PACP committee briefing binder: Senior Associate Deputy Minister of ESDC and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada - October 25, 2022

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

Official title: Senior Associate Deputy Minister of ESD and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada - Appearance - Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP).

Note: The following table of content is provided for accessibility. The original briefing material is provided below.

On this page

  1. Opening remarks
  2. Parliamentary environment
    1. Scenario note
    2. Anticipated questions based on the parliamentary environment
    3. Questions and answers
    4. Master overview of the committee - Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP)
  3. Employment and Social Development Canada detailed action plan
    1. Report ref. No. - Para 31
    2. Report ref. No. - Para 45
    3. Report ref. No. - Para 59
  4. Hot issues and background material audit findings
    1. Hot issue note - audit findings - recommendation #1 - joint prioritization, planning, monitoring, and reporting process for measuring uptake
    2. Hot issue note - audit findings - recommendation #2 - effectiveness of outreach approaches
    3. Hot issue note - audit findings - Recommendation #3 - Seamless client service experience to address the needs
    4. Hot issue note - OAG’s $18 million estimate for targeted outreach activities
  5. Hot issues: going forward and implementing recommendations
    1. Hot issue note - vulnerable populations, barriers to service and reaching all Canadians
    2. Hot issue - Why it is difficult to identify those not receiving benefits
    3. Hot issue note - Outreach and Service Referral Initiative
    4. Indigenous Outreach Program
    5. Addressing GBA+ issues in terms of policy and reaching all Canadians
  6. Hot issues: impacts
    1. Hot Issue Note – Update on Outreach Activities
    2. Hot issue note - Estimates of benefit uptake

Note: The following table of content was provided in the original binder.

Table of content

Appearance by the Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada.

Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP).

Study: Report 1—Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations from the 2022 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada.

Date: October 25, 2022, 15:30 to 17:30.

Opening remarks and overview

  1. Opening remarks
  2. Parliamentary environment
    1. Scenario note
    2. Anticipated questions
      • audit findings
      • going forward and implementing recommendations
      • impacts
    3. Qs and As
    4. Member bios
  3. Management action plan (as provided to committee)
  4. Hot issues and background material audit findings
    1. Recommendation #1 - Joint prioritization, planning, monitoring, and reporting process for measuring uptake
    2. Recommendation #2 - Effectiveness of outreach approaches
    3. Recommendation#3 - Seamless client service experience to address the needs
    4. OAG’s (Office of the Auditor General) $18 million estimate for targeted outreach activities
  5. Hot issues: going forward and implementing recommendations
    1. Vulnerable populations, barriers to service and reaching all Canadians
    2. Why is it difficult to identify those not receiving benefits
    3. Outreach and service referral initiative
    4. Indigenous outreach program
    5. Addressing GBA+ (Gender-Based Analysis Plus)
  6. Hot issues: impacts
    1. Update on outreach activities
    2. Estimates of benefit uptake

1. Opening remarks

Full title: Opening remarks for Lori MacDonald Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada, for an Appearance before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts - regarding the 2022 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada - (Report 1—Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations) - House of Commons October 25, 2022 - Check against delivery - (2022 PA 06793)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the invitation to appear before the committee today and for the opportunity to discuss the Auditor General’s Report on benefits for hard-to-reach populations.

First, I want to say that the Government of Canada welcomes the Auditor General’s report and we wholeheartedly accept her recommendations.

We are always looking for ways to improve services to Canadians and to better support hard-to-reach people across the country.

Many vulnerable Canadians do face barriers in accessing government services or benefits for a variety of reasons.

For example, certain people do not appear in administrative databases. They do not, or are not required, to file taxes.

In cases like these, it becomes difficult – even impossible – to remind them to apply for a benefit by mail or by telephone, because we may not know who they are or how to reach them.

The audit’s main finding was that the Government did not have a clear and complete picture of the people who were not receiving benefits to which they may be entitled. Our Department has been working to overcome this challenge for some time.

We strive to reach all Canadians, no matter where they live or in what circumstances. But I agree that we need to do more.

That is why in 2020, Service Canada introduced the Reaching All Canadians Initiative designed specifically to increase benefit-uptake and eliminate barriers to access and delivery. 

Through this initiative, we have been connecting directly with communities and organizations who can refer clients to us, or help us identify new clients who wouldn’t otherwise be known to us.

For example, working with the Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg, we help members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community regarding benefit entitlements associated with common-law partnerships. And, we work directly with their Trans ID Clinic Coordinator to help those with questions about changing gender designation on government identification, Social Insurance Numbers, passports and Employment insurance.

We also work with service delivery providers, such as Islington Seniors Shelter in Ontario, to reach seniors living in homelessness or poverty. Partnerships like this deliver help to clients, who may face accessibility, literacy or technological barriers, to ensure they are obtaining GIS, CPP, OAS and potentially other benefits to which they are entitled.

We have also resumed regular Community and Outreach Liaison Services to residents of rural, remote, Northern and Indigenous communities. Last year almost 100,000 clients were served directly through this work, and almost 80,000 this year as of September 30. We meet directly with individuals within these communities to help meet their unique needs. 

Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic did have an impact on our ability to reach some communities and individuals. In April 2020, we launched the Outreach Support Centre to provide immediate, direct, and personalized toll-free phone service to Indigenous communities and clients facing the same barriers identified within the AG’s report. This expansion of service now helps tens of thousands of Canadians every year. Last year, the Support Centre received over 27,000 calls and provided nearly 32,000 services to Canadians.

We also reach as many Canadians as we can through the mail, and by phone.

Over the last 5 years, Service Canada and the CRA mailed over 425,000 GIS applications and received over a quarter of a million completed applications.

By phone, we contact seniors directly to help ensure they can renew their GIS benefits. For example, last year we called 100,000 seniors, helping result in 43,000 renewed GIS benefits.

We will also continue to work closely with our colleagues at Canada Revenue Agency to share information, identify best practises and collaborate on data collection, where needed and where appropriate.

And our work includes ensuring as many people as possible automatically receive benefits when entitled. For example, all eligible OAS individuals are automatically put into pay in the month after they turn 65. Since 2014, 1.4 million Canadians were auto-enrolled in OAS.

Ensuring reliable and accessible services to all Canadians, regardless of where they live, remains a top priority for my Department. This is how we will achieve improved outcomes for Canadians from all walks of life.

I will now take your questions. - 30 -

2. Parliamentary environment title not provided in original binder

A. Scenario note

1. Overview

You have agreed to appear on behalf of Deputy Minister Jean-François Tremblay before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP), regarding Report 1—Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations. Your appearance will be held in a virtual format.

2. Committee proceedings

The appearance is scheduled to take place on October 25, 2022, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

You will appear for 2 hours as part of a panel with Josée Bégin, DG, Labour Market, Education and Socio-Economic Well-Being, Statistics Canada, and Bob Hamilton, Commissioner, Canada Revenue Agency (all virtually). The Auditor General, Karen Hogan, and her principle for the study will be part of the panel as well (in person).

Each organization will have up to 5 minutes for opening remarks.

A detailed action plan has been requested and should be provided to the Committee, in both official languages, 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

PACP has agreed that questioning of witnesses would be allocated as follows:

For Round 1, 6 minutes allotted for each party as follows:

  • Conservative Party
  • Liberal Party
  • Bloc Québécois
  • New Democratic Party

For Round 2 and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning is as follows:

  • Conservative Party, 5 minutes
  • Liberal Party, 5 minutes
  • Bloc Québécois, 2 and a half minutes
  • New Democratic Party, 2 and a half minutes
  • Conservative Party, 5 minutes
  • Liberal Party, 5 minutes

B. Anticipated questions based on the parliamentary environment title not in original binder

Report 1 Access to benefits for hard-to-reach populations

Anticipated questions based on the parliamentary environment

Audit findings

Topics:

  • population in question
  • outreach methods used
Anticipated questions
  • Who make up this hard-to-reach population?
  • Why are these populations hard to reach?
  • What measures of outreach approaches and initiatives aimed at encouraging people to apply for benefits for which they may be eligible have been implemented?
  • Has a GBA+ lens been applied when defining hard-to-reach populations, and in developing an outreach strategy?
  • Have you worked within your department or across departments to share best practices?
  • Why did the Department overstate the rates of eligible people having access to benefits?
  • Why is filing a tax return a requirement to accessing some of these benefits?
  • What NGOs have you partnered with in order to contact these populations?
  • Have the National Indigenous Organizations been consulted?
Going forward and implementing recommendations

Topics: Future attempts of outreach

Anticipated questions
  • How will you measure the success of targeted outreach activities in the future?
  • What barriers have you addressed and how have they been mitigated?
  • What other actions are you proposing to reach this population?
  • How will you improve take up of the benefits?
  • Would a Guaranteed Livable Income be easier to administer?
Impacts

Topics

  • Costs to the government
  • Costs to individuals
Anticipated questions
  • How much have these first efforts already cost?
  • How much will enhancing efforts to reach hard-to-reach populations cost?
  • How many people, for each benefit program, do you estimate are unable to access benefits?
  • How much money are individuals missing out on, from programs meant to lift them out of poverty?

C. Questions and answers

Audit findings

  • Population in question
  • Outreach methods used

1. Who make up this hard-to-reach population?

Hard-to-reach population includes individuals who tend to be unknown to our programs because they do not interact with government departments, they do not appear in administrative databases, they are not required to file taxes, or they are not reflected in the Census.

Canadians at risk of not receiving the benefits include seniors, Indigenous peoples, persons with low-income, persons experiencing homelessness, newcomers, persons with disabilities, persons living in rural and remote areas, e-vulnerable persons, gender diverse persons and racialized Canadians.

2. Why are these populations hard to reach?

Canadians who are unknown to our programs cannot be easily targeted for benefit enrollment through traditional methods. There is no “master list” to identify those who have not applied for a program. The Department is unable to include these individuals in the list of recipients of targeted measures to increase awareness and uptake of benefits, such as auto-enrolment, mailout and call campaigns.

3. What measures of outreach approaches and initiatives aimed at encouraging people to apply for benefits for which they may be eligible have been implemented?

The Department works to encourage and facilitate benefits applications in a number of ways:

  • the Indigenous Outreach Program provides support to Northern, remote and reserve communities to help access programs, services and benefits
  • the National Community Outreach Liaison Service conducts outreach to underserved client segments, such as seniors and Indigenous, tailored to specific needs to address barriers and to maximize access by all clients
  • the Service Referral Initiative engages community organizations to identify marginalized and under-served Canadians, raise awareness of their potential benefit eligibility and refer them to Service Canada for assistance
  • the Outreach Support Centre (OSC) provides a toll-free phone service for marginalized and underserved individuals across Canada who need additional assistance for accessing programs and services

Additionally, there is a range of targeted activities that the Department undertakes to reach at-risk clients:

  • for seniors, Guaranteed Income Supplement call campaigns were launched in 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 to reach those who were to see their benefits suspended and those who, according to the CRA information, were potentially eligible but never applied
  • collaborate with provincial government and organizations involved with Children in care to ensure receipt of any benefits they may be eligible for (CCB CLB, CESG). For those transitioning to adulthood, this ensures they are aware of available programs, services and benefits
  • in Indigenous communities, measures of the OAS and CPP take-up rates between 2016 and 2020 have been measured:
    • OAS: between 2016 and 2020, the number of OAS beneficiaries has increased by 50.2% following targeted Indigenous outreach, which has resulted in $111 million in disbursed OAS benefits over the course of a year
    • CPP: between 2016 and 2020, the number of CPP beneficiaries has increased by 32.8% following targeted Indigenous outreach, which has resulted in approximately $48.6 million in disbursed CPP benefits over the course of a year
  • consult with community partners working with people with disabilities to gain intelligence on invisible barriers to service access
  • consult with community partners working with racialized Canadians to better understand barriers this specific client segment face when accessing Government of Canada’s programs and services
  • launched an Outreach strategy to ensure Temporary Foreign Workers get their Social Insurance Number in a timely and seamless manner
  • implement welcome strategies for newcomers, more specifically to Afghans and Ukrainians, to ensure they are offered the full range of available programs, services and benefits upon arrival and increase their knowledge on them based on their status in Canada. Information sessions delivered in collaboration with CRA. Indicator added for Ukrainians to measure services offered
  • implement indicators for the Reaching all Canadians initiatives and activities in order to measure the impact of the various activities conducted as part of the initiative
  • work with local shelters, with a focus on shelters for women fleeing domestic violence, to ensure clients have access to all benefits they may be entitled to, including SIN, CCB, CLB for their children, EI, OAS (GIS), CPP, etc.

4. Has a GBA+ lens been applied when defining hard-to-reach populations, and in developing an outreach strategy?

A GBA+ lens is being used to identify hard-to-reach populations, the barriers to service they experience, and to develop interventions and outreach approaches. This is completed through research, evaluations and on-the-ground intelligence from Service Canada’s extensive service delivery network.

Having a presence across the country has helped to develop a knowledge base and a network of stakeholders that have contributed to identification of the vulnerable populations who are most at risk of not receiving the benefits they need, and develop and implement approaches to increase benefit uptake.

Direct client feedback from clients, for example through the annual Service Canada Client Experience Survey, is also considered and will continue to be sought going forward.

For example, the LGBTQ2+ community has been added as an area of focus for the Service Renewal Initiative to ensure this clientele is well aware of available programs, services and benefits and that they do not have to fear any discrimination when accessing Government of Canada programs, services and benefits.

The partnership with the Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg, MB is rooted in the Department’s commitment to implementing a GBA+ approach to service delivery. Service Canada representatives work with the Centre directly to support their Trans ID Clinic Coordinator with guidance and questions related to changing gender designation on government identification, which include passports; as well as, supporting individuals as they pursue benefits requiring proof of common-law relationship

5. Have you worked within your department or across departments to share best practices?

The Department is advancing the Reaching All Canadians (RAC) initiative to address inherent service barriers to benefit access. RAC is a department-wide initiative that relies on collaboration among multiple programs, regions and teams within the department and across departments to carry out data-driven activities to improve benefit uptake.

Sharing best practices is undertaken through a department-wide forum that provides strategic direction and supports the development and implementation of specific activities. Interdepartmental working groups, such as the Interdepartmental Canada Child Benefit (CCB) working group, advance collaboration to improve the service integration among departments.

Service Canada has outreach relationships with other federal departments including the Canada Revenue Agency and Indigenous Services Canada. For example, CRA works closely with us on Indigenous outreach including the Canada Child Benefit, and our staff are often on a first-name basis with each other to coordinate this work. At the national level, executives between CRA and Service Canada are connected to exchange best practices and coordinate outreach activities.

Service Canada implemented a strategy with IRCC to assist newcomers (Afghans, Ukrainians and other) through the delivery information sessions pertaining a various supports including - resolving issues with landing documents; informing newcomers of their obligations with CRA; obtaining information on Service Canada Programs and Services and in particular SIN with translation services.

Ontario region delivers biweekly information sessions to Afghan newcomers in collaboration with CRA. The session is provided with interpretation in Dari and Pashto

Regions establish working groups with various branches and other government agencies for collaborations and sharing of practices. For Example the Atlantic Region has a working group with CRA and ISC to identify barriers and equip partners with to a tool to better advise clients on the benefits available to them.

6. Why did the Department overstate the rates of eligible people having access to benefits?

The table on page 8 of the report suggests that the departments may be overstating take-up rates as some do not include “people who did not file a tax return”, for example, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Canada Learning Bond, Canada Workers Benefit. For some programs the filing of a tax return is an element of eligibility, hence the program’s take-up rate is based on the eligible population rather than some other estimate of the population not related to eligibility.

That being said, our colleagues at CRA actively work to improve tax filing among these hard-to-reach populations. Additionally, as Service Canada’s outreach teams engage hard-to-reach clients we are aware of the need to file a tax return and seek solutions to that effect, such as referring the client to a Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) tax clinic.

7. Why is filing a tax return a requirement to accessing some of these benefits?

Filing a tax return allows CRA to accurately calculate an individual or household’s income, which is the basis for determining eligibility for income-tested programs.

By filing a tax return, households can have their eligibility assessed for multiple benefits at the same time. Additionally, CRA assesses eligibility for, and administers, several provincial and territorial benefits (for example, the British Columbia Family Benefit).

Because CRA is the long-established delivery mechanism for many benefits, tax filing becomes a key that opens more and more doors.

If pressed on why a statement of income works for GIS but not other benefits:

The challenge of using a statement of income in lieu of tax filing is that while it provides access to 1 benefit, it does not provide access to all income-tested benefits. Moving to a statement of income for all benefits would essentially be replicating the income tax filing system (the information required is very similar) – but many individuals would still need to file their income tax returns as well, creating duplication. In addition, tax filing is required to assess eligibility for provincial and territorial benefits.

8. What NGOs have you partnered with in order to contact these populations?

Service Canada collaborates with hundreds of community organizations to reach at-risk persons through the Indigenous Outreach Program and National Community Outreach and Liaison Service.

The Service Referral Initiative has introduced a new approach to partnering with community organizations and we are now collaborating with 149 organizations in the targeted communities. Partnering organizations are onboarded based on their willingness to identify and provide referral services to at-risk Canadians by sharing basic information about benefit programs and services and linking them to Service Canada for further assistance. Some of the participating organizations include the the United Way/211, the Association coopérative d'économie familiale, the Veith House (Halifax), the Accueil Francophone (Winnipeg), the End Homelessness Winnipeg, and the Woodgreen Community Services (Toronto), to name a few.

9. Have the National Indigenous Organizations been consulted?

When Service Canada developed the Indigenous Outreach Program, National Indigenous Organizations were consulted, specifically: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC). We appreciate the insights and support they provided.

The Indigenous Outreach Program is built on engaging the local community to ensure that our efforts reflect the needs and preferences of the community. Through this program we undertake to conduct at least 1 needs assessment per year with each of the 740 Indigenous communities that choose to participate. Staff working on the Indigenous Outreach Program only visit the community when invited and respond to the needs identified in the consultation.

Going forward and implementing recommendations

Future attempts of outreach

10. How will you measure the success of targeted outreach activities in the future?

There are limitations to assessing the effectiveness of service interventions.  While we are able to track how many individuals were assisted at an outreach event, in the case of tax-based benefits, we would not have direct measures of how many actually submitted their tax return or were approved. After-the-fact analysis based on postal codes can provide some insight but is imprecise. As part of the Action Plan in response to the Audit, the Department will work closely with the Canada Revenue Agency to develop and implement consistent results-based performance measures to better understand the effectiveness of outreach approaches.

11. What barriers have you addressed and how have they been mitigated?

ESDC has identified 8 barriers that keep marginalized and underserved populations from applying:

  • service design: design that is overly complicated and time-consuming makes the steps difficult to understand
  • language of service: not communicating in the client’s language, including official language, Indigenous language, sign language (ASL or LSQ) or other language
  • accessibility: elements that hinder access to services by a person with a disability
  • lack of awareness: due to not promoting or communicating our services effectively
  • lack of cultural awareness: distrust or past negative experience with government. Processes and approaches that can discourage or prevent some persons from applying when we do not account for their social or cultural context
  • policy design: includes foundational aspects of our programs such as eligibility or entitlement criteria, deadlines, and/or costs, which may be prohibitive to certain clients
  • limited service availability: due to distance, hours of operation, inaccessible infrastructure or not having Internet access, some clients are restricted in their ability to access our services
  • literacy or numeracy: using language and information that require a high level of competency for a client to understand

The Reaching All Canadians Initiative is being advanced to mitigate all of these service barriers through 4 areas of intervention:

  • simplification: Making benefits easy for eligible clients to apply (for example, proactive benefit enrollment)
  • direct reach: reaching more people by providing assisted service to reduce service delivery barriers (for example, partnering locally with community organizations to connect with at-risk individuals)
  • inclusion: providing services that reflect the client’s cultural and social context (for example, accessibility technological upgrades in Service Canada Centres)
  • promotion and awareness: proactively promoting and communicating services effectively (for example, mass mail outs)

12. What other actions are you proposing to reach this population?

The Department will continue to expand its collaboration with community partners to improve benefit uptake by harnessing the reach of community organizations that have the local knowledge of their clients’ needs. These organizations are well positioned to identify individuals who rarely interact with the government and may be eligible for benefits.

The department will also work collaboratively with other government departments, including the Canada Revenue Agency, to coordinate outreach efforts, align service delivery approaches, and uncover data on hard-to-reach populations.

The Department will take a client-centric approach when designing new programs or recalibrating existing programs to prevent the introduction of system-related barriers.

13. How will you improve take-up of the benefits?

To improve take up of the benefits, the Department will continue to advance the Reaching All Canadians initiative, which is structured around 4 key areas of intervention:

  • simplification: making benefits easy for eligible clients to apply (for example, proactive benefit enrollment)
  • direct reach: reaching more people by providing assisted service to reduce service delivery barriers (for example, partnering locally with community organizations to connect with at-risk individuals)
  • inclusion: providing services that reflect the client’s cultural and social context (for example, accessibility improvements in Service Canada Centres)
  • promotion and awareness: Proactively promoting and communicating services effectively (for example, mass mail outs)

14. Would a Guaranteed Livable Income be easier to administer?

A Guaranteed Livable Income would not necessarily be easier to administer than the current system of benefits.

It is important to acknowledge that income security is a shared responsibility across different orders of government. Provinces and territories have significant authority in the area of income support, notably responsibility for income assistance and disability assistance programs. A Guaranteed Livable Income would require coordination across federal and provincial/territorial governments, and would have significant implications for PT income assistance programs.

A Guaranteed Livable Income could also create winners and losers relative to the current suite of benefits. It is unclear that it would be easier to administer a Guaranteed Livable Income if the intent is to ensure no one is worse off. For example, experts have noted that important needs-based programming might be cut back or eliminated to help contain costs if a basic income were introduced, potentially leaving some vulnerable individuals worse off.

Finally, and most relevant in this context, a Guaranteed Livable Income is generally understood to be an income-tested benefit. The intent is to ensure everyone meets a minimum level of income, not to pay a lump sum to people regardless of their other income or earnings. Therefore, the administration of a Guaranteed Livable Income would also be dependent on tax filing (or similar verification of income) and a payment system that could adjust the benefit based on household income.

Impacts

  • Costs to the government
  • Costs to individuals

15. How much have these first efforts already cost?

The department has not generated estimates of the cost of efforts taken to date to improve the uptake of benefits among hard-to-reach populations. While some costs are discrete and easy to quantify, other activities are changes to how we deliver services rather than new activities.

Example of a discrete cost is the Indigenous Outreach Initiative:

  • Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million over 3 years to increase the Department’s capacity to reach Indigenous communities. The 2020 Fall Economic Statement later provided $44.0 million over 6 years and $7.9 million ongoing to make the Indigenous Outreach Program permanent

An example of changing how we deliver service is implementing plain language:

  • ESDC’s top 150 web pages – accounting for 90% of visits – now meet a grade 8 literacy level and all new content is reviewed for plain language. There is no new, discrete funding for this work; we have changed existing activities to better reflect the needs of these communities

16. How much will enhancing efforts to reach hard-to-reach populations cost?

We know we need to do more to ensure that hard-to-reach populations receive the benefits to which they are entitled.  However, there is no set formula for achieving this and we will need to experiment with new approaches to determine what works.

17. How much money are individuals missing out on, from programs meant to lift them out of poverty and how many people, for each benefit program, do you estimate are unable to access benefits?

These questions are central to the Auditor General’s findings, the first recommendation (para. 1.31) recommends that the departments define and implement actions to collect additional data on specific hard-to-reach populations and improve the use of data in measuring benefit take-up and the sources of gaps in benefit take-up.  We agree with this recommendation.

Data on hard-to-reach populations, particularly those who do not interact with government, is incomplete and, in some cases, do not exist. National benefit uptake rates are estimated using the Census and other broad socio-economic data. This also helps us to understand the scope of the challenge and the long-term trends at play. However, identifying specific individuals not in receipt of benefits will always be a challenge.

The Department will continue working with the CRA and Statistics Canada to gain more insight into hard-to-reach populations, improve our understanding of potential gaps in benefit uptake, and implement measures to enhance the effectiveness of outreach approaches.

D. Master overview of the committee

Mandate of the committee

When the Speaker tables a report by the Auditor General in the House of Commons, it is automatically referred to the Public Accounts Committee. The Committee selects the chapters of the report it wants to study and calls the Auditor General and senior public servants from the audited organizations to appear before it to respond to the Office of the Auditor General’s findings. The Committee also reviews the federal government’s consolidated financial statements – the Public Accounts of Canada – and examines financial and/or accounting shortcomings raised by the Auditor General. At the conclusion of a study, the Committee may present a report to the House of Commons that includes recommendations to the government for improvements in administrative and financial practices and controls of federal departments and agencies.

Government policy, and the extent to which policy objectives are achieved, are generally not examined by the Public Accounts Committee. Instead, the Committee focuses on government administration – the economy and efficiency of program delivery as well as the adherence to government policies, directives and standards. The Committee seeks to hold the government to account for effective public administration and due regard for public funds.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3) of the House of Commons, the mandate of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts is to review and report on:

  • the Public Accounts of Canada
  • all reports of the Auditor General of Canada
  • the Office of the Auditor General’s Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report, and
  • any other matter that the House of Commons shall, from time to time, refer to the Committee

The committee also reviews

  • the federal government’s consolidated financial statements
  • the Public Accounts of Canada
  • makes recommendations to the government for improvements in spending practices
  • considers the Estimates of the Office of the Auditor General

Other responsibilities

  • the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government administration
  • the quality of administrative practices in the delivery of federal programs, and
  • Government’s accountability to Parliament with regard to federal spending

Committee members - Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP)

Name and role

John Williamson - Chair

Party

Conservative

Riding

New Brunswick Southwest

PACP member since

February 2022

Name and role

Jean Yip – Vice-chair

Party

Liberal

Riding

Scarborough—Agincourt

PACP member since

January 2018

Name and role

Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné - Critic for Public Accounts, Pandemic Programs, Economic Development Agencies - member

Party

Bloc Québécois

Riding

Terrebonne

PACP member since

December 2021

Name and role

Garnett Genuis - Critic for International Development - member

Party

Conservative

Riding

Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan

PACP member since

October 2022

Name and role

Michael Kram - member

Party

Conservative

Riding

Regina—Wascana

PACP member since

October 2022

Name and role

Kelly McCauley - member

Party

Conservative

Riding

Edmonton West

PACP member since

October 2022

Name and role

Blake Desjarlais - Critic for TBS; Diversity and Inclusion; Youth; Sport and PSE - member

Party

New Democratic Party

Riding

Edmonton Greisbach

PACP member since

December 2021

Name and role

Valerie Bradford - member

Party

Liberal

Riding

Kitchener South – Hespeler

PACP member since

December 2021

Name and role

Han Dong (member)

Party

Liberal

Riding

Don Valley North

PACP member since

December 2021

Name and role

Peter Fragiskatos - Parliamentary Secretary National Revenue - member

Party

Liberal

Riding

London North Centre

PACP member since

December 2021

Name and role

Brenda Shanahan - member

Party

Liberal

Riding

Châteauguay—Lacolle

PACP member since

December 2021, and Jan 2016 to Jan 2018

Bios of the committee members

John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest) - Conservative – Chair
  • Elected as MP for New Brunswick Southwest in 2011, he was then defeated in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2021.
  • Currently also serves as a Member of the Liaison Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
  • Previously served on many committees, including PACP for a brief time in 2013
  • Prior to his election, M. Williamson occupied different positions. He was an editorial writer for the National Post from 1998 to 2001, then joined the Canadian Taxpayers Federation until 2008. In 2009, he was hired by Stephen Harper as director of communications in the PMO.
Jean Yip (Scarborough - Agincourt) – Liberal - First Vice-Chair
  • Elected as MP for Scarborough—Agincourt in a by-election on December 11, 2017, and re-elected in 2019 and 2021.
  • Has served on Public Accounts (since 2018), as well as Government Operations and Canada-China committees in the past.
  • Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
  • Before her election, Ms. Yip was an insurance underwriter and constituency assistant.
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Terrebonne) - Bloc Québécois - Second Vice-Chair
  • Elected as MP for Terrebonne in the 2021 federal election.
  • BQ Critic for Public Accounts; Pandemic Programs; and Federal Economic Development Agencies.
  • Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
  • Worked at the European Investment Bank and at PWC London.
  • Return to Quebec in 2017 to pursue a career in the Quebec business world.
Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan) – Conservative
  • Elected as MP for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan in 2015, re-elected ion 2019 and 2021
  • Conservative Shadow Minister for International Development
  • Also serves on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
  • Served on multiple standing committees in the past, including Citizenship and Immigration, Canada-China Relations and Scrutiny of Regulations
  • Prior to his election, Mr. Genuis was an assistant to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and adviser on the staff of former minister Rona Ambrose
Michael Kram (Regina—Wascana) - Conservative
  • Elected as MP for Regina—Wascana in 2019, and re-elected in 2021.
  • Served as Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, as well as a Member of the standing committees on Transpart, Infrastration and Communities and International Trade
  • Prior to his election, Mr. Kram worked for 20 years in the information technology sector, including a number of contract positions with the Department of National Defence
Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West) – Conservative
  • Elected as the Member of Parliament in 2015 for Edmonton West, re-elected in 2019 and 2021
  • Also serves on the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs as well as the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates
  • Previously served on the COVID-19 Pandemic committee as well as the Subcomittee on Agenda and Procedure of OGGO in 2020
  • Before his election in 2015, Mr. McCauley was a hospitality executive specialized in managing hotels and convention centres
  • He has a graduate of BCIT in the Hospitality Management program
  • He has a history of advocacy for seniors and veterans
Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Greisbach) – NDP
  • Elected as MP for Edmonton Greisbach in 2021
  • NDP Critic for Treasury Board; Diversity and Inclusion; Youth; Sport; and Post-secondary Education
  • Also a member of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
  • First openly Two-Spirit person to be an MP, and Alberta’s only Indigenous Member of Parliament
Valerie Bradford (Kitchener South – Hespeler) – Liberal
  • Elected as MP for Kitchener South – Hespeler in 2021
  • Also sits on the Science and Research committee and the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Science and Research
  • Director of the Canada-Africa Association
  • Prior to her election, Ms. Bradford worked as an economic development professional for the City of Kitchener
Han Dong (Don Valley North) – Liberal
  • Elected as MP for Don Valley North in 2019, and re-elected in 2021
  • Also sits on the Industry and Technology committee
  • Has served on the Ethics, and Human Resources committees in the past
  • Co-Chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association
  • Prior to his election, Mr. Dong worked with Toronto-based high-tech company dedicated to building safer communities and served as the leader of the Chinatown Gateway Committee established by Mayor John Tory
Peter Fragiskatos (London North Centre) – Liberal - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
  • Elected as MP for London North Centre in 2015, and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
  • Serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
  • Has served on the Finance, Canada-China, Human Resources, Public Safety, and Foreign Affairs committees in the past
  • Served as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP)
  • Prior to his election, Mr. Fragiskatos was a political science professor at Huron University College and King’s University College, as well as a frequent media commentator on international issues
Brenda Shanahan (Châteauguay—Lacolle) – Liberal
  • Elected as MP for Châteauguay—Lacolle in 2015, and re-elected in 2019 and 2021
  • Caucus Chair of the Liberal Party
  • Has served on Public Accounts (2016 to 2018), as well as Ethics, Government Operations, and MAID committees in the past
  • Has served as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP)
  • Prior to her election, Ms. Shanahan was a banker and social worker, who has also been involved in a number of organizations such as Amnesty International and the Canadian Federation of University Women

3. Employment and Social Development Canada detailed action plan

Original title: Employment and Social Development Canada Detailed Action Plan - to the recommendations of the Office of the Auditor General Performance Audit of access to benefits for hard to reach populations

The departmental Management Response (MR) will be included in the OAG’s audit report that is tabled to Parliament and posted on the OAG’s website.

The response must clearly indicate, in no more than 200 words, whether the entity agrees or disagrees with the recommendation.

If entity agrees, the response should describe specific actions it intends to take and their timing.

If entity disagrees, the response should state the reasons.

The action plan will be provided to the Public Accounts Committee (PACP) within 6 months of the audit being tabled, or when feasible, prior to the hearing, should the organization be invited to appear before PACP to discuss the findings of an audit.

The detailed action plan will be published on the PACP’s website.

A. Report ref. No. - Para 31

OAG Recommendation - Para 31

The Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Statistics Canada should establish a joint prioritization, planning, monitoring, and reporting process to improve how they measure the take-up of benefits. This should include

  • assessing available and specific data holdings on hard-to-reach populations
  • defining and implementing actions to collect additional data on specific hard-to-reach populations
  • improving the use of data in measuring benefit take-up and the sources of gaps in benefit take-up

Management response - Para 31

ESDC agrees with this recommendation.

To reduce the number of vulnerable individuals not receiving benefits, Service Canada introduced Reaching All Canadians (RAC) in 2020 - a horizontal initiative to make service delivery improvements across its service channels and benefit programs, specifically to increase benefit program uptake, and eliminate program and service delivery barriers.

The RAC initiative advances measures in 4 areas: simplification, direct reach, inclusion, and promotion/awareness of our benefit programs. At the same time, RAC seeks to improve our understanding of the populations and individuals who are not connecting with federal benefits.

The Government estimates overall national benefit uptake rates using the Census and other broad socio-economic data to understand the scope of the challenge and the long term trends at play. However, identifying specific individuals not in receipt of benefits will always be a challenge. Data on some hard-to-reach populations, particularly those who do not interact with government, is incomplete and in some cases does not exist.

ESDC will therefore continue work with the CRA to identify all available data, including data available through the RAC initiative, to gain more insight into hard-to-reach populations and improve our understanding of potential gaps in benefit uptake.

Description of final expected outcome/Result - Para 31

ESDC, CRA and Statistics Canada have aligned their approaches for the prioritization, planning, and monitoring of the take-up of benefits for hard to reach populations.

Expected final completion date - Para 31

TBD

Key interim milestones (description/dates) - Para 31

Q4 2022 to 2023 - Para 31

ESDC, CRA and Statistics Canada to formalize inter-departmental governance, including the initiation and development of joint data strategies to address key data issues.

Q4 2022 to 2023 - Para 31

  • Identify and review the data and methodology currently used to measure benefit take-up among hard-to-reach populations
  • Create measurement and data acquisition plans by program for hard-to-reach populations determined to be in-scope

Q1 2023 to 2024 - Para 31

Finalize an assessment of current practices, methodologies and data used in the measurement of the take-up of benefits and identify specific potential improvement to measurements by program.

Q3  2023 to 2024

Implement revised methodologies for measuring benefit take-up by program, including measures to improve processes and establish a plan for continuous and consistent reporting of the take-up of benefits. 

Responsible organization/Point of contact (name, position, tel #) - Para 31

ESDC - Catherine Adam, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Service Policy Branch

Indicator of achievement (For PACP Committee use only) - Para 31

N/A

B. Report ref. No. - Para 45

OAG recommendation - Para 45

To better understand the effectiveness of outreach approaches, the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada should develop and implement consistent results-based performance measures for targeted outreach to hard-to-reach populations.

Management response - Para 45

ESDC agrees with this recommendation

Reaching All Canadians includes specific initiatives aimed at improving our understanding of the populations and individuals who are not connecting with federal benefits. This information helps us to further reduce the barriers faced by these hard-to-reach clients through a coordinated, evidence-based approach.

Building on this, ESDC will work with the CRA to develop and implement consistent results-based performance measures to better understand the effectiveness of outreach approaches.

Description of final expected outcome/Result - Para 45

ESDC has an improved capacity for measuring the effectiveness of outreach approaches.

Improved consistency among ESDC and CRA outreach performance measures where program roles intersect.

Expected final completion date - Para 45

TBD

Key interim milestones (description/dates) - Para 45

Q4 2022 to 2023 - Para 45

Establish an ESDC working group (CSB, SSPB, BISB, ISSD, LB) to review and refine Reaching All Canadians (RAC) key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop a pilot project for RAC activities to measure program effectiveness.

Q1 2023 to 2024 - Para 45

  • Finalize KPIs
  • Establish monitoring and reporting processes for new/revised KPIs

Q2 2023 to 2024 - Para 45

  • Implement the KPI pilot for select Outreach and Reaching All Canadians activities
  • Collect and analyze data

Q2 2024 to 2025 - Para 45

  • Establish benchmarks
  • Develp a status report on pilot implementation
  • With CRA, develop and implement a plan to produce standard KPIs

Q1 2024 to 2025 onwards - Para 45

  • Incorporate KPIs into ESDC Outreach and RAC activities
  • Monitor revised KPIs for first full year
  • Share experiences and revised KPIs with CRA colleagues and further integrate/coordinate performance measures over time

Responsible organization/Point of contact (name, position, tel #) - Para 45

ESDC – Christine McDowell, Assistant Deputy Minister, Citizen Service Branch (CSB)

Indicator of achievement (For PACP Committee use only) - Para 45

N/A

C. Report ref. No. - Para 59

OAG recommendation - Para 59

To improve the integration and effectiveness of targeted outreach, the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada should collaborate to establish a seamless client service experience to address the needs of those requiring a high level of support to access benefits.

Management response - Para 59

ESDC agrees with this recommendation.

Over the past 2 years, ESDC has been employing various service interventions at the program level to increase benefit take-up. In 2020, Reaching All Canadians was introduced as a horizontal approach, across benefit programs, to support Canadians most at-risk of not receiving benefits.

Benefit programs involving more than 1 federal department or agency are particularly challenging for at risk clients to navigate. ESDC will therefore continue to work with the CRA and other departments to ensure a simple and seamless service experience, particularly for those clients who require a high level of support to access benefits.

Description of final expected outcome/Result - Para 59

ESDC and CRA will have implemented concrete approaches for ensuring a seamless client service experience for hard to reach clients accessing the benefits within the scope of the audit.

Expected final completion date - Para 59

TBD

Key interim milestones (description/dates) - Para 59

Q3 2022 to 2023 onwards - Para 59

Continue the ESDC/ISC/CRA Inter-departmental CCB Uptake Working Group to identify and collaborate on pilot projects to increase benefit uptake while taking the OAG’s findings and recommendations into consideration when evaluating new initiatives or approaches

Establish an ESDC-CRA-ISC Outreach working group to discuss increased collaboration/coordination on outreach activities, and analyze the service flow for various common client groups to determine gaps and propose solutions

Existing ESDC-CRA senior management bilateral meetings will include increasing outreach collaboration and developing a seamless client service experience for those requiring a high level of support as regular agenda items

Q2 2023 to 2024 - Para 59

The ESDC-CRA-ISC Outreach working group will, based on input from the ESDC/ISC/CRA Inter-departmental CCB Uptake Working Group, and in consideration of the OAG recommendations, prepare a final report for senior management covering opportunities to improve collaboration, address service gaps for those requiring a high level of service, and implement options for ensuring a seamless service experience for hard to reach clients

ESDC and CRA senior management to determine recommendations to be implemented by their programs

Q3 2023 to 2024 onwards - Para 59

Approved working group recommendations are implemented in relevant ESDC and CRA programs

Responsible organization/Point of contact (name, position, tel #) - Para 59

ESDC:

  • Christine McDowell, Assistant Deputy Minister, Citizen Service Branch (CSB)
  • Catherine Adam, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Service Policy Branch

Indicator of achievement (For PACP Committee use only) - Para 59

N/A

4. Hot issues and background material audit findings title not in original binder

A. Hot issue note - audit findings - recommendation #1 - joint prioritization, planning, monitoring, and reporting process for measuring uptake

Issue

The Office of the Auditor General’s Audit on Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations found that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) did not have a clear and complete picture of the people who were not receiving benefits for which they were potentially eligible.

Background

Identifying eligible individuals who are not accessing benefits is challenging, because we cannot confirm eligibility for benefits of those who did not file tax returns or have not applied for benefits.

In 2017, ESDC and CRA, supported by Statistics Canada, measured the uptake of the Canada Child Benefit among First Nations people living on reserve. While this shows that measuring uptake is possible, it also points to a limitation in the current approach, which used the census data. Since the census is only conducted every 5 years, it is not possible to use it to systematically measure uptake.

Key facts

The Audit highlighted that CRA and ESDC did not have a complete estimate of the overall take‑up rates of the selected benefits, nor did they know the take‑up rates of specific hard‑to‑reach populations known to experience barriers to accessing benefits. Furthermore, the audit found that CRA and ESDC did not have a comprehensive plan for improving how benefit take‑up is measured.

The accuracy of benefit uptake measurement is hampered by the fact that some marginalized and underserved Canadians often do not appear in administrative databases as they do not interact with government and are not required to file an income tax return, as well as not captured in the Census.

As part of its Management Action Plan (MAP), ESDC will continue working with the CRA and Statistics Canada to identify all available data to gain more insight into hard-to-reach populations and improve the understanding of potential gaps in benefit uptake. This will include:

  • formalizing inter-departmental governance (ESDC, CRA and Statistics Canada), including the initiation and development of joint data strategies to address key data issues
  • identifying and reviewing the data and methodology currently used to measure benefit take-up among hard-to-reach populations, and identifying specific potential improvement to measurements by program, and
  • implementing revised methodologies for measuring benefit take-up by program, including measures to improve processes and establish a plan for continuous and consistent reporting of the take-up of benefits

As a result of these activities, it is expected that ESDC, CRA and Statistics Canada will have aligned their approaches for the prioritization, planning, and monitoring of the take-up of benefits for hard to reach populations.

Key messages

Data on hard-to-reach populations, particularly those who do not interact with government, is incomplete and, in some cases, do not exist. National benefit uptake rates are estimated using the Census and other broad socio-economic data. This also helps us to understand the scope of the challenge and the long-term trends at play. However, identifying specific individuals not in receipt of benefits will always be a challenge.

The Department will continue working with the CRA and Statistics Canada to gain more insight into hard-to-reach populations, improve our understanding of potential gaps in benefit uptake, and implement measures to enhance the effectiveness of outreach approaches.

B. Hot issue note - audit findings - recommendation #2 - effectiveness of outreach approaches

Issue

The Office of the Auditor General’s Audit on Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations found that despite the efforts to demonstrate the results of targeted outreach efforts, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) have not developed measures to assess the impacts of outreach activities.

Background

There are limitations to assessing the effectiveness of service interventions.  While we are able to track how many individuals were assisted at an outreach event, in the case of tax-based benefits, we would not have direct measures of how many actually submitted their tax return or were approved. After-the-fact analysis based on postal codes can provide some insight but is imprecise.

Key facts

The Audit highlights that the CRA and ESDC did not know whether most of their targeted outreach activities had helped to increase the benefit take‑up rates for specific hard‑to‑reach populations.

In 2020, the Department developed a Reaching All Canadians (RAC) initiative that includes specific evidence-based activities aimed at improving our understanding of the populations and individuals who are not connecting with federal benefits. As part of RAC, the Department is undertaking a review of methodologies and processes to track outreach activities and associated impacts on clients.

Building on this, as part of its Management Action Plan (MAP), ESDC will work with the CRA to develop and implement consistent results-based performance measures to better understand the effectiveness of outreach approaches. This includes:

  • establishing an ESDC working group to review and refine RAC key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop a pilot project for RAC activities to measure program effectiveness
  • implementing a pilot for select outreach and RAC activities as a basis to develop and implement a plan to produce standard KPIs, and
  • incorporating KPIs into ESDC outreach and RAC activities, and sharing KPIs with CRA for further integration and coordination over time

As a result of these activities, ESDC is expected to have an improved capacity for measuring the effectiveness of outreach approaches, and there will be an improved consistency among ESDC and CRA outreach performance measures where program roles intersect.

Key messages

The Department introduced the Reaching All Canadians (RAC) initiative in 2020, to help ensure people across the country are receiving benefits for which they qualify. This initiative includes an enhanced focus on tracking the Department’s outreach activities and their impacts on marginalized Canadians.

The Department will continue working with the CRA to develop and implement consistent results-based performance measures to better understand the effectiveness of outreach approaches.

C. Hot issue note - audit findings - recommendation #3 - Seamless client service experience to address the needs

Issue

The Office of the Auditor General’s Audit on Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations found that Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) did not have an approach for ensuring a comprehensive and seamless service experience to assist people requiring high level of support.

Background

The OAG indicated that approaches between ESDC and CRA need to be more integrated to assist individuals who require a high level of support to access benefits. Benefit programs involving more than 1 federal department or agency are particularly challenging for at-risk clients to navigate.

Community organizations can play an important role as the first point of contact. ESDC’s Reaching All Canadians (RAC) initiative includes a range of proactive measures aimed at increasing benefit uptake. As part of RAC, the Department collaborates with community organizations to identify and refer hard-to-reach individuals to Service Canada for assistance.

In 2020, the Department also launched a toll-free phone line (the Outreach Support Centre) for marginalized and underserved individuals across Canada who need additional assistance for accessing its programs and services. In 2021 to 2022, the OSC fielded 27,250 calls from vulnerable clients, resulting in 31,800 service offerings provided.

Although these efforts enabled ESDC to provide direct and individualized support to at-risk clients, they did not extend to matters involving CRA, which limits the range of assistance that individuals are able to receive through these initiatives.

Key facts

In September 2021, ESDC, CRA and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) formed an interdepartmental working group to coordinate approaches on increasing the uptake of the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for First Nations On-Reserve. The goal of this working group is to identify, evaluate and implement approaches to help those living on reserve to navigate the requirements for access to CCB.

As part of its Management Action Plan (MAP), ESDC will continue working with CRA and ISC to develop and implement a coordinated and seamless approach for providing support to hard-to-reach individuals. This includes:

  • continuing the ESDC/ISC/CRA Interdepartmental CCB Uptake Working Group to identify and collaborate on pilot projects to increase benefit uptake
  • establishing an ESDC-CRA Outreach working group to discuss increased collaboration/coordination on outreach activities, and analyze the service flow for various common client groups to determine gaps and propose solutions
  • including the discussion on increasing collaboration on outreach and the development of a seamless client service experience as part of regular agenda items of the existing ESDC-CRA senior management bilateral meetings, and
  • identifying and implementing recommendations to improve collaboration, address service gaps for those requiring a high level of service, and implement endorsed options for ensuring a seamless service experience for hard-to-reach clients

As a result of these activities, ESDC and CRA, with support from ISC, will implement concrete approaches for ensuring a seamless client service experience for clients requiring high level of support in accessing the benefits within the scope of the audit.

Key messages

The Government of Canada is continually looking for ways to improve services to Canadians and support hard-to-reach and vulnerable people across the country.

The Department introduced the Reaching All Canadians (RAC) initiative to help ensure people across the country are receiving benefits for which they qualify.

As part of RAC, the Department is collaborating with community organizations that are uniquely positioned to identify and refer hard-to-reach Canadians to Service Canada for support. Going forward, the Department will continue to leverage the knowledge and trust of community organizations to reach and assist individuals requiring high level of support.

The Department will continue working with the CRA and ISC to improve the integration and effectiveness of outreach approaches and establish a seamless client service experience for individuals requiring a high level of support to access benefits.

D. Hot issue note - OAG’s $18 million estimate for targeted outreach activities

Issue

The Office of the Auditor General (OAG)’s Audit on Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations includes the following statement: “We estimated that the department and agency collectively spent more than $18 million in the 2020 to 2021 fiscal year on targeted outreach activities.” (p. 4, section 1.6)

Key facts

The OAG’s $18 million figure represents a combined amount for both ESDC and CRA. The Department did not validate this figure and is unable to ascertain the portion associated with ESDC activities.

Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million over 3 years to increase the Department’s capacity to reach Indigenous communities through the Indigenous Outreach Program. The 2020 Fall Economic Statement later provided $44.0 million over 6 years and $7.9 million ongoing to make the Indigenous Outreach Initiative permanent.

(See separate note on Budget funding for Indigenous Outreach Program for further details.)

5. Hot issues: going forward and implementing recommendations title not included in the original binder

A. Hot issue note - vulnerable populations, barriers to service and reaching all Canadians

Issue

The Department is advancing the Reaching All Canadians (RAC) initiative to address inherent service barriers impeding marginalized and underserved populations from accessing benefits programs.

Background

ESDC uses an integrated service delivery network to reach Canadians at all stages of their lives (children, youth, adults, seniors). This integrated service delivery network is multi-channel, offering services online, by phone, in-person – both at Service Canada Centres and through outreach activities, and by mail. ESDC delivers benefits such as the Old Age Security (OAS), the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and Canada Education Savings Programs (CESP).

While up-take rates are notable, some Canadians are at risk of not receiving the benefits they need. These include seniors, Indigenous peoples, persons with low-income, persons experiencing homelessness, newcomers, persons with disabilities, persons living in rural and remote areas, e-vulnerable persons, gender diverse persons and racialized Canadians.

Some individuals remain unaware of Government of Canada programs or they are aware but do not recognize that the benefits apply to themselves. This can be particularly the case for individuals who are not already intersecting with federal institutions (that is, are unknown to our programs); have had less than satisfactory interactions with the government previously; and/or are experiencing barriers to access.

Some Canadians do not interact with government. They do not appear in administrative databases or they do not or are not required to file taxes. Additionally, they are not reflected in the Census.

Key facts

Inherent service barriers prevent marginalized and underserved populations from accessing essential support. ESDC has identified 8 barriers that keep marginalized and underserved populations from applying:

  • service design: design that is overly complicated and time-consuming makes the steps difficult to understand
  • language of service: not communicating in the client’s language, including official language, Indigenous language, sign language (ASL or LSQ) or other language
  • accessibility: elements that hinder access to services by a person with a disability
  • lack of awareness: due to not promoting or communicating our services effectively
  • lack of cultural awareness: distrust or past negative experience with government. Processes and approaches that can discourage or prevent some persons from applying when we do not account for their social or cultural context
  • policy design: includes foundational aspects of our programs such as eligibility or entitlement criteria, deadlines, and/or costs, which may be prohibitive to certain clients
  • limited service availability: due to distance, hours of operation, inaccessible infrastructure or not having Internet access, some clients are restricted in their ability to access our services
  • literacy or numeracy: using language and information that require a high level of competency for a client to understand

For example, according to the Department’s latest estimate, 170,000 seniors could potentially qualify for Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits. In addition, 1 in 3 Canadians living with a disability has difficulty accessing at least 1 service channel (online, in person and by phone) due to their condition (Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017).

To address these barriers, ESDC is advancing the RAC initiative structured around 4 key components:

  • simplification: making benefits easy for eligible clients to apply (for example, proactive benefit enrollment)
  • direct reach: reaching more people by providing assisted service to reduce service delivery barriers (for example, partnering locally with community organizations to connect with at-risk individuals)
  • inclusion: providing services that reflect the client’s cultural and social context (for example, accessibility technological upgrades in Service Canada Centres)
  • promotion and awareness: proactively promoting and communicating services effectively (for example, mass mail outs)

Key messages

The Department developed a Reaching All Canadians initiative to carry out proactive measures (such as call campaigns, mass mail-outs, simplification of forms and web contents, use of accessible technologies, etc.) aimed at reducing systemic service barriers preventing marginalized Canadians from accessing federal benefits and services

The Department is building on the Reaching All Canadians to address all recommendations from the Auditor General of Canada.

The Department will continue to expand its collaboration with community organizations that are uniquely positioned to identify and refer marginalized and under-served Canadians for assistance.

B. Hot issue - Why it is difficult to identify those not receiving benefits

Issue

Some Canadians are unknown to our programs and, as such, cannot be easily targeted for benefit enrollment through traditional methods.

Background

Some Canadians, particularly the most vulnerable, tend to be unknown to our programs for a number of reasons:

  • they do not interact with government departments for cultural reasons or due to distrust or a past negative experience
  • they do not appear in administrative databases
  • they are not required to file taxes, particularly if their income is near or below the Federal Basic Personal Amount
  • they are not reflected in the Census

While individuals often appear in various administrative database related to the programs they have accessed, there is no “master list” to identify those who have not applied for a program. Most programs are triggered by the individual indicating interest, hence ensuring awareness and access is crucial.

In these circumstances, the Department is unable to develop a list of potential recipients to implement targeting measures.

Key facts

Through the Reaching All Canadians Initiative, the Department is extending its reach by collaborating with community organizations to identify marginalized and under-served Canadians, raise awareness of their potential benefit eligibility and refer them to Service Canada for assistance. The Department is leveraging and expanding this work to reach clients unknown to our programs and thus respond to the findings in the audit.

The Department is working to develop methodologies to systematically and consistently measure the uptake in program benefits over time and, in turn, estimate the number of Canadians who may be missing out on crucial benefits. This information, however, will not allow the Department to obtain a specific list of potential clients.

Key messages

The Department has been aware of and has been working for many years to overcome the challenge of identifying clients missing out on crucial benefits. We do not have and nor will we ever have a clear and complete picture of “hard to reach” clients not receiving benefits for which they are potentially eligible.

We will continue to work closely with the Canada Revenue Agency and Statistics Canada to share information on existing data, identify best practices and collaborate in data collection where it makes sense.

C. Hot issue note - Outreach and Service Referral Initiative

Issue

ESDC engages in outreach activities, in person and over the phone, to offer complementary services to Canadians requiring a higher level of individual support to access government services and benefits.

Background

The Department’s outreach activities work to build and maintain relationships, credibility and trust with communities and partners to more effectively reach at-risk Canadians.

Targeted outreach activities are vital to reach marginalized and underserved Canadians who are not yet known to our programs and who may not be aware of their potential benefit eligibility.

Key facts

Indigenous Outreach Program

Indigenous outreach funding supports in-person access to programs, services and benefits in Northern, remote and reserve communities. In 2019 to 2020, the Department engaged with 698 Indigenous communities and 579 Indigenous communities were served, either through virtual activities and/or the Outreach Support Centre.

National Community Outreach Liaison Service

As part of its National Community Outreach Liaison Service, the Department conducts outreach to underserved client segments, such as seniors and Indigenous, tailored to specific needs to address barriers and to maximize access by all clients. Outreach activities include virtual or in-person info sessions, clinics, liaison service or fairs-kiosks. In 2021 to 2022, 5,605 engagements were made to community partners working with vulnerable populations in order to develop and/or maintain strong relationships and assess specific community needs.

This year, as the Department progressively returns to in-person outreach activities, it is prioritizing persons living in rural and remote communities to promote federal benefits and services, and facilitate program enrollment.

Outreach support centre

In 2020, the Department also launched a toll-free phone line, the Outreach Support Centre (OSC) for marginalized and underserved individuals across Canada who need additional assistance for accessing its programs and services. In 2021 to 2022, the OSC fielded 27,258 calls from vulnerable clients, including seniors, resulting in 31,833 service offerings provided.

Since October 2021, the Atlantic region is piloting a new approach to refer at-risk Canadians to the OSC, in collaboration with United Way Centraide Canada and their 211 assistance phone service. (The United Way manages the 211 phone service, which helps Canadians find and navigate services.)

As of October 2022, the pilot generated 240 referrals from 211 to the OSC. More recently, protocols for collaboration with the 211 in Greater Montreal and in Quebec City region were developed, serving as a model for national collaboration and expansion.

Service Referral Initiative

As part of Reaching All Canadians, the Department launched the Service Referral Initiative pilot in 2021 to extend its reach among underserved and marginalized populations by partnering with community organizations across Canada to help reach individuals who face various barriers.

Partnering organizations are on boarded based on their willingness to identify and provide referral services to at-risk Canadians by sharing basic information about benefit programs and services and linking them to Service Canada for further assistance.

As of October 10, 2022, the Service Referral Initiative counts 149 partnering organizations who provided over 982 referrals in the 4 pilots.

Key messages

As part of RAC, the Department is extending its reach by partnering with community organizations which are uniquely positioned to identify and refer marginalized Canadians to Service Canada for support. Going forward, the Department will continue to leverage the knowledge and trust of community organizations to reach and assist these individuals.

Service Canada’s collaboration with community partners is effective as they can provide access to at-risk clients that Service Canada may not have otherwise reached.

Building on the success of the Atlantic pilot, the Department is working closely with United Way and 211 officials to develop a collaborative arrangement that will allow underserved clients from across the country to be referred to the Outreach Support Centre when appropriate.

D. Indigenous Outreach Program

Issue

The Indigenous Outreach Program plays a key role in ensuring members of remote and Northern Indigenous communities are able to take advantage of federal programs and services.

Background

Budget 2018 provided $17.3 million over 3 years to increase the Department’s capacity to reach Indigenous communities. The 2020 Fall Economic Statement later provided $44.0 million over 6 years and $7.9 million ongoing to make the Indigenous Outreach Initiative permanent.

A needs assessment is undertaken with each community prior to any in-person visit. Through this pre-work, the service needs of the community are determined by asking questions in a non-intrusive manner and by clearly explaining the services that can be provided across a range of clients (for example seniors, youth, employers).

Key facts

Outreach activities are orchestrated based on Indigenous community-specific needs and may include the following:

  • information sessions on the Canada Child Benefit
  • SIN registration
  • benefits applications
  • tax form filing in the community, and
  • information and support for other federal programs and benefits

The service model has been adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, using new digital and telephone-based tools, as well as collaboration with over 16,000 local and community organizations.

As part of the Indigenous Outreach Program, 579 communities received services in 2021 to 2022 either through virtual information sessions, clinics or fairs/kiosks or through the Outreach Support Centre. In 2022 to 2023, 418 communities across Canada received services between April and September 2022. Below is additional data on communities engaged and served.

Based on a recent analysis, 6,600 more families living in First Nation communities received the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) in 2019 to 2020 compared to 2017 to 2018, reflecting in an increase of approximately $70 million annually in CCB payments.

Between 2016 and 2020, the number of OAS beneficiaries has increased by 50.2% following targeted Indigenous outreach, which has contributed to $111 million being disbursed OAS benefits over the course of a year. For the same period, the number of CPP beneficiaries has increased by 32.8% following targeted Indigenous outreach, which has contributed to approximately $48.6 million in disbursed CPP benefits over the course of a year.

FY 2021 to 2022

Engagement target: conduct at least 1 service needs assessment per year with each of the 740 Indigenous communities:

  • Atlantic Region – Engaged with 38 out of 44 communities. In total, 37 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 84% of Indigenous communities served
  • Québec Region – Engaged with 31 out of 56 communities. In total, 45 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 84% of Indigenous communities served
  • Ontario Region – Engaged with 123 out of 132 communities. In total, 116 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 88% of Indigenous communities served
  • Western-Territories Region – Engaged with 506 out of 508 communities. In total, 381 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 75% of Indigenous communities served
  • Nationally, the Department engaged with 698 of 740 communities. In total, 579 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 78% of Indigenous communities served
  • 501 communities with at least 1 member identified themselves as being a member of the community accessed the Outreach support Centre
  • 18.2% of the calls to the Outreach Support Centre came from clients identifying themselves as being a member of an Indigenous Community
  • 579 communities received services either through virtual information sessions, clinics or fairs/kiosks or through the Outreach Support Centre

FY 2022 to 2023 (April 1 to Sept. 30, 2022)

Engagement target: conduct at least 1 service needs assessment per year with each of the 740 Indigenous communities:

  • Atlantic Region – Engaged with 20 out of 44 communities. In total, 28 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 64% of Indigenous communities served
  • Québec Region – Engaged with 14 out of 56 communities. In total, 40 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 71% of Indigenous communities served
  • Ontario Region – Engaged with 69 out of 132 communities. In total, 43 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 33% of Indigenous communities served
  • Western-Territories Region – Engaged with 386 out of 508 communities. In total, 307 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 60% of Indigenous communities served
  • Nationally, the Department engaged with 386 of 740 communities. In total, 418 communities were served (Outreach Support Centre / virtual activities), representing 56% of Indigenous communities served
  • 377 communities with at least 1 member identified themselves as being a member of the community accessed the Outreach support Centre so far
  • 21% of the calls to the Outreach Support Centre came from clients identifying themselves as being a member of an Indigenous Community so far
  • 418 communities received services either through virtual information sessions, clinics or fairs/kiosks, in-person visits as they progressively resume, according to health and safety recommendations, or through the Outreach Support Centre

Key messages

The Indigenous Outreach Program plays a key role in ensuring members of remote and Northern Indigenous communities are able to take advantage of federal programs and services.

In an effort to simplify access to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefit, the Department implemented a statement of income as an alternative method to report income for non-tax filers applying for this benefit. The Department also continues to explore alternate options to address the tax filing requirement for some programs, such as Canada child benefit (CCB).

E. Hot issue note: Addressing GBA+ issues in terms of policy and reaching all Canadians

Issue

Has a GBA+ lens been applied when defining hard-to-reach populations, and in developing an outreach strategy?

Key facts

A GBA+ lens is being used to identify hard-to-reach populations and barriers to service they experience, as well as to develop interventions and outreach approaches. This is completed through research, evaluations and on-the-ground intelligence from the Department’s extensive service delivery network.

Having a presence across the country has helped to develop a knowledge base and a network of stakeholders that have contributed to identification of the vulnerable populations who are most at risk of not receiving the benefits they need, and develop and implement approaches to increase benefit uptake.

Direct client feedback from clients, for example through the annual Service Canada Client Experience Survey, is also considered and will continue to be sought going forward.

Background

The following are examples of how a GBA+ lens is being applied in service delivery:

  • in 2022 to 2023, a new LGBTQ2+ client segment was added to the priority plan for all regions of the Department. This will ensure this clientele is well aware of available programs, services and benefits and that they do not have to fear any discrimination when accessing Government of Canada programs, services and benefits
  • in the Winnipeg area, as part of the Service Referral Initiative, the Department is actively identifying clients from the LGBTQ2+ community who may be experiencing barriers such as discrimination in their workplace, with their families and fears of being outed
  • Service Canada representatives work with the Rainbow Resource Centre to consider all intersecting identity factors of diverse groups of women, men and gender diverse people, particularly, as it relates to ethnicity, race, culture, gender, sex, age and sexual orientation, and support them through their journey

Key message

The Department applies a GBA+ lens to define hard-to-reach populations and develop targeted outreach activities by considering intersecting identity factors and supporting diverse clients in accessing Government of Canada programs, services and benefits.

6. Hot issues: impacts title not included in original binder

A. Hot issue note – update on outreach activities

Community and Outreach Liaison Services (COLS)

Service Canada recently resumed in-person outreach services. This service increases the reach into communities who may not otherwise be able to connect with Service Canada in person. The focus on engagement (liaison service) prior to visits ensures the needs of a community or specific client segment are assessed. Outreach activities are then tailored to specific needs, to address barriers and to maximize access by all clients.

  • In FY 2021 to 2022: 5,605 engagements were made to community partners working with vulnerable populations in order to develop and/or maintain strong relationships and assess specific community needs, including engagement with 698 Indigenous communities; 579 Indigenous communities were served, either through virtual activities and/or the Outreach Support Centre.

Furthermore, there were 5,606 participants to Outreach activities in Targeted Outreach (TO) sites for FY21 to 2022. These include virtual or in-person info sessions, clinics, liaison service or fairs-kiosks with Indigenous Communities identified with a TO point of service.

  • In FY 2022 to 2023 (as of Sept. 30), 2,414 engagements with community partners that support vulnerable populations, including 386 Indigenous communities; a total of 418 Indigenous communities have been served so far either through COLS activities or via the Outreach Support Centre.

Furthermore, 1,813 participants to Outreach activities in TO sites for FY22 to 2023.

Outreach Support Centre

The Outreach Support Centre was launched on April 14, 2020, to provide immediate direct personalized toll-free service to Indigenous communities and other clients facing barriers to accessing service, thus ensuring continuity of service for clients who normally benefit from in-person COLS visits.

  • In FY 2021 to 2022: 27,258 calls were received and 31,833 services were provided
  • In FY 2022 to 2023 (as of Sept. 30): 12,345 calls were received and 14,325 services were provided

A service referral activity with the 211 United Way was piloted in the Atlantic region as part of the Reaching All Canadians initiative in order to connect vulnerable clients accessing 211 service with Service Canada staff working at the Outreach Support Centre. The project, which will be expanded nationally, was recently launched in the Quebec region, thus resulting in a significant increase in the number of calls associated to this project. (See Annex A)

Other government departments

Service Canada implemented a strategy with IRCC to assist newcomers (Afghans, Ukrainians and other) by hosting SIN clinics in hotels or other locations and/or delivering information sessions.

Service Canada has also been in discussions with CRA, who may soon join the SC / IRCC collaboration to support newcomers on arrival. Supports to newcomers can include any of the following:

  • provide IRCC support to resolve issues with landing documents
  • inform newcomers of their obligations with CRA
  • obtain information on Service Canada Programs and Services, and
  • facilitate SIN applications by hosting SIN clinics with translation services

Here are some regional examples:

  • Service Canada is currently collaborating with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to increase benefit uptake within indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada.
    • A working group has been created to identify barriers and to equip service delivery partners with a tool to better advise clients on the benefits that Service Canada and CRA offer.
    • Work is underway to create a checklist to determine the eligibility of services offered to seniors, which will be shared with Health and Home Care workers and the Health hub within the indigenous communities.
  • Ontario region delivers Service Canada Live information sessions in collaboration with the CRA for Community Partners.
  • Ontario region delivers biweekly information sessions to Afghan newcomers in collaboration with CRA. The session is provided with interpretation in Dari and Pashto.
  • To support Financial Literacy Month and Education Savings Week in November, Service Canada Ontario Region attends fairs in collaboration with financial institutions so that youth may apply for their SIN at the SIN Clinic and then open a RESP to receive the Canada Learning Bond (CLB).

Free Access Fair (CLB event) in Winnipeg

On September 22, 2022, the Winnipeg RAC team attended a Free Access Fair open to children, youth and families at Gordon Bell High School. Youth Employment Services and Community Financial Counselling Services organized the event, funded in part by the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) Program. This was the largest CLB event in Winnipeg with 14 organizations including our Reaching All Canadians Partner, Seed Winnipeg.

Free Access Fair Highlights:

  • 52 clients were served by the RAC team and 45 SINs were processed
  • 41 (out of the 45) individuals were able to open RESP accounts and access $41,400 in CLB funds
  • 107 individuals were able to apply for birth certificates. The RAC team will attend an appointment-based clinic at Gordon Bell planned on November 17th. The RAC team will be booking 90 appointments to issue SINs. Additionally, SEED Winnipeg will refer clients to the RAC team to process SINs earlier if needed

Virtual super clinics were inspired by the Elder Super Clinics in BC, where the Winnipeg and Southeast Manitoba COLS team used a Needs Assessment to uncover all eligible benefits. This approach was employed with CRA as a partner to support RAC clients.

Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg

Service Canada’s RAC activities in Winnipeg include identifying clients from the 2SLGBTQ+ community who may be experiencing barriers to accessing Service Canada such as discrimination in their workplace, with their families and fears of being outed.

  • The Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg is an important community partner in the RAC Service Referral Initiative as this organization provides a safe space for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
  • In addition to the in-person outreach provided on site, Service Canada offers a referral service to assist them in getting access to benefits such as CPP or CLB.
  • The Western and Territories (WT) region created a RAC playbook that includes resources and training to understand how to consult with members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to improve the relationship with SC and break down barriers.

The WT also offers a referral service to help connect clients with Service Canada with the help from a representative from the community organizations. Other organizations supporting this initiative include Accueil Francophone, SEED Winnipeg and End Homelessness Winnipeg.

RAC for Seniors in Ontario:

Ontario CSB is supporting seniors living in homelessness or poverty in accessing Service Canada programs and services with support from a representative from a community organization. Service Canada in Ontario has built relationships with a number of community organizations, such as the Islington Seniors Shelter, and, with the help of these organizations, are connecting with clients that Service Canada would not normally reach, and supporting them in getting access to benefits they may not have applied for on their own due to facing a number of barriers. Through this initiative, seniors are gaining access to GIS and CPP/OAS and potentially other benefits. This project started in Toronto and is being expanded throughout Ontario, including Burlington, Barrie and part of Northern Ontario. Though the project initially aimed to support seniors, it has since been expanded to include other underserviced and vulnerable client groups.

More recently, Ontario CSB established a collaboration with the Ontario Benefits Delivery Services Branch Regional Enquiries Unit team to leverage an internal escalation tool for dire need pensions client referral requests. This process aims to resolve dire need pensions issues for clients accessing service using the referral initiative.

RAC initiatives in Québec:

Québec CSB rolled out 2 components to support the advancement of the RAC initiative:

  1. a referral project for seniors aiming to offer a personalized service to elders who needs support while also encouraging the participation of community organizations, and
  2. a co-creation project with and for Indigenous peoples to improve their access to all programs, services and benefits in the spirit of Reconciliation

Québec’s vision is to facilitate access to programs and services for all eligible individuals who rely on us, in an agile and integrated manner. So far, the region established partnerships with 54 community organizations working with seniors, including the 211 United Way, which referred more than 290 individuals to the Outreach Support Centre (OSC).

The region continues to implement Indigenous Innovation Labs with other Indigenous communities (in addition to the Innu communities) and regional Indigenous organizations in order to implement sustainable solutions. They pursue their work to articulate an innovative regional vision in relation to Indigenous aspirations in the context of reconciliation and community autonomy.

Scheduled Outreach sites

Scheduled Outreach (SO) sites help expand Service Canada’s footprint as these sites are mainly located in rural and remote communities. The sites were all closed from March 27, 2020 to April 2022 due to the pandemic, but have been reopening in a phased approach. As of October 18, 2022: 

  • 128 sites have reactivated
  • 70 additional locations are pending reactivation, either with a known or unknown date
  • Since April 2022, 12,374 services have been provided through SO sites See Annex B for details
Table 1: Annex A - Number of OSC calls associated to the RAC Service Referrals initiative
Month (2022 to 2023) May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Grand total
Atlantic n.a 1 8 15 16 45 85
Ontario 5 8 12 19 30 74
Québec 7 14 21 20 63 123 248
Western Canada and Territories 7 51 72 67 106 77 380
Grand total 14 71 109 114 204 275 787
Table 2: Annex B - Number of service offerings – Scheduled Outreach sites
Service offering type Number of services
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada 101
Access to Information and Privacy 4
AG - Apprenticeship Grants 4
Canada Child Benefit 64
Canada Pension Plan 1 689
Canada Pension Plan Disability 190
Canada Revenue Agency 492
CERB - Canada Emergency Response Benefit 16
Citizenship and Immigration Canada 88
Employment Insurance 2 575
General Information 42
Government of Canada 197
Labour Program 1
Learning Programs 6
My Service Canada Account 266
Old Age Security 1 629
Passport 839
Record of Employment 45
Referral 571
Social Insurance Number 3 369
Targeted Outreach 182
Veterans Affairs Canada 2
Workplace Skills 1
Youth 1
Grand total 12 374

B. Hot issue note - Estimates of benefit uptake

Issue

Research on the rates of benefit uptake for various programs shows that there remains a notable number of individuals not receiving benefits to which they are entitled.

Background

The majority of individuals not receiving benefits to which they are entitled are members of at-risk groups such as seniors, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, rural and remote residents, e-vulnerable persons, gender diverse persons and racialized Canadians. These individuals may be known or unknown to our programs depending on their circumstances.

Key facts

Benefits to help reduce poverty in Canada (included in the Audit report):

  • CCB: 3.8 million recipients; $25.1 billion in annual benefits paid between July 2020 and June 2021; and, benefit uptake of 97% of eligible population in 2017 (compared to 96% in 2016).
  • GIS: 2.2 million recipients; $13.7 billion in annual benefits paid between April 2020 and March 2021; and, benefit uptake of 94% of eligible tax filers in 2019 (compared to 91% in 2016).
  • CLB: 0.7 million recipients; $0.2 billion in annual benefits paid between April 2020 and March 2021; and, benefit uptake of 42% of children under 21 year old who were ever eligible for the bond in 2020 (compared to 38% in 2018).

The Department’s current estimates suggest that foregone benefits likely exceed $2 billion across the following programs combined: Canada Child Benefit, Registered Education Savings Plan, Canada Learning Bond (CLB), Old Age Security (OAS), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Canada Disability Savings Bond. The Department is reviewing methodologies and available data to more accurately measure benefit uptake rates and foregone benefits.

The Department uses data to uncover information on at-risk Canadians missing out on benefits in order to identify the underlying barriers and develop interventions to address them. For example, the Department is working with Statistics Canada to better understand the socio-economic characteristics of non-respondents to our GIS mail-out by linking the mailing list to Census data. Findings are anticipated this fall and will inform our approach to future mail-out and call campaigns.

Key messages

The OAG report highlights a challenge that the Department has been aware of and has been working to overcome for many years. Data on hard-to-reach clients is incomplete, at times does not exist, and the data that is available is not timely (in other words, the Census is published every 5 years).

The Department is working to develop methodologies to systematically and consistently measure the uptake of ESDC program benefits over time, which, in turn, will allow us to more accurately estimate the number of Canadians who are missing out on crucial government benefits.

The Reaching All Canadians initiative recognizes that many of the individuals not receiving benefits are associated with marginalized and underserved populations. By addressing the service barriers that make it difficult for these individuals to access their benefits we can reduce the number of individuals not receiving benefits to which they are entitled.

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