Strong Social Security

Our Lone Mothers’ Economic Inclusion initiative is a community-driven effort to address the deepening poverty and systemic economic exclusion of many lone mothers in British Columbia — a crisis made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2022 to 2024, we partnered with the UBC School of Social Work to conduct peer-led research with 165 lone mothers across BC, uncovering urgent policy gaps in income supports, child care, housing, mental health, and employment standards.

Backed by Women and Gender Equality Canada and the McConnell Foundation, this work continues through 2026 with four Regional Impact Committees made up of mothers with lived experience of poverty and committees bringing a racial equity and disability justice lens to this work. These committees are leading advocacy and knowledge mobilization efforts across the province, working to advance evidence-based policy solutions that support economic recovery and lasting inclusion for lone-mother families.

Raise the income and disability rates to the Market Basket Measure and index them to inflation. 

Remove the Annualized Earning Exemption (AEE) for those accessing disability assistance in full.

Annualize the earnings exemption for those accessing income assistance and raise it above the poverty line.

Introduce an enhanced Early Years Success Supplement for all families receiving the BC Family Benefit with children aged five and under.

Remove restrictions on education and training access for parents on income and disability assistance and expand the Single Parents’ Employment Initiative. 

Provide priority access to $10-a-Day childcare to parents accessing income and disability assistance, particularly those in the expected-to-work (ETW) category.

Increase the BC Family Benefit rate and decrease the threshold for eligibility to ensure families in deep poverty benefit more from it.