At a Dollarama in Quebec, Martine Decoste struggles to make ends meet on a $200 monthly budget after paying rent and bills. Decoste, who is deaf and unable to work due to chronic health issues, is facing financial distress exacerbated by Project UNIR, a $31.5 million digital overhaul of Quebec’s social assistance system launched in 2025. Intended to simplify services, the initiative has resulted in systemic errors, communication breakdowns, and a loss of personal connection, leaving recipients like Decoste feeling trapped and disrespected. Many have reported challenges in accessing support, with nearly 244,000 calls to social aid services going unanswered between February and September 2025, leading to a reliance on a private firm for phone management. The shift to a more fragmented digital system has created bureaucratic delays, affecting vulnerable citizens who depend heavily on assistance.
Why It Matters
The implementation of Project UNIR reflects a broader trend in social services toward digitalization, which, while intended to improve efficiency, has often resulted in unintended negative consequences for recipients. Historical data shows that systemic changes in social assistance can disrupt established support networks, leading to increased hardship for vulnerable populations. As Quebec grapples with these challenges, the outcomes of such initiatives may influence future policies regarding welfare systems and their digital transformations, highlighting the importance of maintaining human oversight in bureaucratic processes.
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