Canada must implement more innovative welfare reforms similar to those in the United States in order to decrease the number of welfare beneficiaries significantly, concludes a new study from Canadas Fraser Institute.
Both Canada and the U.S. have experienced declines in the number of welfare cases, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the population.
In the United States, the 1996 passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act began a period of innovation in the delivery of welfare and related services at the state level.
Also in 1996, the introduction of the Canada Health and Social Transfer allowed greater flexibility in the delivery of social services by the provinces. However, only Alberta and Ontario have made significant reforms.
Like other Canadian provinces, it also reduced benefits, overhauled its administrative bureaucracy, focused on diversion and employment, and experimented with private contractors and the limited use of non-profit charitable organisations.
Source: Chris Schafer, Joel Emes, and Jason Clemens, Surveying US and Canadian Welfare Reform, Critical Issues Bulletin August 2001, Fraser Institute, 4th Floor 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC. V6J 3G7, Canada, (604) 688-0221.
For text http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/publications/critical_issues/2001/welfare/
For more on Welfare in Canada and other Countries http://www.ncpa.org/pi/welfare/welfare8.html
FMF\4 September 2001
