Interview Questions

1. Tell me briefly about yourself.

Probes:
• What led you to apply for social assistance?
• How long have you been on assistance?

2. Tell me about your general sense of well-being.

Probes:
• What do you like to do or would like to do for fun?
• Are you able to eat what you need for your health?
• How have your relationships (friends, family, girlfriends/boyfriends/partners) been affected by being on social assistance?

3. Do you feel supported by your welfare workers?

Probes:
• How do you feel when you visit your worker?
• Have you accessed other benefits that are part of social assistance (such as Community Start-Up, medical benefits, etc)?
• Do you understand the wording in the documents they give you?
• What would you like your relationship with your worker to be?

4. I’d like to hear about your experience with education, training and employment.

Probes:
• Ideally, what kind of job would you like to do?
• Do training and education programs provided help you find the kind of work you want?
• Ideally what supports would you need to help you find the job you want?
• Does it feel rewarding to you to work?

5. What is your experience with housing?

Probes:
• What is your housing like?
• How much do you pay in rent?
• How do you manage to pay your rent?

6. Are you able to get around your community?

Probes:
• Are there any barriers (physical, cost)?

7. What changes would you like to see in social assistance?

Probe:
• What would an ideal social assistance system look like to you?

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