The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have left many without a job, or with reduced hours of work and income. Many of those who had lost their jobs were already working lower-paying jobs, which translated into lower-income communities being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The pandemic has exacerbated existing socio-economic inequality and this will translate into health disparities. With this greater risk for lower-income communities, interventions to provide financial support are an essential part of responding to the global pandemic.
The aim of this scan was to document recent income transfer program changes in order to help compare the performance of Canadian provinces and territories during the pandemic and to inform upcoming program decisions.