Premier Gordon Campbell said Friday every decision to cut spending is thoughtful and made for the long-term, but critics call the cuts irresponsible attacks on the most vulnerable.
Jane Dyson, of the B.C. Coalition of People with Disabilities, said the cuts will mean people's health will suffer and it will cost the government much more in the long run.
She couldn't believe that the government had thought through the cuts, including its plan to axe contraceptives.
"I think it's irresponsible, people on very low incomes are already struggling to pay for the things they need and birth control is one of them."
But the premier said his ministers considered the cuts.
"I am comfortable that ministers have consistently thought about how we can meet the needs of all of the people of British Columbia, regardless of their income."
Among the cuts to be phased in or trimmed are a $20 monthly bottle water supplement for people who are immune compromised, funeral costs for some sponsored immigrants, dental coverage and the $75 shelter allowance for the homeless.
The government pays for shelter and support separately, and because the homeless don't have a home, they were only given the minimum of $75.
The government now calls that allowance an "out-dated policy."
But Dyson said even though they're homeless, they still have shelter costs.
"They're not doing well," Dyson said of the homeless that come through her office. "They're hungry and their struggling."
She calls the cuts to birth control irresponsible, saying people earning low income are already struggling to pay for food and shelter.
New Democrat critic Shane Simpson said cutting over $26 million from people who are the most vulnerable is outrageous.
"When you have a difficult economic time (and) you have greater pressures on people, the last thing you do is aim at the people who can least afford it."
Simpson said the cost of birth control is modest and the government should make it available to those who need it.
"Of course in the bigger picture of things, (there are) costs down the road of what happens with kids, births and children who may not have been wanted."
He said those later costs are untold.
Campbell said his government is taking a number of steps to improve the quality of service for people with low incomes and disabilities.
"There are a number of initiatives that are undertaken in the budget to make sure that we continue to put low-income people on the top of the list."
The Ministry of Housing and Social Development has an operating budget over $2.7 billion, and increased last year's budget by $50 million.
