Get Your Benefits! Treat Poverty to Improve Health and Well-being Noralou Roos, Sharon Macdonald, Eileen Boriskewich, Ruth Bond, *Community Partners Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada Our Project This coalition of healthcare providers, researchers, community agencies and non-profit organizations in Manitoba aims to address poverty to improve the health and well-being of families. Project Goals • Develop, update, and distribute materials including the "Get Your Benefits" booklet that identify federal, provincial, and regional benefits and programs • Work with health care providers, educators, government and community leaders to help low-income Manitobans gain access to benefits for which they may be eligible • Collaborate with community agencies to encourage tax filing as a means to access government benefits • Create a website to enable users to navigate to relevant resources Next Steps § Understand address potential barriers in using “Get Your Benefits” materials using feedback from users § Continue collaboration with government agencies for help with updating booklets, including design, printing and distribution § Expand/implement project initiatives. Why These Efforts are Important • We have distributed over 50, 000 booklets. An additional 25, 000 are being printed (over 8, 000 booklets on backorder). • The Kanata Financial Wellness Clinic at Sandy Bay First Nations recently facilitated completion of about 520 birth certificate applications, issuing of 24 Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) opening of 25 new bank accounts, and completion of 133 Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). Birth certificates and SINs are essential in applying for several benefits. • Increase refunds to Manitobans earning under $40, 000/year by encouraging income tax filing. In 2016/17, the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program tax clinics brought back over $29 million to almost 9, 900 low income filers in Winnipeg and an additional $773, 000 in benefits. • Benefits offered by Canada Revenue Agency are the same for those living on or off reserve. CRA benefits are income tested thus individuals must file an income tax return in order to receive them. Even if income is tax exempt, individuals are typically entitled to the maximum amount of many benefits. Resources • It’s a Fact: Better Income Can Lead to Better Health www. getyourbenefits. ca • Guide to Winnipeg for Indigenous Manitobans, 2017 Edition www. gov. mb. ca/cyo/partnersforcareers/guidetowinnipegforindige nous. pdf • First Nations Resources www. getyourbenefits. ca/firstnations. html *Community Partners Manitoba Financial Empowerment Network Steering Committee (which is chaired by Community Financial Counselling Services (CFCS) and Supporting Employment & Economic Development (SEED)) and includes members from United Way, Services Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Assiniboine Credit Union, Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, Winnipeg Boldness Project, Royal Bank of Canada, Immigrant and Refugee Organization of Manitoba, Winnipeg Boldness Project, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Menno Simmons College, Community Futures, Manitoba Families, City of Winnipeg, Consumers Association of Canada and the Public Interest Law Centre We acknowledge the financial support of the Winnipeg Foundation and the Government of Manitoba. The results and conclusions are those of the authors and no official endorsement by the Government of Manitoba is intended or should be inferred.
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