Social Policy Trends- Income Support Caseloads in Alberta

• Main Author: (Gres) Wilkins, Margarita
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Calgary 2017
• Subjects: Fort McMurray
• Online Access: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/sppp/article/view/43132

INCOME SUPPORT CASELOADS IN ALBERTANumber of people who collect income support in Alberta, over the period April 2005 to January 2017The effects of lower oil prices, the difficulty of gaining approval for new pipelines, and the Fort McMurray fires have all contributed to job losses, income drops, and uncertainty about future prospects. Measures of economic health typically focus on the unemployment rate, GDP, and the number of job losses. Another useful indicator is the number of people relying on social assistance. Those receiving social assistance have often exhausted all other options – including Employment Insurance – and are now relying on this last layer of the social safety net.