This Woman Has Been on Welfare for 12 Years

[decocker 7,198]

Genuinely interested to know, in bullet form if possible, what are the differences between Ontario's welfare system and the one in the US. For instance, if the welfare system in the US is built to keep people poor, how is it "built" in Canada...specifically Ontario?

bullet form? here..i'll take it right from ontario WORKS page:

If you are in temporary financial need, Ontario Works can:

• provide you with money, and
• help you find a job.

To be eligible to receive help from Ontario Works, you must:

• live in Ontario
• need money right away to help pay for food and housing costs, and
• be willing to take part in activities that will help you find a job.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

The help you find a job part is very subjective. You need to seek out their help for that. OW centres provide computers free with internet, but mostly people use them to update their facebook. Job counsellor's are there but they won't come looking for you, you go to them for things like resume critiques and life skills. And from what I was told even that was limited. Nobody that I knew personally benefitted from it.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Transborderwife

[Torete 121]

bullet form? here..i'll take it right from ontario WORKS page:

Ok, got it thanks. Key word being TEMPORARY. I wonder if that equates to 12 years in Canada as it apparently does in the US?

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Ok, got it thanks. Key word being TEMPORARY. I wonder if that equates to 12 years in Canada as it apparently does in the US?

There are many lifers in canada on welfare. My parents are with the Salvation Army as officers. At Christmas time bell ringers were often welfare recipients because what they were paid was just enough under what you could make and stay on welfare. They had a roster year after year of the same people who had been doing it for quite some time as a way to make Christmas cash.

[Karee 4,189]

I lived in a shelter for a brief period of my life in Toronto. One of the first things that people were encouraged to do was apply for Ontario works aka welfare. The mentality of the women who were happy to live on $250 a month just made no sense to me. Some were on disability and received about $850 a month. If you're on disability ok I get it. But many of these women had the ability to work but simply lacked the will in their own words. Minimum wage in Ontario is $11/hr. Personally I'd rather be productive and earn my money. I do not get the welfare mentality, however I also didn't see the shelter staff doing very much to change the mentality. Sometimes I believe that society is to blame.

It's a mentality that is passed down from generation to generation. Do as little as possible, and live on the dole. If you're raised in this way, chances are you'll end up in this position as an adult, and so on. I have many family members that live this lifestyle. As you say, it's pretty sad just living to "get by" I agree with you 100% that society is to blame. Society in its rush to help people, sometimes ends up hurting more than helping.

Then you add a tax code on top of it that rewards low income folks for having children and barely working (EITC) it sends a pretty clear message.

I 100% believe that there should be a TEMPORARY safety net for people that fall on hard times. The problem I have is when it becomes a way of life.

Just remember the mantra, it's never your fault, and you don't have any responsibility for your actions. That's today's message. Seems a lot of people are getting it loud and clear.

[decocker 7,198]

Who's angry? Not me. There's been a real shift in attitudes in this country lately. A shift towards blaming others for their lot in life. If only the govt. did more, life would be better etc. I'm poor because I'm black. The cop shot that poor innocent black kid as he was trying to surrender, simply because he was black. Frankly it's all bull$hit. Anything, and I mean anything, goes nowadays as long it can be blamed on someone else. Personal responsibility is for suckers.

no, not you specifically. the attitudes behind posting ####### like this video are misguided and angry. me personally? i watch that video and feel bad for the woman. i feel bad for her kids. i see potential for better but i certainly don't get jealous of a poor person collecting welfare. and that's what i see when someone posts this shite. jealously.

personal responsibility is what makes the world work, day in and out. i don't doubt that and i agree. but i don't buy into this idea that there is a new american attitude of reliance on the government. it exists in the sectors it always has. and it makes perfect sense to me, as the middle class completely disappears, that more and more people slip into poverty and need help. cause and effect.

Just remember the mantra, it's never your fault, and you don't have any responsibility for your actions. That's today's message. Seems a lot of people are getting it loud and clear.

i keep reading this from you, is this your mantra? have you taken up peddling welfare?

[Transborderwife 4,666]

no, not you specifically. the attitudes behind posting ####### like this video are misguided and angry. me personally? i watch that video and feel bad for the woman. i feel bad for her kids. i see potential for better

This. She quite possibly doesn't understand the potential that she does in fact have. I would love to know did she finish school? Has she ever had any sort of career counselling? Has anybody ever told her that she can be better than what she has? More importantly, will her children receive that?

[Torete 121]

There are many lifers in canada on welfare. My parents are with the Salvation Army as officers. At Christmas time bell ringers were often welfare recipients because what they were paid was just enough under what you could make and stay on welfare. They had a roster year after year of the same people who had been doing it for quite some time as a way to make Christmas cash.

Nice...Merry Christmas

[decocker 7,198]

Ok, got it thanks. Key word being TEMPORARY. I wonder if that equates to 12 years in Canada as it apparently does in the US?

right, but canada has many other means of assistence if one's situation takes a turn or ends up not being temporary.

when my husband moved here - he got an unemployment check from canada for a while. i don't remember how long.

but that's the sort of thing, support for the working, that america doesn't have. i pay sooooo much in social security, federal and state taxes (unemployment, ect) but if decided to move to canada tomorrow, the us wouldn't pay me to do so even though i've paid into the system for 21 years.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

It's a mentality that is passed down from generation to generation. Do as little as possible, and live on the dole. If you're raised in this way, chances are you'll end up in this position as an adult, and so on. I have many family members that live this lifestyle. As you say, it's pretty sad just living to "get by" I agree with you 100% that society is to blame. Society in its rush to help people, sometimes ends up hurting more than helping.

A friends (for lack of better word) baby momma went on Ontario works so that she and her new boyfriend could live together in an apartment. Neither of them work, she gets her daughter twice a mont and avoids paying child support living this way. It sickens me to see how proud she is of it. She has no intention to work, has a daughter and three pets to take care of and seems happy living this lifestyle.

right, but canada has many other means of assistence if one's situation takes a turn or ends up not being temporary.

when my husband moved here - he got an unemployment check from canada for a while. i don't remember how long.

but that's the sort of thing, support for the working, that america doesn't have. i pay sooooo much in social security, federal and state taxes (unemployment, ect) but if decided to move to canada tomorrow, the us wouldn't pay me to do so even though i've paid into the system for 21 years.

Absolutely agree with you on that. I do not understand why employment insurance allows that.

[Karee 4,189]

no, not you specifically. the attitudes behind posting ####### like this video are misguided and angry. me personally? i watch that video and feel bad for the woman. i feel bad for her kids. i see potential for better but i certainly don't get jealous of a poor person collecting welfare. and that's what i see when someone posts this shite. jealously.

personal responsibility is what makes the world work, day in and out. i don't doubt that and i agree. but i don't buy into this idea that there is a new american attitude of reliance on the government. it exists in the sectors it always has. and it makes perfect sense to me, as the middle class completely disappears, that more and more people slip into poverty and need help. cause and effect.

Maybe for some it's jealousy, IDK. I don't know who would be jealous of someone in that lady's position. I'm surely not jealous of her. That said I think it's pretty sad that people with that mentality exist, and the govt. is happy to keep a whole segment of society dependent on govt. handouts.

I'm not talking only about reliance on govt. I'm talking about everything. This silliness with Ferguson has really exposed it for me. It's off the charts crazy IMO. There is an absolute movement in this country to not take responsibility for your own actions.

i keep reading this from you, is this your mantra? have you taken up peddling welfare?

Peddling welfare? Care to clarify what you're talking about? Or you just lashing out for no good reason?

It's ok. It's not your fault. It's no ones fault really.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Karee

[Torete 121]

right, but canada has many other means of assistence if one's situation takes a turn or ends up not being temporary.

when my husband moved here - he got an unemployment check from canada for a while. i don't remember how long.

but that's the sort of thing, support for the working, that america doesn't have. i pay sooooo much in social security, federal and state taxes (unemployment, ect) but if decided to move to canada tomorrow, the us wouldn't pay me to do so even though i've paid into the system for 21 years.

Val,

I'm not purposely trying to pigeonhole you, but what are these "other means of assistance" (Canada as a whole or just Ontario offers?) and do they differ from what the US offers?

[Karee 4,189]

A friends (for lack of better word) baby momma went on Ontario works so that she and her new boyfriend could live together in an apartment. Neither of them work, she gets her daughter twice a mont and avoids paying child support living this way. It sickens me to see how proud she is of it. She has no intention to work, has a daughter and three pets to take care of and seems happy living this lifestyle.

The sad thing about that scenario is the daughter. She is growing up in that environment and will probably assume that it's perfectly normal. If you spend 18 years growing up and being taught to do as little as possible, and to just get by, chances are you'll emulate that same lifestyle.

There's a double financial hit that takes place here. Not only is the person receiving benefits from the govt. they're also not paying taxes in to the system. It's a lose lose.

[decocker 7,198]

Absolutely agree with you on that. I do not understand why employment insurance allows that.

back in 2001 i had to leave my job of 7 years because the store was closing and as luck would have it, i also found out i was pregnant. so i found a job an hour away, in an office (coming from retail i was super pumped about that) and my first couple of days there i noticed that there were an insane amount of pregant women working there already (and i had been worried about looking pregnant at my interview). i asked my friend if she found it strange and she said no, many women sought out employment with this company because they paid temporary unemployment for six weeks - even if you had no intention of returning to your job after the baby was born. now that, is a crazy rare occurance in the us. but of course that was provided by a private employer. my thought is, for all the money that i've paid into 'the system' - when i had my son and my insurance didn't cover like $3,000 of our hospital stay, i didn't qualify for medicaid even though i was unemployed at the time. because in the past three months i had made 11.00 an hour. no matter the countless numbers of babies i've paid to be brought into this world via my paycheck deductions.

tldr: the system does not support the, always working but temporarily in need of help.

Val,

I'm not purposely trying to pigeonhole you, but what are these "other means of assistance" (Canada as a whole or just Ontario offers?) and do they differ from what the US offers?

you quoted one of them.

Maybe for some it's jealousy, IDK. I don't know who would be jealous of someone in that lady's position. I'm surely not jealous of her. That said I think it's pretty sad that people with that mentality exist, and the govt. is happy to keep a whole segment of society dependent on govt. handouts.

I'm not talking only about reliance on govt. I'm talking about everything. This silliness with Ferguson has really exposed it for me. It's off the charts crazy IMO. There is an absolute movement in this country to not take responsibility for your own actions.

Peddling welfare? Care to clarify what you're talking about? Or you just lashing out for no good reason?

It's ok. It's not your fault. It's no ones fault really.

well you watch too much tv.

peddling welfare with your mantra - you keep repeating it.

calm down, no one is lashing out.

Edited November 28, 2014 by val erie

[Torete 121]

back in 2001 i had to leave my job of 7 years because the store was closing and as luck would have it, i also found out i was pregnant. so i found a job an hour away, in an office (coming from retail i was super pumped about that) and my first couple of days there i noticed that there were an insane amount of pregant women working there already (and i had been worried about looking pregnant at my interview). i asked my friend if she found it strange and she said no, many women sought out employment with this company because they paid temporary unemployment for six weeks - even if you had no intention of returning to your job after the baby was born. now that, is a crazy rare occurance in the us. but of course that was provided by a private employer. my thought is, for all the money that i've paid into 'the system' - when i had my son and my insurance didn't cover like $3,000 of our hospital stay, i didn't qualify for medicaid even though i was unemployed at the time. because in the past three months i had made 11.00 an hour. no matter the countless numbers of babies i've paid to be brought into this world via my paycheck deductions.

tldr: the system does not support the, always working but temporarily in need of help.

you quoted one of them.

Ok, thanks for the clarification...it was helpful. Either unwilling or unable to answer what the "other forms of assistance in Canada or Ontario" are. It's called dialogue.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Torete