Myths Welfare rates are too generous. All welfare rates are well below the poverty line. Myths Poor people need to be taught basic life skills like budgeting Many live far below the poverty line and must spend all or most of their income on basic needs. Anyone who manages to feed and clothe a family on a very limited income already has budgeting skills. We have reason to believe that this estimate can be generally applied to other parts of the country.
Most poor families have none, one or two children.
All children in Canada are assured a decent start in life. Recent studies show strong links between poverty and poor health and poor achievement at school. While infant mortality rates for all income groups are about half of what they were twenty years ago, according to the 1986 census the rate for the lowest income group was still about double that of the highest. Children in poor families are more likely to suffer chronic health problems than other children. They are almost twice as likely to drop out of school.