The rising cost of living is forcing many people to make tough choices about what food they eat, how much they can drive their cars or how warm they can keep their homes | SaltWire
The rising cost of living is forcing many people to make tough choices about what food they eat, how much they can drive their cars or how warm they can keep their homes. - Viki Mohamad photo/UnsplashMike MacDonald’s organization has a rainy day fund, but it looks like there may be some stormy times on the horizon.
This is an important time of year as food banks begin restocking food and garnering monetary donations for the approaching tougher months. The concern is that donors themselves are finding it harder to give their usual amounts and donated money won’t buy as much as it once did. Major Jamie Locke, the Salvation Army’s divisional secretary for public relations in Newfoundland and Labrador, said they've seen an 11 per cent increase in the number of people seeking Salvation Army social support services.
It also places extra strain on organizations like the Salvation Army and their ability to help those who need it. Inflation could also hamper the level at which donors might be able to help. That raises a concern about what the need for help with toys and meals will be as Christmas approaches. Her work as the director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives for Nova Scotia, which also covers other parts of Atlantic Canada, involves calculating the living wages for jurisdictions throughout the region.
Part of calculating a living wage is considering what income supports are available from the federal and provincial governments.In July, the federal government boosted Old Age Security benefits by 10 per cent. In September, the federal government announced other measures, including doubling the Goods and Services Tax credit, providing a Canada Dental Benefit to children under 12 and a one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit to deliver $500 to struggling renters.
“We don’t want that benefit cliff thing to happen: when people do the right thing, but then they lose access or have to pay more for housing because it’s tied to income,” she said.