Welfare would be a wonderful program if it actually did what it was initially for: The basic purpose of Canadas social welfare system is straightforward: to help people through difficult times until they can rebuild their lives.
But welfare doesn't help people rebuild their lives. It says to go to employment programs that are designated to help those who may or may not benefit from those programs. Many do not benefit or learn because it is nothing more than repeated lessons with not much basis of understanding for some who aren't able to deal with it at the moment. Same with parenting lessons, budgeting lessons, etc won't work if you are not in the best of health, meaning if you aren't able to deal with it then, you'll never succeed.
Rebuilding your life after traumatizing or stressful times is hard, especially as the system now is strict in some regards. Accessing help from various organizations can be difficult, you have to prove that you need it or it might not be the right program for you. That is not the only problem, accessing the service, being able to attend or being mentally strong enough to be able to get back on your feet is what welfare needs to do. To change this, welfare can introduce programs that help.
Rebuilding your life means you rebuild your self esteem, your self worth, when you do that, then you rebuild your knowledge and confidence, after that, you can gain freedom from being on welfare because you have rebuilt your life to the point where you can work, you can take care of your family, you can live confidently and not fall apart.
B.C. has employment programs that dont work because they people on welfare dont have the support they need to rebuild their life and get back in control. Its a catch-22 system as there are rules that you cannot go to school if you are on welfare. So you cant get a job because you dont have the education so youre stuck on welfare. Education has always been the one thing that will allow people to rebuild their lives and not being able to learn while being on welfare is demoralizing and sad.
If welfare wants to see people off it, they need to bring people who were actually on it, to change things for the better. Welfare is supposed to be a period in your life that is brief, not growing up on it, dependent on it. We are not welfare bums, we are not lazy, we are using the service because we are in need. Granted, there are the few who may abuse the system but that is few. The majority want help because they struggle, they can't break free because they are not given the chance to grow, to rebuild themselves into strong individuals who are able to cope with working, life, parenthood and budgeting. It's not that we are lazy, or stupid, or unable...it's because we are not given the opportunity to rebuild with core programs that will help us.
Employment programs don't always work, I've been in almost every one since they were made in PG. I am hearing disabled, I am overweight, I have an overbite and people say my voice sounds off. I struggle to find work. I have knowledge, I have an education, I am capable but does that give me an 'in'? I've been in parenting programs, employment programs, Bridging to Success, even Employment Action, Skills Building training (was turned down for practicum there too!) If someone like me can struggle and not be able to find work, then it's just as doable to see others struggle to find work.
I have a brain, I have drive, would anyone hire me to work from home? Write articles for a newspaper or input data on a computer. Probably not...I have come to find society hires based on looks overall rather than ability. If people shifted their opinions, they would see so much knowledge out there. Welfare helped me rebuild my life but it wasn't B.C. that helped me, it was Alberta welfare. If BC had the programs I went through there, I can see more jobs, more people working and more people having that same drive to be independent that I managed to learn.
Amanda Prince
Prince George
