I live in Alberta, Canada. The main program in my province is called Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).
Hard to get and impossible to survive on. A big part of the reason I am able to work is because I was unable to survive on what AISH paid. I had no choice. I have no idea how people who absolutely cannot work survive on it.
Yeah I read the article.
It’s low but some countries like Greece or South Africa have even lower benefits.
It could always be worse.
$1863 seems damn good to me compared with what I get here in the U.S.
The average cost of living in Calgary is $2,586.80 per month.
To live in my city it takes a median wage of $46,000 a year after taxes. Average rent is about $2700 a month. 3% of people pay between $1500-$2000 a month rent. 97% pay more than $2000 a month. I pay $629 a month, I’m an outlier.
Subsidized housing, sir?
Um, not exactly. A mental health agency rents out 4 apartments to us. We pay rent directly to the agency, I don’t know if they own this building or rent it from someone else. When I moved in in 2017 rent was $509 a month.
I’m on the list for HUD housing which they call Section 8 subsidized housing but there’s like 13,000 other people on the list and it could take years if not decades for my name to come up.
I am happy I don’t pay rent. I live with my family. My brothers work full time and don’t pay rent either.
I was not happy about this and therefore do not like the PC government.
Not a single government in Canada is getting this right so far as I can tell.
Its possible that there is no public solution given the nature of our political and economic systems
I tought we had good welfare. But even here many with a subsidy or lower wage struggle. With food, rent, insurance.
I see many in the educated class (e.g. family) are often clueless. They live fancy lives. And think that those on disability “profit of their taxes” and “should have a better work attitude”.
I see disabled friends struggle to get by with 5 kids & 900 a month. I can’t even help, because even a box of grocery’s will be withdrawn from their subsidy. For example. And I see others sneer that they aren’t trying hard enough. It pisses me off.
Taxes are the membership fee for living in a civilized society.
Agree.
And 95% of those I know aren’t misusing disability…they really cannot work more than they do… 
I was on that program when I was first DXed and I couldn’t work at all. I jumped off when I could, but it took years to get there.
I know how hard you worked for that. 
If I can, I work. If can’t work, I volunteer. If I do not work at all, and get subsidy, that’s only because I really cannot do more. If my kid would die of hunger…I’d work…but in that case I’d likely crash soon…or be fired for acting weird.
Everyone I know on subsidy does what they can.
man, that sucks…I make o k money on disability…a far cry more than I did when I first got on disability twenty four years ago…but still…sorry for your country man.
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