A presentation by Ronald Kneebone, Director of Economic and Social Policy at The School of Public Policy, on his report The Rise and Fall of Social Assistance Use in Canada, which was published February 13, 2014.

1. The Rise and Fall of Social
Assistance Use in Canada
1969-2012
Ronald Kneebone
and
Katherine White
February 13, 2014

2. 5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
11%
12%
13%
SocialAssistanceRate The Social Assistance Rate in Canada, 1969-2012

3. The Social Assistance Rate in Ontario, Quebec
and the Rest of Canada, 1969-2012
3%
5%
7%
9%
11%
13%
15%
SocialAssistanceRate
Ontario

4. The Social Assistance Rate in Ontario, Quebec
and the Rest of Canada, 1969-2012
3%
5%
7%
9%
11%
13%
15%
SocialAssistanceRate
Ontario
Quebec

5. The Social Assistance Rate in Ontario, Quebec
and the Rest of Canada, 1969-2012
3%
5%
7%
9%
11%
13%
15%
SocialAssistanceRate
Ontario
Quebec
Rest of Canada

6. The Social Assistance Rate in Alberta vs. Ontario,
1969-2012
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
SocialAssistanceRate
Alberta
Ontario

7. The Social Assistance Rate in Alberta vs. Ontario,
1969-2012
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
SocialAssistanceRate
Alberta
Ontario
7.6% vs. 3.2%

8. The Social Assistance Rate in Nova Scotia vs. Ontario
1969-2012
3%
5%
7%
9%
11%
13%
15%
SocialAssistanceRate
Ontario
Nova Scotia

9. Puzzles and Questions
• The fraction of non-elderly population relying on
Social Assistance varies widely by province
• This reflects differences in economic conditions but
would appear to mainly be due to differences in
provincial program rules and regulations
• What has happened to cause Ontario to move from
having the lowest SA rate in 1969 (4%) to having the
second highest (7.6%) in 2012?
• Why is the SA rate at the lowest level since 1969 in
every province but Ontario?
• where it is 3.6 percentage points higher (7.6% v. 4.0%)