Manitoba government dishes out dollars 'to help families make ends meet'
Estimated 145,000 families will get an average of approximately $440, province says
The Manitoba government is cutting cheques for families, seniors and people on income assistance as part of a new family affordability package of benefits to help make ends meet in a time of high inflation and rising costs, the premier says.
"Manitobans have been through a lot in the past few weeks, months and years, from the pandemic to flooding, the unjust war in Ukraine and now record inflationary pressures," Premier Heather Stefanson said at a news conference on Wednesday to announce the $87-million package.
"It is beyond clear that many Manitobans are hurting. While Manitoba families are resilient, this economic rough patch has created the perfect storm, with unprecedented cost increases hitting us everywhere we turn."
Manitoba families with children and a household income of less than $175,000 in 2021 will receive a benefit cheque of $250 for the first child and $200 for each additional child.
An estimated 145,000 families will receive cheques totalling $63 million, the province said in a news release.
An estimated 52,500 senior households with a family income less than $40,000, who rent or own a home and claimed the education property tax credit on their 2021 income tax return, will get a $300 cheque in the mail. In all, the seniors' portion will total $16 million.
Seniors with qualifying incomes who didn't get the tax credit because they received employment and income assistance or rent assistance will still get a cheque, a provincial spokesperson said in an email later Wednesday.
The remaining $8 million of the $87-million total will go to Manitobans receiving employment and income assistance (EIA), through an increase to the basic needs rate starting in October 2022.
EIA general assistance clients without dependent children will receive an extra $50 per adult each month. All EIA disability clients will receive another $25 per household each month.
Stefanson was asked why the benefits are being limited to certain people rather than the entire population. In Quebec, everyone with an income under $100,000 is getting a $500 cheque while that same amount is being given to all Saskatchewan residents who are 18 or older and have filed a tax return.
"We think this is the most responsible and practical approach to help those that are most in need right now," she said.
She then called on the federal government "to step up" and do its part. In particular, she said it needs to pause its carbon tax to give Manitobans a break.
"Inflationary pressures are not just a provincial issue," Stefanson said.
Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said Manitoba's approach is different from other provinces because "we're focused on families with children, we're focused on low-income seniors."
"Our desire is to move these cheques quickly and so that is why we've set a threshold. A province like Saskatchewan hasn't set a threshold," he said.
Manitoba's approach "most broadly and most equitably" distributes benefits to those in most need, Friesen said.
The government was taken to task during COVID-19 relief efforts when broad benefits were handed out without any threshold, he said.
As for those who do not benefit from the latest announcement, Stefanson said the affordability package is a continuation of relief measures the province has taken and will continue to take, such as the child-care subsidy program, phasing out education property taxes, increasing the minimum wage and providing rebate cheques to vehicle owners.
"So maybe this specific one today does not affect that individual, but I can tell you that there are many other programs that I've already mentioned that will have a positive impact on those individuals," she said.
Stefanson also said a new temporary grant program will support food banks and other community organizations that provide food relief to Manitobans.
She did not elaborate on how much money will be provided or when it will be made available.
Vince Barletta, the CEO of Harvest Manitoba, the province's largest food bank, said he still needs to see the details of that grant, but he expects it will go a long way to help food banks hit hard by grocery and fuel increases.
He praised the increase to EIA rates as something that will have a big impact on people on social assistance. It's the first general rate increase in nearly 20 years, he said.
"We're talking about individuals who, when they go to the grocery store every week, they've got $30 in their pocket to feed themselves. So an extra $50 a month is going to help a lot of these individuals."
Barletta was asked about the lack of support for single individuals who aren't seniors and said Wednesday's announcement won't be a solution to all of the challenges Harvest sees but will make a difference to many.
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