This Ph.D. dissertation comprises three essays—each one looking to answer one of the following questions
- How did Ontario’s social assistance system develop into its current form?
- What do social assistance recipients do with increased monthly benefits?
- To what extent might increased benefit levels lead to higher caseloads?
Each essay has a different methodological approach and geographical focus: the first looks exclusively at Ontario; the second looks at Ontario’s welfare system while interviewing a sample of Toronto-based recipients; and the third looks at six provinces, including Ontario.