Too many hungry Canadians

704 414 Canadians turn to food banks in an average month to help them get by. This number is in Hunger Count 2008, released by Food Banks Canada (formerly the Canadian Association of Food Banks) today.

Since 1997, the number of food bank users in Canada has not dipped below 700 000. What will happen now, in a period of economic downturn?

Echoing Campaign 2000’s report card, released last Friday, the report notes that over one-third of those who depend on food banks are children. Half of the families with children that use food banks are two parent families.

Hunger Count also highlights the growing number of working poor who rely on food banks: 14.5% receive their primary income from employment. This is further evidence of the reality that employment doesn’t guarantee people don’t live in poverty. In fact, in 2004, 58% of two parent families living in poverty in Canada received their principal income from employment and received no social assistance or Employment Insurance payments. This is why the government’s focus on employment as a way out of poverty is problematic.

Today’s report offers the fact that the retail sector has now surpassed the manufacturing sector in providing the most jobs in Canada as a cause for the growing number of working poor. Jobs in the retail sector offer lower pay, and generally limited benefits compared to the manufacturing sector.

The report offers four recommendations:

A federal poverty reduction strategy with measurable targets and timelines.
An increase to the Working Income Tax Benefit, while also increasing eligibility to all those earning less than the Low Income cutoff.
An increase in the Canada Child Tax Benefit to $5000 per year.
Implementing the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Forestry and Agriculture around rural housing.

The first two points mirror our Envisioning Canada Without Poverty campaign.

Another food bank, Winnipeg Harvest, is looking at something different. They are suggesting a Refundable Family Tax Credit, or in other words, a Guaranteed Livable Income.

Either way, food banks know that something needs to change. 700 000 people using food banks is far too many Canadians living precariously, struggling to maintain dignity.