Premium
Social assistance in a shrinking Canadian welfare state
Author(s) -
Lightman Ernie S.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
international social security review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.349
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1468-246X
pISSN - 0020-871X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-246x.1991.tb00887.x
Subject(s) - jurisdiction , social assistance , legislation , welfare , welfare state , social welfare , political science , state (computer science) , position (finance) , resizing , social policy , plan (archaeology) , economic growth , public administration , business , economics , law , economic policy , politics , geography , archaeology , finance , algorithm , european union , computer science
Social assistance, variously known as “welfare” or “the dole”, stands at the very base of the modern welfare state and must remain when all other societal, community and family supports have vanished. This paper examines social assistance in Canada, primarily through the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), the key legislation operative in the area of divided jurisdiction between the central and provincial governments. It considers how CAP has fared in the midst of a substantial weakening of the country's total social support system over the past 15 years, attempts to explain the programme's relatively protected position, and speculates briefly on the future of social assistance.