The state of welfare in Canada: The federal role in income security

Maytree’s Welfare in Canada report is the primary source for evaluating Canada’s progress on fulfilling the human right to an adequate standard of living for households receiving social assistance.

This webinar will present the main findings of the 2025 edition, offer additional analysis, and share Maytree’s recommendations for improving the incomes of people receiving social assistance.

The webinar will highlight the impact of the loss of the Canada Carbon Rebate in 2025, leading to a broader analysis of the federal government’s role in ensuring income security, particularly for unattached single adults. It will also explore how social assistance programs across the country provide inadequate shelter benefits for those renting in the private market, and how the federal government could make up some of that rent gap.

What to expect:

The report’s authors, Jennefer Laidley, Maytree fellow, and Tania Oliveira, Policy Advisor at Maytree, will provide a brief overview and present the key takeaways.

Maytree president Elizabeth McIsaac will host and moderate a discussion following the presentations.

Note: Live closed captions available for this webinar.