Some P.E.I. social assistance rates unchanged in more than a decade

Social assistance rates on P.E.I. for clothing, household and personal items have not changed in more than a decade, and shelter rates in more than four years, says the provincial auditor general.

Jane MacAdam's annual report to the legislature was released Thursday morning.

The province spends about $33 million a year on social assistance, with a caseload averaging 3,730 over the last five years.

MacAdam noted that social assistance rates are supposed to be reviewed annually under Social Assistance Act regulations. Since the last time shelter rates were raised in November 2013, the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has allowed rent increases of 5.2 per cent.

The Family and Human Services Department is in the middle of a five-year plan for food rates, which would see the rate increased to 70 per cent of the average cost of the National Nutritious Food Basket in Atlantic Canada by April 2019.

The report lists the following rates for a couple with two children:

• Food: $587.
• Clothing, household, personal: $195.
• Shelter: $854.

Performance review lacking

MacAdam said the department had no way to measure the performance of the social assistance program.

The department has not set performance indicators for the program, which would be the first step in establishing performance targets.

MacAdam provides some examples the department might use as performance indicators:

• Comparing P.E.I. social assistance rates to other provinces.
• Comparing P.E.I. financial resource exemptions to other provinces.
• Percentage of recipients paying more than the shelter maximum.
• Percentage of recipients referred to employment training programs.
• Analysis of social assistance benefits against the established Market Basket Measure.

She noted the list was meant only as an example, and not all-inclusive or a recommendation to adopt them.

The department is also behind in publishing its annual reports. Reports are supposed to be made public within six months of the end of the fiscal year, but the last report for Family and Human Services is for the year 2012-13.

Reducing social dependency

One of the major goals of social assistance is to reduce dependency.

To achieve this, a case plan is supposed to be developed for each recipient, including goals and tasks designed to move the recipient off social assistance, or to develop a higher level of self-reliance.

MacAdam found 93 per cent of recipients had a case plan, but these plans were generally lacking in the goals and tasks section. Often none were included, and when they were the goals were mostly vague.

"There were rarely specific tasks that would assist the recipient to improve self-sufficiency," MacAdam wrote.

In addition, 77 per cent of case plans were not updated as required.

In a response included in the report, management at the department thanked MacAdam for her work, and said her recommendations will be incorporated into an ongoing review of social services.

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