opnewseditor@gmail.com Welfare Practices in BC are Hurting, Not Helping, Says Report Bryna Hallam, CUP British Columbia Bureau Chief VICTORIA (CUP)—Getting on welfare in B.C. is no easy task, Just ask Jack. The 20-year-old, who prefers not to use his real name, is living on the streets of Victoria. Since he is unable to prove he has worked 840 hours over a period of two years, he has not been able to get on welfare. Though he may fall under one of the many exceptions to the rule, he says he will not apply again. The so-called two-year independence test was one of many changes to welfare that came into effect in April 2002. Other changes included the introduction of a three- week wait before a “take-in” interview can be conducted, the implementation of a 1-800 line for initial enquiries, and a compulsory online orientation. According to Bruce Wallace, the changes had only one goal: to reduce the number of people on welfare in BC, and ultimately reduce the ministry’s budget. To do so, asserts Wallace, the government has deliberately made accessing welfare difficult. It’s worked, too—since the Liberals were elected in 2001, the number of people on welfare has fallen by 100,000, or about 42 percent. The steepest declines were in 2002 and 2003, after the reforms were implemented. The government has trumpeted the reduction as a success, claiming it means more people are being “diverted” to employment. But Wallace, one of the authors of Denied Assistance, a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group, questions that assertion. “Ts helping fewer people really a success story?” Wallace asked before pointing out that the number of peo- ple leaving welfare—presumably for employment—has not changed. “This is about less people being able to get on welfare in the first place.” The report, based on government documents gained through freedom of information requests and interviews, examined the impact of the reforms. It found that fewer people are receiving welfare, due largely in part to the new eligibility criteria and application process. Instead, people are being diverted to homelessness, charities, and other sur- vival strategies, including relying on survival sex. This trend, says Wallace, has been seen throughout the province. According to Vancouver’s 2005 Homeless Count, the number of homeless people in the city grew from 1,121 in 2002 to 2,174 in 2005. Nearly half of those peo- ple were in shelters, the rest on the street. In 2004, Kelowna, the largest city in BC’s southern interior with a population 105,000, found there were more than 400 people living on the streets or shelters during the city’s Census of Homeless People. The government has defended its policies. The inde- pendence test, for example, “promotes self-reliance through employment and discourages dependency on income assistance,” wrote then-Minister of Human Resources Susan Brice in a March 2005 letter to the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria. Even in the face of the report, the ministry remained steadfast, with Employment and Income Assistance Minister Claude Richmond rejecting suggestions that wel- fare policies are to blame for the increase in homelessness. “Tt’s a phenomenon that is increasing continent-wide in every city, large and small,” he told reporters. According to Richmond, 46,000 people have left wel- fare and found steady employment since 2001. “Their claims of success are based on a total lack of evidence,” said Wallace, adding research for Denied Assistance found that no surveys or follow up have been done to determine what happens to people when they do not receive welfare. The report calls for a number of changes, including the elimination of the three-week wait and the two-year inde- pendence test, which can delay or deny assistance to peo- ple regardless of their need. Wallace also calls for a change to the way people think about welfare. “We neea to stop thinking of welfare as the problem,” he said, “and recognize poverty as the problem.” Quiet — But Not Quite Shut Down Douglas Shifts into the summer semester While many of us take a break from school (or at least a full coarse load) over the summer break, Douglas College remains open and active. Here are some important dates and deadlines for the Summer Students to remember: June 1 Deadline to apply for transfer credit to ensure credit has been recorded to meet course pre-requisites for Fall registration. Deadline for Bursary applications administered by Douglas College for Summer Semester only. Student Loan Applications for Fall available on-line at www.bcsap.bc.ca. June 6-7 Summer Graduation. June 12-16 July 2 Last day to drop a course or completely withdraw from College (students will receive a “W” on permanent record). July 3. College closed. Mid-semester — students may obtain mid-semester standing from instructors during this week in order to make decisions about dropping courses by the deadline below. July 26-Sept. 16 Applications and reapplications for Fall and all documents for General Admission programs must be submitted in-person only. Applicants applying or reapplying dur- ing this period will receive a registration time in the last priority time slots or later. Aug. 1—-Aug. 16 Registration — Fall Semester — By College priority. Aug. 2 Last day of classes. Aug. 7 College closed — BC Day. Aug. 3-12 ~ Examination Period. Aug. 11 Grades due for classes without a final exam. — Aug: 16 Grades due for classes with a final exam. Aug. 21 - Deadline to pay tuition fees for Fall semester, (Domestic students)