- B.C. Home
- For the Record
- Children
- Child Care in B.C.
- Facts on Changes for Children and Families with Special Needs
- Facts on Funding for Students with Special Needs
- Increased Funding Enhances Services for Children in Care
- Provincial Investments In Literacy
- Province Places Emphasis on Early Learning Programs
- Supports for Youth in Care
- Waitlist Facts for Children and Youth with Special Needs
- Communities
- Community Development Trust Supports Forest Workers
- Funding Priorities for 2009/10 Community Gaming Grants
- Government Supports Sport In British Columbia
- Tourism Investments in B.C.
- Government Supports the Arts in British Columbia
- Supports for Victims of Crime in Merritt
- Improvement in Domestic Violence Prevention Since 2001
- Supports for Victims of Crime and Domestic Violence
- Provincial Support for Heritage Properties
- Province Continues Strong Support of Special Olympics
- Democratic Reform and Accountability
- Economy
- HST and Municipalities
- Agriculture Plan Highlights
- B.C. and Canada Finalize Olympic Security Arrangement
- British Columbia's Asia Pacific Initiative
- Economic Foundation in B.C. Remains Strong
- Facts about 2010 Olympics
- Facts on Harmonized Sales Tax
- Vancouver Convention Centre by the Numbers
- BC Place by the Numbers
- Facts About the BC Place Upgrade
- Facts about Mountain Pine Beetle Response
- Facts about Reforestation in B.C.
- Facts on Mining in British Columbia
- Facts on Public-Private Partnerships
- Facts on the Coastal Forest Sector
- Government Support for Ranchers, Meat Processors
- Mid-Rise Wood Frame Construction
- Removing Private Land from Tree Farm Licences
- Stronger Forest Sector for Communities
- Education
K-12- Vancouver Board of Education(SD 39) Finances
- The Facts on Declining Enrolment in B.C. Schools
- Foundation Skills Assessment
- Government Supports Sport In British Columbia
- School Seismic Mitigation Program
- Safe Schools
- Healthy Schools
- Unprecedented Investment in B.C. Education
- Making Education in B.C. Better Since 2001
- Class Size
- Province Increases Funds for School Lunch Program
- Provincial Investments In Literacy
- Province Places Emphasis on Early Learning Programs
- Education
Post-Secondary - Environment
- Bill 27 Helps Ensure 2020 GHG Reductions are Met
- British Columbia's Climate Action Plan
- Facts on B.C. Aquaculture
- Facts on BC Energy Plan
- Facts on Independent Power Production in British Columbia
- Facts on Offshore Oil and Gas Development
- Facts on The Vancouver Island Transmission Project (VITR)
- Facts on Uranium Mining in British Columbia
- Regulation of Logging in Community Watersheds
- Sustainable Environmental Stewardship of the Flathead
- First Nations
- Health Care
- B.C. Recognizes Important Role of Family Physicians
- Capital Investments in Health
- Facts on BC Ambulance Service
- Facts on Health Professionals
- Facts on Patient Wait Times
- Facts on Pharmacare
- Facts on Seniors Care in B.C.
- Facts on Zion Park Manor
- Health Care Reality Check
- Improving Seniors Care Since 2001
- Patient Safety in B.C.
- Provincial Acute Care Capacity
- Update on Paramedic Strike
- Labour and Workers
- Apprenticeship Training in British Columbia
- B.C. Provincial Nominee Program
- Community Development Trust Supports Forest Workers
- Facts about Construction Safety
- Facts on Construction Crane Safety in B.C.
- The Facts on Wages and Jobs in B.C.
- Facts on Paramedic Wages in B.C.
- Foreign Workers and Employment Standards
- Increased Protection for B.C. Farm Workers
- Skills Connect for Immigrants Program
- People in Need
- Community Living Eligibility Criteria Remains the Same
- Facts about Disaster Financial Assistance
- Housing Achievements in British Columbia
- HPO Reconstruction Loan Program Ended
- Income Assistance Caseload Facts
- Legal Aid Funding in British Columbia
- Province Delivers Supportive Housing in Victoria
- Province Helps Almost 900 Homeless People Find Homes
- Provincial Supports for Children & Low-Income Families
- Public Safety
- Budget 2009 and the Justice System
- Combating Drinking and Driving
- Combating Gangs
- Facts on Con Air
- Facts on Disaster Financial Assistance
- Facts on Fraser River Gravel Deposits
- Filmon Progress Report
- Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island Flood Mitigation
- Forest Fire Prevention: Everyone's Responsibility
- How the B.C. Government Helps Victims of Crime
- Improvement in Domestic Violence Prevention Since 2001
- Insurance for Search and Rescue Volunteers
- Police and Public Confidence
- Provincial Investments in Corrections
- Supports for Victims of Crime and Domestic Violence
- Seniors
- Taxpayers
- Transportation
- Women
INCOME ASSISTANCE CASELOAD FACTS
July 30, 2009
Ministry of Housing and Social Development

Here are the facts on income assistance in British Columbia.
- In June 2009, the number of individual British Columbians dependent on income assistance was 164,186, a 0.66 percent increase over last month.
- Despite this increase, since 2001 the number of people dependent on income assistance has dropped almost 35 per cent, which represents approximately 85,000 less clients collecting income assistance in 2009.
- The number of clients who are Expected to Work (ETW) make up about 30 per cent of the caseload, while about 70 per cent of clients are Persons With Disabilities (PWD) or have persistent multiple barriers to employment.
- The higher percentage of PWD cases in 2009 results from several factors, including: an expanded definition that includes mental illness as a disability, an increased life expectancy for people with disabilities, and an increasingly aging population.
- The government has been investing over $70 million a year in employment programming for income assistance clients.
- BC's total income assistance rates are third highest of Canadian provinces for employable singles and fourth for PWDs.
- BC's support rates are second highest (of 7 provinces that provide a breakdown) for PWDs.
- BC's shelter rates are second highest (of 8 provinces that provide a breakdown) for employable singles, and third highest for couples and families with children (based on a single parent with one child, and a two parent family with two children) and singles temporarily excused from employment obligations.
Information on BC Employment and Assistance can be found at: www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/bcea.htm
