To the editor,
Re: Nanaimo’s child poverty rate rises to almost 25 per cent, Nov. 21.
Your story didn’t pass a fact check. The story stated that low income earners saw a 14.7 percent increase since 2011. In fact minimum wage alone was raised over 20 per cent in that time frame. Add the Federal Child Tax Credit increased from $170 a month under PM Harper, taxable, to over $500 a month tax-free for a child under six and $450 tax-free for children over six years old. That massive increase put thousands of dollars into low income families’ pockets. We are to believe that child poverty went up at the same time?
My math, approximately, has a single minimum wage earner making $4,300 a year more in miminimum wage increases since 2011, and with two children, an increase of a $9,000, tax-free, yearly. Federal child credits if they have two children, one under six years old and one over six years old. That’s an increase of over $13,000 since 2011.
How is your increase in child poverty credible?
Mike Oliver, Nanaimo