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A budget for ‘the middle class’

Ottawa, Ontario—It’s a middle-class budget. But what exactly does “middle-class” mean?

Government budgets always involve “cheques and balances,” but election-year budgets are equally about messaging and vote-getting.

An exciting and very welcome inclusion in this budget is the extension of the Compassionate Care Benefit, effective January 2016.

Presently, if someone receives a terminal diagnosis of six months, family members can receive up to six weeks of combined income support in order to provide care for their dying relative over that period. Building on the recommendations of an all-party 2011 Parliamentary report and the advocacy of various groups (including Cardus), this budget increases the benefit from six weeks to six months, at an estimated annual cost to the EI system of $37 million.

To access an analysis of this year’s budget by Ray Pennings, click here.