United Way notes sharp increase in calls for emergency financial help in Canada

Author Abigail Turner

More Canadians are turning to community organizations for help, as growing financial pressures increase across the country, according to new data from United Way Centraide Canada.

The non-profit reported a sharp increase in emergency financial assistance calls to its 211 Helpline, a national service that connects callers to local supports.

Between January and August of this year, 18 per cent of calls were for temporary financial help.

That is a 50 per cent increase from 2024 and a 62 per cent jump from 2023.

42 per cent of Canadians could only afford essential expenses for a month or less if they lost their main income source, according to a survey conducted by Leger for United Way Centraide Canada. 

More than half (55 per cent) of people reported feeling anxious about their personal finances.

Tell us this made you smarter | Contact us | Report error

  • Abigail Turner is an award-nominated journalist who began her career in broadcast journalism. She worked primarily as a video journalist in Winnipeg before moving to Vancouver. Turner has taken on various roles in her career, including anchor and producer, while working in major outlets, including Global News and CTV News. She recently became the Special Projects Reporter at Future of Good.

    View all posts