Livable Basic Benefit

A benefit to lift all Manitobans out of poverty

Manitoba’s current EIA system is not working, and it’s a costly problem.


Manitoba’s Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) program, which 62,500 Manitobans rely on, is woefully inadequate. Single individuals receive only $274 per month (approx. $9/day) for basic needs. That’s barely enough to buy a single fast-food meal, let alone provide for all the necessities of a well-balanced life. 

To make matters worse, recipients’ benefits are clawed back if they earn more than $200 per month, discouraging many from entering the workforce at all. Rather than helping Manitobans rise out of poverty, the current EIA system keeps people trapped in it. 

Poverty costs Manitoba a whopping $2.5 billion every year due to increased costs to the health care and justice systems and lost tax revenue.* Poverty is making Manitobans sicker and driving criminalization. 

Manitobans deserve better than this. We cannot allow this broken system to continue. 

The solution? Transform EIA into a Livable Basic Benefit.


This benefit, when combined with Rent Assist and federal financial benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, would raise the incomes of all households in Manitoba to at least Canada’s official poverty line.

The Livable Basic Benefit would be…


It would provide an income sufficient for a person’s basic needs, as defined by the Market Basket Measure poverty line. EIA is currently at 40 percent of the poverty line. Manitoba must bring all incomes to 75 percent of the poverty line and work with the federal government to get to 100 percent.


This is critical to ensure that recipients do not lose purchasing power over time. EIA is not indexed to inflation, and as a result its rates have not kept up with inflation. Since 2018 the real purchasing power of households on EIA has declined by $1,040 per year, or about 10%.


Like Rent Assist, this would be a portable benefit, meaning that recipients would continue to be eligible for it as they transition out of EIA. In addition, it would be available to those who are not on EIA at all. This is critical to addressing poverty among the working population.


This benefit would decline in value by 30 percent as other income sources rise. By tapering off benefits more gradually than EIA, it would empower those transitioning into the workforce, resulting in more autonomy and dignity for recipients. 


The LBB would be free of behavioural conditions related to work, education, and job seeking. In other words, recipients will not be required to jump through hoops to prove that they deserve the benefit. 

One-page Campaign Overview

Get a one-page printable PDF overview of the campaign to share at your workplace, school, community group, or place of worship.

Demands for Action report

The Livable Basic Benefit is one of ten demands for action that form a holistic approach to ending poverty in Manitoba.

Help us build support for the Livable Basic Benefit

Here are some actions you can take:

1. Write a message of support.

Use the form below to write a message of support. We’ll compile all the messages we receive and compile them to make a powerful demonstration that Manitobans want a Livable Basic Benefit.


2. Share our social media posts.

3. Send a letter of support on official letterhead

When we can show that businesses and organizations are behind us, it strengthens our campaign. Send your letter to Premier Wab Kinew and Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine. Then send us a copy so we can feature it on our website and social media.

4. Host a learning event.

We’ll make a presentation at your workplace, community group, school, or place of worship, facilitate a conversation and address questions.

To learn more about hosting a learning event, fill out the form below.


5. Volunteer with the Provincial Working Group

We’re always looking for help running the campaign, whether it’s brainstorming, writing press releases and op-eds, or planning events.

To get on the volunteer list, fill out the form below.


6. Make a donation

Donations help us with the costs of hosting events and spreading the word about the campaign. Make a credit card donation or write us a cheque.

Sign up for email updates about the campaign:

Together we can end poverty in Manitoba.