Discover financial empowerment resources
Discover financial empowerment resources
Wealth inequality, health and health equity is one in a series of ongoing think pieces from Wellesley Institute that aim to stimulate ideas and new conversations to create a fairer and healthier tomorrow. Canadians are struggling with the rising cost of living. A national survey in November 2023...
In Canada and the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children live in poverty, contributing to poor health outcomes. Families with children with chronic illness may experience additional financial stress related to hospitalization. This study aimed to capture experiences of financial needs and...
Every year, scammers take advantage of income tax filing season to try to trick Canadians into divulging sensitive personal information that scammers can use to commit fraud or into sending money to pay off fictitious "debts". How to spot most tax season scams There are often red flags that the...
With the holidays now behind us, it’s time to focus on what’s ahead: a fresh year full of possibilities. Many individuals have popular New Year’s resolutions involving better nutrition, weight loss and work-life balance. Yet others decide that now is the time to focus on enhancing their...
As people in Canada navigate the impacts of a challenging economic environment that includes inflation, the rising cost of living, record debt levels, and high levels of income volatility, we’re seeing a greater connection between financial and emotional wellbeing. With these external factors...
This is the 2023 report on the progress of Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). While COVID-19 still threatens communities in Canada and around the world, the public health measures have largely been lifted. Temporary economic measures have also ended. At the...
Organizations play a vital role in providing community members with access to benefits. Tax clinics, homeless shelters, food banks, health centres and others can all do their part to provide these services. This free 60-minute demonstration will showcase our new Bridge to Benefits tool which...
Food Banks Canada's all-new Poverty Report Cards initiative grades how poverty reduction efforts are going in the provincial, territorial, and federal governments. The report cards will help policymakers and decision-makers at all levels of government gauge their performance in the fight against...
Two articles released in Economic and Social Reports provide insights on the poverty rates and changing demographics of racialized population groups in Canada. The article "Poverty among racialized groups across generations," shows that most racialized groups had higher poverty rates...
Building the Case provides evidence for the federal government to urgently step up to support single, working-age adults in Canada. This group experiences Canada’s highest and deepest rates of poverty and some of the country’s highest rates of food insecurity. By analyzing publicly...
Bridge to benefits: Implementing benefits access in social service has been created for organizations that are interested in starting, refining or expanding their work in access to benefits services. This includes benefits services such as helping to fill out applications, providing access to...
Searching for government benefits can feel like wading through a huge ocean of information. With so many benefits programs out there, it can be hard to know where to start. This webinar will teach you how to help people seeking ways to boost their incomes and/or reduce their expenses by...
Widespread household financial insecurity is an undeniably urgent crisis in the United States today. A stunning 51 percent of U.S. households have expenses that are equal to or greater than their income, and 55 percent lack the necessary savings to weather a simultaneous income drop and expense...
To learn more about Canada's food and seed security, read the SeedChange Impact report 2022. This report shows how and where donations were distributed in 2022, the impact of their work and the global projects they are involved...
In 2022, the Consumer Price Index rose 6.8%, the highest increase since 1982 (+10.9%). Prices for day-to-day goods and services such as transportation (+10.6%), food (+8.9%) and shelter (+6.9%) rose the most. Canadians felt the impact of rising prices. Data from the Canadian Social Survey...
Food insecurity—the inadequate access to food due to financial constraints—affects 1 in 6 households in Canada, with serious health implications. Family benefit programs supplementing income have shown potential in mitigating the risk of food insecurity, but there is little understanding of...
Read more about homelessness, affordability, at risk-populations and human rights on the Government of Canada's website. Learn about: Housing and human rights: the Federal Housing Advocate's work on the right to adequate housing, unmet housing needs and systemic homelessness. Canada's...
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.8% on an annual average basis in 2022, following gains of 3.4% in 2021 and of 0.7% in 2020. The increase in 2022 was a 40-year high, the largest increase since 1982 (+10.9%). Excluding energy, the annual average CPI rose 5.7% in 2022 compared...
The Annual Report by the Office of the taxpayer's ombudsman provides key achievements, identifies Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) service issues and outlines trends in complaints. In addition, the report includes three recommendations to the Minister of National Revenue and the Chair of the Board of...
Drawing on survey and interview data, as well as data from Daily Bread and North York Harvest’s member agencies, the 2022 Who’s Hungry report examines trends in food bank use and food insecurity over the past year in relation to three core areas: income and employment, housing, and the cost of...
Charitable food programs have been the primary response to household food insecurity in Canada since the 1980s. Yet, for as long as there has been systematic monitoring, there has been no meaningful decline in the prevalence of household food insecurity. Based on the most recent data from...
Gig workers account for approximately 25 to 35% of the national workforce. When considering workers earning low to moderate incomes (LMI), these percentages are likely higher. Gig work provides reported advantages including flexibility, supplemental income, and independence. However, it also brings...
Drawing on data for 54,000 households from Statistics Canada's Canadian Income Survey conducted in 2021, a disturbingly high rate of household food insecurity was identified. Food insecurity consists of inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. The prevalence of...
Workers earning low to moderate incomes (LMI) continue to face challenges in financial security. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the financial situation of many workers earning LMI. Along with the current macroeconomic environment, it has become even more challenging to build liquid savings for...
A good deal of attention has been paid to the question of what these high rates of inflation in housing and food costs mean for Canadians. Much of the concern has focused on the implications for middle-income Canadians hoping to purchase a home, while squeezing their household budgets. But what do...