Inequalities of Access to Free CVITP Services Across Canada
There are great disparities in vulnerable Canadians’ access to CVITP services across Canada. This shows up clearly in the different rates of participation in CVITP services between the provinces.
In this article, we look at the 2020 provincial poverty data Statistics Canada estimated using its Market Basket Measure or MBM. (At that time, Statistics Canada had yet to establish a separate MBM for the territories.) We compare this data with the CRA’s data on the number of CVITP clients served in each province during the 2021 tax filing season. From this, we calculate the percentage of those living in poverty who were served by the CVITP. (We use the generous assumption that all individuals served by the CVITP in 2021 were living in poverty in 2020.) This gives us what we call CVITP participation rates by province.
These rates vary substantially between the provinces. See here how Saskatchewan ranks in comparison to the other provinces in providing CVITP services to those living in poverty.
Calling for contributors from Saskatchewan
Do you work as a CVITP volunteer or does your organization host a CVITP clinic in Saskatchewan? What is happening with the provincial portion of the income tax and benefit return or with the CVITP that you think others in Saskatchewan should know about?
We’re looking for contributors who want to share useful Saskatchewan-related information and ideas with our readers. (Not sure if your contribution is relevant? Check out the three purposes of this page here.) If you’re interested in contributing, please use the Contact page to let us know more about what it is you want to share.