Provincial Auditor Tara Clemett looked at the Ministry of Social Services’ process of delivering the Saskatchewan Income Support Program (SIS).

Clemett found that the Ministry needs to improve in six key areas.

• Provide potential clients with better access to apply for SIS benefits
• Establish a reasonable timeframe for completing initial planning meetings with SIS clients requiring supports
• Regularly follow up with clients on their individualized case plan goals
• Provide referrals (e.g., to employment services, addictions counselling) consistently and follow up on referrals timely
• Periodically analyze overall causes of SIS client evictions and unpaid utilities
• Implement further performance measures to assess SIS’s effectiveness

“We found the Ministry needs to provide potential clients with better access to apply for benefits, such as making computers available at all of its offices, offering sufficient in-person assistance with the SIS application process, and consistently providing a call-back function,” Clemett said as part of her recommendations.

SIS has been offered since 2019. It provides financial assistance for people to meet their basic needs (food, local transportation) and shelter (rent, mortgage payments, utilities) while they work towards self-sufficiency.

Over 17,000 households will be on SIS in 2022–23, with an expected total of $261.5 million in SIS benefits to be paid out. In any given month, 60 per cent of SIS households are comprised of single persons.

Provide potential clients with better access to apply for SIS benefits –The report states that while the Ministry provides potential clients with options to apply for SIS online, over the phone, or in person, they found the application process is not easily accessible for potential clients. They found the Ministry received over 255,000 calls to its SIS phone line (including almost 50,000 calls specific to SIS applications) over six months, with over 60 per cent of those calls going unanswered.

Offer timely case planning supports –Clemett and her staff’s testing of SIS client files found the Ministryonly sometimes completese andupdatese clients’ individualized case plans timely or consistently provide clients and follow up on referrals to relevant supports (employment services, addictions counselling). That planning is necessary for clients to meet their goals concerning working toward self-sufficiency. In one case, they found one client on SIS for 20 months and had yet to meet with Ministry staff to set an individualized case plan.

Periodically analyze the overall causes of SIS client evictions and unpaid utilities – That analysis would help the Ministry understand common issues encountered by clients and potential changes needed to SIS. The Auditor’s analysis of data obtained from SaskPower and SaskEnergy found over 5,200 SIS client accounts outstanding for more than 30 days with unpaid amounts greater than $100, amounting to almost $4.2 million.

Implement further performance measures to assess SIS’s effectiveness – Further measures focusing on client outcomes (proportion of clients leaving SIS but returning within a specified period) can help the Ministry consider improvements to SIS and identify areas to focus its efforts and resources.

“Having effective processes to deliver SIS provides clients with adequate access to the program and the support needed,” the report read. “Lack of sufficient support can result in clients continuing to receive SIS benefits for long periods without progressing toward self-sufficiency and exiting the program.”

The report states that while the Ministry assesses SIS applications promptly (within five business days about 90 per cent of the time), the Ministry is yet to sufficiently identify, analyze and address several key barriers to SIS, including:

• Accessibility—no computer access, unanswered phone
• Lack of streamlined client support
• Missed client appointments with Ministry planning and support specialists

“People experiencing difficult circumstances in struggling to meet their basic needs require clear and accessible ways to apply for income assistance,” said Clemett. “Offering SIS clients with an appropriate balance of reliable and service-oriented supports provides them with the resources needed to improve their lives by reducing poverty and promoting their progression to self-sufficiency.”