As the end of August was dawning and families with children began to turn their attention to school preparation, probably agonizing over the costs of the expected new outfits, supplies and the latest trend in back packs, an unexpected and harsh blow was dealt to some of these families in Toronto.
Update: The government has included in the Budget Bill (C-43), provisions from Bill C-585 that may lead to refugee claimants being denied access to social assistance. The Budget Bill was introduced on Thursday October 23, 2014. It is making its way very quickly through the House of Commons.
West Neighbourhood House began the Informal Economy project when their financial workers and Income Tax Clinic volunteers reported that increasing numbers of low-income adults were working for cash “under the table” or were deemed (illegally) by their employers to be “self-employed”.