Statistics and definitions

I previously wrote about how giving people more money by increasing benefit levels for kids, had been portrayed as more children dependent upon benefits, therefore more children in poverty....even though the extra income made them much better off.

Parents on the lowest incomes had gained as much as 15-30% on their total income while others on already higher incomes also made gains, by becoming entitled to additional benefits. Because there were now more parents receiving benefits the skewed logic was that poverty had increased.

I followed up with another report about kids being "taken out of poverty" because their parents were not as far short of whatever % of median income defined being poor. They hadn't actually made any gains, it was just that through loss of jobs and/or reduced hours, median income had gone down.

So some people - above poverty levels - had seen incomes reduce but those on lowest incomes, whose incomes had not changed but were now not as far short of higher incomes were now apparently "better off" even though they didn't have more money and costs had not decreased. I swear this is not made up.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I was reminded of this nonsense when I saw a report that whereas the UK and most of Europe had seen increases in child poverty, Canada was being praised for having reduced child poverty.

I really couldn't see how Canada could have improved this. Welfare rates routinely remain unchanged for years. The amount of money one is allowed in the bank before it negatively impacts entitlement - sorry, they don't like that word in Canada, it should be eligibility - is unchanged for over 10 years. In my province, the property tax rebate for those on low incomes is the same as it was more than 20 years ago. It must have been a tidy sum back then.

Anyway, last night on CBC I heard a preview (can one have previews on the radio?) of an upcoming broadcast where they'd be discussing the increase in kids in poverty in Canada.

So which is it, more kids living in poverty or fewer?

I'm reminded of a statistic along the lines of a third of car accidents involve those who were driving drunk. So two-thirds of them are caused by sober drivers!