A Saskatchewan woman is telling her story of losing her home while on Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS), and despite recent upgrades to the program, she says it still isn’t enough.
When Arkady Shaw’s landlord decided to sell the home she was renting near Zealandia, Sask. with her spouse and two step-children, she says SIS payments were not enough to find another place to live.
“On the SIS stipend, you’re only really given enough to pay your rent and buy some groceries. You’re not able to put together a security deposit. You’re not able to get moving funds,” Shaw said.
“I’ve had to go almost $5,000 into debt just in the last two weeks just to make sure that I have everything there for the kids and a roof over our head. I have already spent over $3,000 just last month because we didn’t have a roof and we needed a motel.”
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Shaw says she has idiopathic left-side weakness and her spouse suffered a workplace injury as a red seal gas fitter plumber.
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They found a rental house in Neville, but without a car and frequent medical appointments for her and her spouse, Shaw worries about the limitations of living remotely.
“If we hadn’t been given a sweetheart deal on renting a house about 10 kilometres out the back roads, we wouldn’t have had a house at all. Out here, if you don’t drive, you’re locked in place,” Shaw said.
Her mother-in-law helped her make the trip to Regina to file a complaint with the provincial ombudsman over her claim she is being repeatedly denied access to further benefits.
University of Saskatchewan professor Sarah Buhler says many people in Saskatchewan are facing similar struggles to Shaw.
“One of the biggest reasons for eviction is tenants falling behind on their rent and systemic issues. We all know that housing is getting very unaffordable and incomes are not keeping up,” Buhler said.
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The Ministry of Social Services said in a statement that “the Saskatchewan Income Support program helps people in need meet their basic needs while they become more self-sufficient and independent to the best of their abilities. Core SIS benefits provides for basic needs.”
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“SIS benefits have increased consistently over the past five years. Recent improvements also allow clients to keep more income from gifts, e-transfers, employment earnings and select federal benefits including the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit and the Canada Disability Benefit.”
Shaw is still planning to submit the complaint but was not able to submit her documentation to the ombudsman because of an issue at the office.
“I hope I can speak out loud enough for everyone in all of our situations right now because there are more of us every day,” Shaw said.
She says she doesn’t know when she might be able to come to Regina again to submit her complaint in person but is hoping to take a stand for others in her position.