Cuts mean EI and pension claimants put on indefinite hold.
by Samantha Bayard
OTTAWA, Straight Goods News, November 1, 2012: In the wake of federal budget cuts, EI claims are backlogged and, for many claimants, are not being handled at all. NDP human resources critic Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain) said many Canadians never get to speak to a live person when they contact Service Canada.
"Service is a huge misnomer in the name of Service Canada," said Charlton. Those who contact Service Canada often include the unemployed and seniors who need help with their CPP and OAS, many of which don't have the access or help necessary to utilize and online system." In the House, she said "Canadians in precarious situations are calling to ask about much-needed support but instead of getting help they are getting Muzak."
Chris Charlton thinks better service is needed at Service Canada
"We know for example that in Sturgeon Falls right now there is an office that doesn't have any computers at all, they cannot provide computers to people for whom they are suggesting to go for Internet access. The other thing though is that people need help in interpreting some of these programs, that help used to be available and now because of staff cut backs it’s harder and harder to access that kind of help."
In the House, human resources minister Diane Finley said the backlog is slowly being reduced, which she credited to declining unemployment. Charlton was not satisfied with this. "The Conservatives promised that their cuts would not affect front-line services," she replied. "However, apparently they do not consider answering the phone a front-line service."
About Samantha Bayard
Samantha Bayard is a young journalist living and working out of Ottawa. She has been a contributor to the Straight Goods News family of websites since 2009. She is an avid cyclist and lover of animals.
One Response to “Out of a job and in the lurch”
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It is cowardly to consistently create problems for those who need services the most, by cutting service staff. The changes the Harper government has made, if you conflate them, seem to mean – that the people of Canada don't count, that life does not count – only profit for the big corporations. It really looks like our government is little more than an instrument purchased by big interests whose intention is simply for more power. Can this be true?