By Kendall Worth!
I want to take a moment here to remember this post, where I brought the news to my regular readers
about the end of the Benefits Reform Action Group. (BRAG) I want to take another moment, to
recall this post, where I outlined the need for a Union Of People Living In Poverty.
Whether we want to call it The Benefits Reform Action Group, or a Union of People Living In Poverty,
the need and demand for an organization like this, is gaining strength., according to people in my
community. The Income Assistance rate of $1005 a month is no longer enough to live on. As a result, and
as, I wrote about previously, more and more people are calling themselves Introverts and just adapting to a way of life that incorporates little social interaction and much loneliness and social isolation. I am not talking about those “naturally inclined” to be less social, but those forced into it because:
- The Current $1005.00 Income Assistance Rate is not enough money to live on.
- Working wages are low and ensure people continue to struggle, making even some employed
people, start to call themselves introverts
- Inflation continuing to behave out of control since 2021, and is still rising with tariffs expected to
raise prices again.
- Of course, for Income Assistance Recipients, it is also things like the Bureaucratic Nonsense and
Systemic Problems involved with getting approved for Special Needs Allowances.
- The increase in Homelessness population plays a strong part in this as well.
These days there are a lot, and ever increasing number, of of housed people who are cancelling plans to
do social things like meet their friends for coffee, grab a drink, see a movie in a theatre,
or even to do zero cost activity like going for a walk through a park. They are cancelling plans to do these things, using “I have developed social anxiety and I feel forced to become an introvert” as their excuse. People claiming that they feel forced to become Introverts is a by-product of social anxiety and likely, some other invisible disabilities. Some people from my community, are saying that if BRAG, or a Union of People Living In Poverty, existed today, they could be advocating to have this addressed. For more examples on how those who are identifying themselves as introverts could be feeling see here.
The real question I want to ask, is: what will it take to get an organization of people living in Poverty formed ? – no mater what it is called, and, how do we ensure First Voice participation?
According to some, the only way you are going to be able to get First Voice to come forward about their situations to try and change them, is provide them with an incentive, like an honorarium. For example, during BRAG’s existence many First Voice stayed away from BRAG because there was no incentive offered to them to come to meetings, which likely led to the demise of the organization. My community of people living in poverty, and often with disability, needs a group to advocate for some resolution to this issue of people becoming introverts. This should be addressed by the health care system, especially because it is becoming obvious that it is a by-product of poverty.
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