The role of pandemic income supplementation on the prevalence of food insecurity in Canada and the impact on the social gradient of food insecurity.

Food insecurity remains a large issue across Canada, particularly among the working poor. Those most at risk for food insecurity are those receiving forms of income supplements. Income supplementation involves the transfer of cash to workers who do not make enough to surpass the poverty threshold, despite in some cases working full time. Although the pandemic led to the temporary loss of many jobs in low-wage sectors, food insecurity rates decreased. Income supplementation during COVID-19 in the form of CERB and other related programs may provide insights as to why food insecurity rates declined when they may have otherwise been expected to rise. This research will investigate the impact that income supplementation had on the prevalence and severity of food insecurity in the first year of the pandemic using linked data from the Canadian Income Survey and pandemic income supplementation programs recipient data. This project would show how income supplementation on a mass scale impacts food insecurity levels, helping direct future policies directed towards the elimination of food insecurity in Canada and could provide support for the implementation of a universal basic income system to reduce the impacts of poverty.