Making Do: Government Income Support
Government income supports provide financial aid to replace or supplement a person’s income when they are unable to work. Some are based on contributions made while working, such as employment insurance and pensions. Others are tax relief measures, tax credits, and universal cash transfers. Together, these supports are a social safety net important for reducing family and child poverty and preventing food insecurity. Caregivers from both Canada and the U.S. highlighted the importance of government income support for their livelihoods while they did the work of feeding their children.
But are these benefits enough to ensure that families can do the work of feeding their children?
Liliana*, U.S.
Stephanie*, Canada
Omolade
Jena, Canada
Allyssa, Canada
Celie, Canada
Celie, Canada
Emily, Canada
“I am a single parent with no outside financial support whatsoever. I am currently on maternity leave and struggle significantly to afford food and household costs. I have a lot of privilege in comparison to many families and consider this daily: if I’m struggling this much, how can other families survive?”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“Canada’s fertility rate is on decline. People who are having kids should get more help from all levels of government. Formula is number costs in raising our child for the moment. It is so expensive. Child benefits do not cover the costs of formula for 1 month.”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“Mothers aren’t giving enough leave from work to feed their babies breast milk in the U.S. specifically.”
—U.S. Survey Participant
“Much more support is required for new mothers to have the confidence and comfort to exclusively breastfeed. Canada is NOT a first world country when it comes to healthcare women get and the measly maternity leave payment we get is not close to enough money.”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“EI parental benefits are not enough to sustain the cost of living. Needing to purchase formula puts even more strain on an already tight income. More government and employer financial support is needed for parents on leave.”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“The government does not pay enough for child tax or supplemental incomes based on taxes. It’s hard to go from a full income to 50% with child tax. We cannot support our children with less money than we were previously making.”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“Exclusive breastfeeding is only possible for me because of generous maternity leave.”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“Being on EI, I didn’t get paid much and formula costed a lot to buy.”
—Canadian Survey Participant
“I wasn’t able to breastfeed as much as I wanted due to unpaid maternity leave in my work. I wasn’t able to take unpaid FMLA [Family and Medical Leave]. Therefore, the demands of work made it very difficult for me to keep up with pumping to keep up with my supply.”
—U.S. Survey Participant
This represents payday to me because the government provides Canadian Child Benefit on a monthly basis.
The federal election is coming up and who we elect will directly impact how much money comes in from the government.
—Kerry, Canada
