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LETTER: Renting Surrey mom could make better use of federal funding

A reader argues Surrey mom featured in the Now last week makes a decent income, when factoring in federal child benefits and other supports.
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Kristina Foley and her three children – from left

The Editor,

Re: “Nowhere to rent,” the Now, July 28.

In your story about a single mother with three children, aged 15, two and eight months, and one due in December, she says she is living on a disability income of $1,300 a month and cannot afford her rent, which is going from $950 to $1,100 a month.

I do not wish to appear harsh or uncaring but I have a couple of questions. One, where are the fathers of these children and their support?  Second, did she ever stop to ask herself how am I going to support these children before having them?

SEE MORE: Nowhere to rent, a Surrey perspective

She claims she is receiving only $1,300 a month ($15,600 a year). But wait, with the federal child tax credit of $6,400 per child under the age of six and $5,400 per child over seven, her total income as of December will be approximately $40,200, or $3,350 per month. Take away the $1,100 for rent and this leaves her with $2,250 remaining for food and clothing.

Given that being on social assistance, all her benefits are covered and with no associated cost of going to work. Well, it’s not a bad income – more than some people are making by working.

Maybe I am missing something here but then maybe she is not telling the whole story.

J. Edwards, Cloverdale