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National Anti-Poverty Organization contact




NAPO: Poverty Quiz

1. What are the chances that you could experience poverty in your lifetime?

a) 1 in 8 b) 1 in 4 c) 1 in 3 d) 1 in 2

2. What is the maximum amount of money a single employable social assistance recipient in New Brunswick can receive per month?

a) $260 b) $310 c) $425 d) $565

3. According to Statistics Canada Low-Income Cut Offs, how many Canadians were considered poor in 1994?

a) 956,000 b) 1,567,000 c) 4,941,000 d) 10,676,000

4. According to Statistics Canada Low-Income Cut Offs, what percentage of Canadian children (under 18) were considered poor in 1995?

a) 11.5% b) 15.3% c) 21.0% d) 24.3%

5. What percentage of unattached women live in poverty?

a) 25.8% b) 36.5% c) 44.4% d) 57.4%

6. How prevalent is welfare fraud in a large province like Ontario as a percentage of total welfare budgets?

a) 2 - 4% b) 5 - 8% c) 10 - 12% d) 20 - 28%

7. The world`s richest 358 people have the combined wealth of how many of the world`s poorest people?

a) 400,000 b) 1,500,000 c) 500,000,000 d) 2,300,000,000

8. How much does it cost to send a letter to the federal government to share your concerns about poverty?

a) 45 cents b) 75 cents c) $1.50 d) nothing

 

Answers

Question 1 c) 1 in 3
The Economic Council of Canada estimates that one in three Canadians will experience poverty at some point in their working careers. (Economic Council of Canada, 1992) Next Question

Question 2 a) $260/month
New Brunswick has the lowest social assistance rates in Canada. As of March 1996, single employable social assistance recipients can receive up to only $260/month. A single parent with one child can receive up to $720/month and a couple with two children can only receive $806/month. (National Union of Provincial and General Employees Research Department, 1996) Next Question

Question 3 c) 4,941,000
That is 17% of Canada's total population. (NAPO, Dec 1995) Next Question

Question 4 c) 21.0%
(NAPO, Dec 1996) Next Question

Question 5 answer: c) 44.4%
Unequal wage rates between the sexes and increasing need for a two-income household contributes to 44.4% of all unattached women living in poverty compared to 34% of men. Again among single parent families, 56.8% of those headed by mothers are poor, while 30.7% of those headed by fathers live in poverty. (Statistics Canada, Income Distributions by Size in Canada, 1995) Next Question

Question 6 a) 2 - 4%
A study conducted by a national auditing firm estimated fraud to be in the range of 2.59 - 3.66% of the Ontario welfare budget. We have reason to believe that this estimate can be generally applied to other parts of the country. (Peat Marwick, Welfare Fraud and Over payment: Final Report to the Ontario Social Assistance Review Committee, Toronto, 1987, p.ii) Next Question

Question 7 d) 2,300,000,000
It would take the combined wealth of 2.3 billion of the globe`s poorest individuals to equal the combined wealth of the globe`s 358 richest. That means these super-rich 358 people control almost half of the world's wealth. (United Nations, Human Development Report 1996) Next Question

Question 8 d) nothing
That's right, you can mail a letter to the House of Commons postage free! To share your concerns write

House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

address your letters or link directly to:

Rt. Hon Jean Chrétien: [email protected]

Hon Paul Martin Minister of Finance: [email protected]

Hon Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Human Resources Development: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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