Released on March 8, 1999
Social Services Minister Harry Van Mulligen today released figuresshowing a 4.5 per cent decline in the number of households receiving
social assistance in southeastern Saskatchewan.
The drop in the number of people dependant on assistance is caused by
a combination of factors, including the success of our Building
Independence programs. As well, economic diversification that has
occurred in this region and throughout the province is helping us
better weather the effect of some low prices for some of our key
commodities," Van Mulligen said.
The southeast region of the province showed a social assistance
caseload decline of 4.5 per cent during the year, from 3,212 cases
down to 3,068.
Province-wide, the caseload has dropped from 35,631 at the end of
December 1997, to 34,003 at the end of December, 1998. This is
consistent with an overall trend of declining caseloads that began in
1994," Van Mulligen said.
Had it not been for the major offload of more than 11,750 cases we
had to take on because of federal government cutbacks between 1990 and
1994, our current social assistance caseloads would be significantly
lower. However, I am very encouraged with the positive impact our
Building Independence programs and economic development are having in
helping families improve their economic conditions.
The new Building Independence programs -- the Saskatchewan
Employment Supplement, the Saskatchewan Child Benefit, and Family
Health Benefits -- combined with existing government programs
such as the Provincial Training Allowance and other elements of
the Provincial Training Strategy, represent a fundamental change
in the province's approach to welfare. We want to help families
get off social assistance and stay off," Van Mulligen said.
Saskatchewan had a record number of people working in 1998.
Statistics Canada reported that 478,600 people had jobs - an
increase of 4,400 people over the previous record set only a year
earlier. The province also had more people - 382,700 - working
at full-time jobs than ever before.
The Southeast Region of the Department of Social Services has
offices in Fort Qu Appelle, Yorkton, Wynyard, Estevan and
Weyburn. The Southeast Region includes a rectangular area from
just east of Humboldt, south to the U.S. border and east to the
Manitoba border.
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For more information, contact:
Joy Adams Bauer
Communications
Social Services
Regina
Phone: (306)933-5970