Meet Shasha.

 By Kendall Worth!

 

 

Like others,  Shasha is denied access to the Career Seek Program.

She choose this name because, she figures, it lessens her chances of getting harassed by better-off people,  who object to her receiving Income Assistance. Shasha’s story shows that, even if you do have a part-time job supplementing your income from Income Assistance, it does not cancel out the need for safe places to socialize. I want to go back to two recent posts: here and here, where I pitch the idea of a a social Prescription Program,  or a Social Prescribing organization. Those answer the questions I get asked every time I pitch it. In Shasha's case, something that is frustrating for her is she regularly gets asked by better off people she knows … ” Don’t you have friends who you sometimes do coffee with, and talk with at the job you have supplementing your income?

I will get into more detail about this, later in her story. But first to explain her situation!

Shasha would be entitled the full $1005 Standard Household rate if she did not have a part-time job supplementing her income. Shasha tells me that it is only because she is allowed to keep the first $450.00 of her earnings from her job, that she can afford rent. She works at night-time cleaning an office building with 4 levels by-herself and this is why she does not have friends she socializes with at her part-time job.

Anyway getting back to her situation.

Since she can keep $450, $482.26 gets clawed back from Income Assistance every-month. So subtracting $482.26 per month from $1005.00 Standard Household rate = $519.00 a month she gets from Basic needs. $450.00 earnings plus $519.00 from Income Assistance = $969.00 a month then she gets the $40.00 telephone allowance. So that = $1009.00. Because of the sliding scale she is allowed to keep the first $450.00, She get to keep an additional $564.94 a month. So adding that $564.94 to the $1009.00 = $1573.94 Then she gets the $318.00 a month disability Supplement. That = $1891.94

Readers, this may sound to you like it is a lot of money but you will understand why it is difficult for her to live on this as you read further.

She pays $1200 a month for rent for her one bedroom apartment. Her power Bill comes to $120.00 a month on budget billing. So, after paying $1320.00 out of her budget for rent and power bill, and subtracting $1320.00 from $1891.94 she has $571.94 left to live on, per month. Sasha also has a pet cat and her pet cat adds to her living expenses. She says having her cat is great therapy.

Shasha told me that someday she would like to change her situation, and get a different job where she works during the day. There are pros and cons to everything: she feels the major Pro to working at night is she has the daytime hours to attend her mental health appointments and attend other mental health commitments. However, she told me that the one thing she learned about mental health support groups is a good fit depends on what group and what organization are putting it on. She learned that sometimes the support grups only want you attending for so long, then they want you to move on. The major con to working at night is it keep you from being available to attend stuff you are interested in that takes place in the evenings. Working night time was pro in this regard because she did not have to miss work to attend support groups that her Doctor wanted her to attend. She was reading my posts about Social Prescriptions and Social Prescribing and told me me she hopes this someday gets off the ground. Shasha tells me she suffers from major issues with with anxiety and depression and also has some other hidden disabilities.

During this interview she brought up the Career Seek Program, because she had also seen my posts about that issue. Her experience trying to be accepted into that program was she was easily referred to the employment support worker. The Employment Support Worker asked her what type of Work she would be interested in getting into…? Shasha could provide no specific answer other than no specific answer other then saying “I would like to move onto something that can help me be more social during the day-time as well as potentially get me off the system.” The employment support worker told her to come up with a better plan, then she could revisit her application.

Shasha says that the details of “moving on” is something she needs help with, and there is not a lot of help out there. 

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Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.