Most Frequent Asked Questions and Answers.   Q. Is poverty the failure of the individual? A. There has been a massive increase in unemployment, but it has not resulted from the individual. Many workers have lost their jobs due to different types of crises, beyond their control. Q. Do the poor want to work? A. Yes, over 60% of poor families have a source of income, whether full or part time jobs and 70% of poor unattached individuals have full or part time jobs. Q. Do poor people pay taxes? A. Yes, having to pay taxes in Ontario, poor people pay about $160 million in taxes; taxes start far below the poverty line. In January 1991 a single parent paid federal tax when their income reached $11,601. A single person without dependents has to pay tax. Although they only receive $6, 532 in income, taxes are paid on sales and GST. Q. Are welfare rates too generous? A. No, all welfare rates are well below the poverty line. Q. Do poor people need to be taught basic life skills such as budgeting? A. Not all, some already have skills in budgeting, but there are also those that could use some help in improving this skill.

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Date Last Modified: 08/16/99
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