Incomes and Poverty in Hamilton

The data and analysis from this report shows both signs of hope and signs of concern for Hamilton’s fight against poverty. The overall poverty rate has decreased in the City of Hamilton from 19.8% to 18.1%. The major contributors to this phenomenon have been seniors. The poverty rate of Hamiltonians over age 65 has decreased from 24.4% to 16.6%, the largest decreased of any of the groups examined. This trend is seen across the country due to the social safety net put in place for this age group as well as more women joining this age group who have spent at least part of their lives in the paid labour force, earning CPP benefits for their retirement. One additional reason seems to be an increase in applications for the Guaranteed Income Supplement since a report in 2001 showed that 300,000 seniors were not accessing this benefit to which they were entitled.

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Publication Date: 
2009
Location: 
Hamilton, ON, Canada