No Incentive To Work

This letter is meant to have my one small voice heard as I do believe I am not alone. I am a single mother of 3 children. All single parents have a different story to tell, yet in the end the struggles are similar.

A bit about me, I have 3 kids, the youngest being 10 and oldest 14. I am a young single Mom (33) and have been on my own for quite some time. At one time I survived on income assistance and trust me it wasn't easy, nor was it something to brag about. I wanted a better life but during my marriage I was a stay at home Mom and then when the marriage ended, I was left with no real skills to get a job to sufficiently support my family. I might add as well that I do not receive child support as my husband cannot be located.

It was at this time I decided it was more education that I needed so I enrolled in College. I later graduated with honours and then found a good job, although not a great income. I earn under $24,000 a year and again I must reiterate that I do not receive any child support.

After working this year I looked forward to doing my income tax as I believed I would get back all that I paid in (which was $2200.00) and believe me I had plans with that money. I have bills that needed to be paid which include much needed dentist visits for the kids, a first set of glasses for one of my kids as well as the everyday bills to keep the household running each month that I had gotten behind.

Not only did I get a very small income tax return ($500.00 a fraction of what I expected) but I also was told my monthly Child Tax Credit will now go down as well.

Where is the fairness in this I ask? Here I am, a single mom of 3, working, receiving no child support and making under $24,000 a year and the government takes over $1500.00 from me in one year as well as knocks money off my Child Tax Credit. How is one to get ahead I ask? I am better off on welfare, save the personal feeling of pride that I take in supporting my kids without the help of welfare. At least I get 100% coverage with the dentist and medical on welfare.

I picked myself up and got myself out there which is something I am very proud of but I am barely making it this way. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer and that is sad. I do not want to be rich, just comfortable. I want to be able to take my kids to the movies. I want to be able to buy them new clothes. Instead I have to depend on thrift shops for used clothing, I want to be able to sign them up for after school activities, something I have never been able to do, simply because I cannot afford it.

I for one am very discouraged, there HAS to be more incentive to work, otherwise all I can say is, I weep for the future.

-J. Biehler