Welfare to What? After Workfare in Toronto

Lightman, Ernie; Mitchell, Andrew; Herd, Dean

doi:10.1111/j.1468-246x.2005.00227.x

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Intended to end supposed free‐riding, work for welfare in Ontario continues to be an unwavering policy instrument despite findings that the policy is at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive in helping recipients find and keep work (Lightman et al . ; Little ; Peck ; Quaid ). In fact, ‘there is overwhelming evidence that current policies and programmes do little to realize and sometimes run contrary to their objective of supporting adults in gaining economic independence and a stable attachment to the labour market’ (Buchanan and Klassen : 4).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Workfare under Ontario Works: Making Sense of Jobless Work

Pennisi

Collins

2016

Soc Policy Adm

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Ontario Works is a provincial income assistance programme of last resort, operating under a workfare policy structure. Based on interviews with clients and staff (case managers, supervisors, managers and administrators), as well as an examination of policy directives, this article explores the work of workfare including claims making, training and resocialization, and employment internships. This article asks particularly how the work of workfare and the complex and costly workfare infrastructure is justified in the face of its failure to lead to employment. Findings include a contrast between the official story of an employment‐focused programme and workers' reports of spending far more time on eligibility than employment readiness. In addition, applying Gramsci's notion of ‘common sense’, an argument is developed that the normative justification for workfare is based not on the effectiveness of workfare programmes, but on the belief that clients need to exchange their work for welfare and self‐improvement so that they appear ‘employment ready’ even if not employed.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Workfare under Ontario Works: Making Sense of Jobless Work

Pennisi

Collins

2016

Soc Policy Adm

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“…The presence of contingent jobs facilitates the deregistration of welfare recipients, which in turn supports the belief that workfare is successful. In this context, enforcing work legitimates and normalizes labour market participation on detrimental terms, as work opportunities for welfare leavers are typically dominated by underemployment, low pay, insecurity, and poor‐quality service sector jobs (Canada West Foundation 1997; Lightman et al 2003c; Lightman et al . 2002; Mitchell 2001, 1998).…”

Section: Changing Worlds Of Welfare and Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rituals of Degradation: Administration as Policy in the Ontario Works Programme

Herd¹,

Mitchell²,

Lightman³

2005

Social Policy & Admin

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After the election of a neo-liberal provincial government in  , Ontario was at the forefront of work-based welfare reform in Canada. Many of the sweeping reforms carried out under the banner of the "Common Sense Revolution" received widespread coverage: for example, reductions in welfare rates, the introduction of the Ontario Works programme, the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy for so-called welfare fraud, and changes to the rules relating to common-law spousal relationships. However, much less attention has focused upon significant changes to the ways welfare is delivered. This paper critically interrogates a number of key changes to the Service Delivery Model in Ontario. After the passage of federal legislation in  , national entitlements to welfare have been terminated, replaced with local responsibility; this decentralization is changing not only the hierarchy of the regulation of poor people, but also the form and function of provision. In particular, there is evidence of the reinvention of administration towards the microregulation of job search and personal behaviour and the deterrence of welfare receipt as applicants and recipients are bureaucratically disentitled. Although administrative practices have historically acted as a secondary barrier to welfare receipt, the paper suggests that the current incarnation of work-enforcing reforms could be especially significant as the worlds of welfare and work continue to change.

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“…Armed with greater autonomy and discretion, provinces moved rapidly to introduce new ways of providing assistance (Herd, 2002;Lightman et al, 2005). Armed with greater autonomy and discretion, provinces moved rapidly to introduce new ways of providing assistance (Herd, 2002;Lightman et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cycling Off and On Welfare in Canada

2010

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Internationally, traditional approaches to social assistance (welfare) have increasingly been replaced with 'active' labour market policies. Alongside other industrialised countries, Canada embraced this shift, with its emphasis on the 'shortest route' to paid employment.There has been little research on the outcomes of these dramatic changes in Canada, especially longer term. This article explores the post-welfare labour market experiences of people who were on social assistance in Canada in 1996. It uses the longitudinal microdata files of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) from Statistics Canada, which tracks a panel of recipients over five years. We examine the mixing of work and welfare, the transition from welfare to work, and selected labour market indicators -primarily hours of work and wages -that those in receipt of social assistance face in assuming paid work.Those leaving welfare for work face precarious employment opportunities. Leavers earn lower wages, work fewer hours and consequently have lower annual earnings than nonrecipients. Over time the gap narrows but remains significant, even after six years. Returns to welfare are frequent. Overall, even after six years most social assistance recipients remained marginalised in the periphery of the labour market.

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Welfare to What? After Workfare in Toronto

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Workfare under Ontario Works: Making Sense of Jobless Work

Workfare under Ontario Works: Making Sense of Jobless Work

Rituals of Degradation: Administration as Policy in the Ontario Works Programme

Cycling Off and On Welfare in Canada

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