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Poverty: Poverty Rates and Measure

poverty: Experts suggest that a plan by Statistics Canada to recalculate the threshold by changing the market basket measure early next year could lead to a similar bump in poverty rates, according to CTV. The measure calculates the minimum a person or family would have to earn to afford a basket of goods and services needed to reach a modest or basic living standard. The last time the made-in-Canada measure was updated was in 2008 and poverty rates increased by 2.2 per cent because the financial cut-off used to define low-income was raised. The Liberals adopted the measure as the country's official poverty line last year and set aside 12 million over five years to update the basket, which doesn't include things like wireless services. A final report from Statistics Canada is expected in February. In July, the top official at Employment and Social Development Canada and the minister at the time were told federal officials would decide on the actions to be taken with Statistics Canada's recommendations, including which to implement, and which to send for more research when it comes to making the changes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.