Belleville Intelligencer e-edition

Lessons from the pandemic: Income interventions work, and they are needed

AMANDA ROSE SOLMES Amanda Solmes is the Community Research Coordinator for the Community Development Council of Quinte.

Every year, Food Banks Canada releases a report documenting food bank use in Canada, called “HungerCount”. This year's Hungercount looked back at the past three tumultuous years of the pandemic.

While the impacts of COVID-19 added more uncertainty to people's lives, there were also glimmers of hope. The introduction of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), along with increases to other income supports such as the Canada

Child Benefit (CCB), saw that some individuals who regularly struggle with low incomes were actually able to get ahead.

In fact, as can be seen below, 2020 housed Ontario's lowest average low-income population in over 20 years – by a good margin.

In 2020, many food banks reported that certain clients were no longer returning to access their services, possibly because they were receiving these enhanced income benefits.

This reinforced a perhaps obvious point: when people have enough money to pay their rent and put food on the table, they are less likely to rely on food banks. When we reduce low income and poverty levels, we reduce rates of food insecurity as well.

This is perfect evidence in a case for Basic Income or some sort of income floor.

In 2021, the low income rate had risen again to 10.1%. Certainly on the rise, but still low. However, the combination of CERB coming to an end, and people being asked to pay back CERB took their toll on many. Food bank usage rates jumped to unseen numbers.

The changes to income policy were only one aspect of pandemic-related supports in 2020 and early 2021. Other aspects included freezes on rent increases and eviction moratoriums – acting as an eye in the storm, as housing costs soared shortly after these moratoriums were lifted.

The needs that were met during the height of the pandemic have always been there, the only difference was, the government decided to take action.

We need that action to continue.

The needs that were met during the height of the pandemic have always been there.

“As we enter this uncharted territory of food banks across the country showing record-high numbers and unemployment rates sitting at historic lows, work must be done on two fronts to end hunger once and for all. First, we need to ensure that people who are experiencing food insecurity are given access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food as soon as possible. Second, we must work toward an improved social safety net that includes better income supports to prevent more people from falling into poverty in the first place.”

It is clear that the social supports introduced during the pandemic helped people. It showed us that this type of quick reform is possible, it is beneficial, and it is necessary. This type of support needs to continue. And it can. We all deserve to eat.

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2022-11-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

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