Bruce County's Ontario Works caseload dropped by 9% in 2020 compared to 2019. An average of 475 households were supported by the program per month in Bruce County.
Published highlights from the recent Bruce County Council meeting suggests decrease will be in part due to federal financial supports that were put in place due to COVID-19, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), expanded Employment Insurance (EI) eligibility rules, the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), and other benefits
The report says client support and programming continued in Q4 of 2020, with a range of virtual opportunities provided through community partners including Connect2Skills in Hospitality and Manufacturing, Soft Skills and Money Matters, and Financial Literacy supports.