Social Assistance and Health Care

Citizens Public Justice: The fight to restore full health-care coverage is moving forward, thanks to the hard work of health-care professionals, lawyers, and refugee advocates, according to Rabble. What is lesser known is that refugees in Canada now face the threat of losing access to social assistance as well. Federal cuts to health care for refugees and the adverse effects resulting from them, have been well-publicized. Under legislation quietly passed by the federal government last year, provinces and territories will no longer face a financial penalty if they choose to impose a minimum residency requirement for eligibility for social assistance. A study released recently by Citizens for Public Justice , "The Invisible Victims," examines the economic, humanitarian, and legal effects this residency requirement would have in Canada. For claimants without any other source of income, social assistance is crucial for them to afford such basic necessities as food, shelter, and clothing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.