An ex-employee was sleeping in his car

Photo Matthieu Payen
The Montreal-Patrick Legault lives now in his car, a Toyota Tercel 1997. The ex-civil servant who became homeless ensures that it is ” the best buy “.

Matthew Payen

Sunday, 20 August 2017 20:33

UPDATE
Sunday, 20 August 2017 20:33

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A former official of the federal sleeps in his car after having been the victim of the bungling of the payroll system Phoenix, which prevents it from touching his unemployment allowance, he laments.

Patrick Legault has a 20-year career in it behind him. He had to leave several jobs because of his depression, but it is the result of his last experience that he found himself without a roof.

Last April, while he was working for a year to Service Canada, to Montreal, his contract was not extended. A situation he understands, as he has often been sick.

The problem is that he has never received his notice of termination of employment necessary to touch his unemployment benefit, he says.

Ironic

“What’s weird, is that the federal I was in charge of the payroll of the people unemployed,” he said.

Mr. Legault had lived since January at the Booth Centre of the Salvation Army. He was then still employed by the federal, but the visitor centre had been recommended to him after a therapy for his alcohol problems at the Hôpital Saint-Luc.

“The Salvation Army, this is perfect for that. If you feel the alcohol, or if you have drugs on you, you enter not, ” says the 42-year-old.

The first few months, Mr. Legault was paying 720 $ per month for her room. He could pay his rent without problem, as well as the meals in addition, since net salary of federal was $ 2500 per month.

The end of the Contract

But when his contract ended, he found himself without income and he had to find arrangements with the Salvation Army to keep its roof.

“I’ve taken in my savings and I was doing 30 hours of volunteer work each month at the Booth Centre to lower the bill,” he said.

During this time, he has taken many steps to recover the valuable advice, which gave him the right to unemployment.

“I have made several requests to my former director at Service Canada, but it’s impossible to unlock the system. With Phoenix, my folder was jammed, ” says Mr. Legault.

However, the payroll system has not always been negative, as he himself acknowledges. During his illness this winter, he received his full salary and no insurance.

“I can say that I have been lucky, some have not been paid for several months,” he says.

Mr. Legault has finally had to resolve to touch on social assistance, a cheque 628 $ per month, which did not permit him to keep his place at the Booth Centre.

At the beginning of July, he received a notice asking him to vacate the premises within two days.

“I couldn’t believe it, this is terrible, I thought the Salvation Army would help me during this difficult period,” he says, bitter.

When asked about this case, the body is said to be surprised by this, as there is currently a moratorium on evictions of housing. An investigation has been opened to verify.

House of fortune

Anyway, Mr. Legault was in the street. The only consolation, he was able to buy a Toyota Tercel 1997, with his last savings. “The best buy “, according to him.

This new house of fortune allows it to move and therefore hope to revive himself by walking through the town to pick up the waste site.

For him, the question of work in computer science : “It is too much stress and the current systems are almost impossible to defeat when they no longer work. “He knows something.

►Interviewed, the department is responsible for Phoenix, public Services and Supply of Canada, said he wouldnít comment on the case due to ” privacy “.