More than 60% of Sask. income support calls ignored, auditors report reveals
Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Social Services had more than 60 per cent of the more than 255,000 calls to its SIS phone line go unanswered over a six-month period, the province’s auditor says in her 2023 report.
Provincial Auditor Tara Clemett also found that close to 50,000 of those calls were specific to Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) applications.
“We found the Ministry needs to provide potential clients with better access to apply for benefits, such as making computers available at all of its offices, offering sufficient in-person assistance with the SIS application process, and consistently providing a call-back function, a news release from the auditor says.
The report found that fewer than 50 per cent of individuals apply for SIS benefits online.
“During an unannounced visit to a large delivery office, we found staff did not sufficiently provide guidance or offer assistance related to the SIS application process,” the release says.
According to the report, the ministry assesses SIS applications within five business days about 90 percent of the time but does not sufficiently address key issues such as the lack of computer access for many applicants, the lack of streamlined client support and clients missing appointments with ministry planning and support specialists.
The report also says the ministry needs to periodically analyze data about SIS clients who are evicted and have unpaid utility bills and make strategies to address those scenarios. The report recommends that the ministry also should offer timely case planning support and meet regularly with SIS clients to follow up on their unique case plans.
The report also shows that 5,200 SIS clients have unpaid utility bills greater than $100, which amounts to nearly $4.2 million as of February 2023.
SIS clients also need to be referred to proper supports such as employment services and counselling when appropriate, with follow-ups on those referrals happening on a consistent basis, the report says.
The report also recommends says the effectiveness of SIS needs to be measured better. That would include tracking how long clients receive SIS as well as the proportion of clients dropping SIS but then returning within a certain time frame.
SIS has been offered since 2019 and is meant to provide financial assistance for people to meet their basic needs while they work toward self-sufficiency.
Those basic needs include money for rent, mortgage and utility payments, as well as funds for food and local transportation, the report says
In 2022-23, over 17,000 SIS clients were provided an expected $261.5 million in benefits, according to the report.
Advocates say it's a long standing problem.
"This is what we hear from our clients on a daily basis is that they’re having a very difficult time getting through to the client service centre and being able to have their concerns responded to," said Peter Gilmer with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry.
The Ministry of Social Services says ten people will be added to the call centre to handle inquiries. The auditor will be checking back to make sure the issue has been resolved.
- With files from Wayne Mantyka
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.