Anti-poverty groups calls on Liberals to make immediate changes to child benefit
OTTAWA — An anti-poverty group is calling on the federal government to make a small change to its key measure to combat child poverty rates to ensure families aren’t left behind as the cost of living rises.
In its annual report to be released Thursday, the group Campaign 2000 says the Liberal government’s new income-tested child benefit could fall short of its lofty goals because it isn’t automatically adjusted to combat rising food and housing prices.
Earlier this year, the parliamentary budget watchdog calculated that 200,000 fewer families would be eligible for the benefit by 2021, with that number continuing to drop as some families see their income levels rise.
In 2020, one year after the next federal election, the Liberals intend to index the Canada Child Benefit to inflation to maintain the buying power of the monthly payments — the so-called “real value.”