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For Bassam Sua’Ifan and Yousra Al Qablawi, money was already tight. Rent, utilities, car insurance and the cost of feeding and caring for seven children account for the family’s entire budget.

Now the Syrian refugee family must make some hard budget choices as their income been reduced by close to $500 a month, Bassam says, with the transition from federal support to B.C. welfare. Hundreds of Syrian families who arrived in B.C. between December 2015 and March 2016 are experiencing the same thing.

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Government-assisted refugees are supported by Ottawa for their first 12 months in Canada. Although federal refugee support rates are tied to provincial welfare, there are a couple of differences that translate into as much as $350 a month less for families with two or more members, says Chris Friesen, settlement services director for the Immigration Services Society of B.C.

One difference is a transportation allowance included in federal, but not provincial support. The transportation allowance is intended to help refugees get to English-language classes and employment services to help them find work, as well as medical appointments, Friesen said.