Most provinces are seeing an increase in the number of households seeking out social assistance and financial support, according to new numbers released by Maytree. 

Manitoba was the only province to report a decrease in cases and beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut saw that while the number of cases had increased, the number of direct beneficiaries went down. 

The think tank collects data annually on social assistance programs in each province and territory, including the type of program, eligibility, and the number of households receiving each type of assistance.

However, it can be challenging to aggregate and compare the data across provinces, as the eligibility criteria for social assistance in each province can vary widely, the researchers said. 

Across Canada, there were 2 million visits to food banks in 2024, a 90 per cent increase in comparison to March 2019. Food Banks Canada, which conducted this research, found that families were struggling to simultaneously keep up with food inflation and housing unaffordability. 

A national snapshot of shelter usage shows that, after a steep drop during the pandemic, the number of people accessing shelters has been continuing to creep back up.

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