurance services and financial support services) in a semi-random fashion to a broader range of respondents (low- and middle-income).
Source:
Publications (links to 18 studies and reports)
[ Winnipeg Inner City Research Alliance (WIRA) ]
[ Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg ]

Nodice Elections: Manitoba
http://www.nodice.ca/elections/manitoba
Source:
Nodice Elections
Related Links:
- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm

Surviving on Hope is not Enough:
Women's Health, Poverty, Justice and Income Support in Manitoba
May 28, 2004
Executive Summary
" Women are more likely to live in poverty than men. Women with disabilities, Aboriginal women, and single mothers have higher rates of poverty. Women who live in poverty have poorer physical and mental health than those with higher incomes."
Complete report (PDF file - 725K, 56 pages)

Policy-Related PWHCE Projects
- incl. links to research in the following areas:
Aboriginal Women's Health - Health Reform and Policy - Immigrant / Refugee Women's Health - Informal Caregivers' Health - Lesbian Health - Literature Reviews - Women, Poverty and Health - Older Women's Health - Rural Women's Health - Women's Mental Health - Women, Violence and Abuse - Women-centred Health Programs and Services

Source:
Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE)
Related Links:
Centres of Excellence for Women's Health (Health Canada)
- "The Women’s Health Contribution Program supports policy research and education on women’s health issues. Managed by the Women's Health Bureau, Health Canada, the Program is a partnership between community and academic researchers."
Women's Health Bureau
[ Health Canada Online ]

Also from PWHCE:

Women and Social Assistance Policy in Saskatchewan and Manitoba
May 2005
By Josephine Savarese, Department of Justice Studies, University of Regina and
Bonnie Morton, Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry
"The Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE) Research Program on Poverty and Women's Health has supported several studies that examine the links between public policy, women's poverty and women's health. In 2003, PWHCE initiated three research projects designed to examine income assistance policies in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and their effects on women's health. Reports from two of these projects were published in 2004: Don't We Count As People: Saskatchewan Social Welfare Policy and Women's Health and Surviving on Hope is Not Enough: Women's Health, Poverty, Justice and Income Support in Manitoba. These two studies were based on several focus groups held in each province and were designed to bring forward the voices and perspectives of those most directly affected by income assistance policies. As Wharf and MacKenzie have noted, 'the knowledge and experience gap between those who make policy and those who must live with the consequences is enormous.' The research helps bridge that gap by providing an important critique of income assistance policies from the perspectives of women living on welfare. The women's descriptions of their experiences reveal the inadequacy of income assistance benefits and the harmful effects on their physical and emotional health."

Complete report (PDF file - 927K, 62 pages)
NOTE: the complete report includes both studies noted above.

Including Low-Income Women with Children:
Program and Policy Directions (PDF file - 596K, 57 pages)
Research Report
September 2007
By Lynn Scruby and Rachel Rapaport Beck

Just Income Coalition
The Just Income Coalition formed in the fall of 2002 when a group of representatives from labour, human services, faith, women's, and Aboriginal organizations came together out of a shared concern over the inadequate minimum wage and its impact on low income Manitobans. They recognized that low wages are a major source of poverty in our province and organized around the idea that a strong minimum wage can be an effective tool for promoting economic justice.
- incl. links to : News - Take Action - Just Income Facts - Coalition Partners - Other Organizations - Contact Info

Child Care Coalition of Manitoba
"The Child Care Coalition of Manitoba (est. 1993) is a broadly-based and unincorporated coalition of groups and individuals. The Coalition currently has nearly 50 group memberships. Our members include parents, the labour movement, women's groups, the childcare community, educators and researchers and organizations committed to social justice, among others."

Child care sector has huge economic and social impact for Winnipeg: Time for action, say leading Winnipeggers
News Alert
May 20, 2004
Winnipeg Project
"Child care is an essential element in urban infra-structure. Yet, childcare in Winnipeg is characterized by serious inequities: some neighourhoods have much worse access and service than others."

Frontier Centre for Public Policy
"The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an independent public policy think tank whose mission is "to broaden the debate on our future through public policy research and education and to explore positive changes within our public institutions that support economic growth and opportunity."

Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation
University of Manitoba
The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation is a research unit in the Faculty of Medicine at the U. of Manitoba. MCHPE conducts research on the way health care services are used by Manitobans. It examines patterns of illness in the population, and studies how people use health care services. It also researches the factors that affect health, since there is considerable evidence that many factors influence our physical well-being, including income, education, employment and social status, as well as nutrition, early childhood programs and even highway safety.
This site contains a raft of studies and reports on a variety of health issues.

Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Harvest (Food Bank)

City of Winnipeg

Social Planning Council of Winnipeg (SPCW)
- incl. links to : About Us - Happenings - Resources - Links - Media - Guestbook - Join SPC - Photo Gallery - Contact Us.

Community Legal Education Association (CLEA) 

Canadian Union of Public Employees Manitoba (CUPE) 

CUPE Manitoba Local 500

Manitoba WORKink - "The Virtual Employment Resource Centre"
Career and Employment Resources for Persons with Disabilities 
- Links to a wide range of information for people with disabilities and those who support them. 
Source:
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work

Manitoba WorkInfoNet (MBWIN) - "An Internet directory that provides information on different aspects of the Manitoba labour market and helps Manitobans connect to the information and resources they need for success in the changing job market."
Incl. links to information in the following areas: Financial Help and Issues - Jobs, Work and Recruiting - Labour Market Information and Outlook - Learning,
Education and Training - Self Employment - At Work and In the Community - Occupations and Careers

Search the Web Search Canadian Social Research Links Only

TIP: How to Search for a Word or Expression on a Single Web Page  Open any web page in your browser, then hold down the Control ("Ctrl") key on your keyboard and type the letter F to open a "Find" window. Type or paste in a key word or expression and hit Enter - your browser will go directly to the first occurrence of that word (or those exact words, as the case may be). To continue searching using the same keyword(s) throughout the rest of the page, keep clicking on the FIND NEXT button. Try it. It's a great time-saver!

E-MAIL: gilseg@rogers.com