Social Assistance Review Promised for Ontario

Rules and Regulations of Income Support Targeted in Review

Jun 29, 2009 Angela Browne

As part of the provincial poverty-reduction strategy, the Ontario government is promising a review of both its Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support programs.

As part of its provincial poverty-reduction strategy, the Ontario government has promised to review both the Ontario Works (or "welfare" program) and the Ontario Disability Support Program. Both programs have been revised in 1998, although neither program has been subject to changes that would significantly assist those in receipt of either to pull themselves out of poverty and to live a dignified life.

What is Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program?

Ontario Works is set up as a short-term program geared to providing emergency financial assistance, or to provide financial support when a recipient has little or no other financial resources upon which to draw. This program is geared to those who are temporarily out of labour force and ineligible to receive any other income support, such as Employment Insurance. Recipients are expected in return for their monthly stipend to seek work and other financial resources to get themselves off assistance as soon as possible. Recipients are not permitted to have more than one month's worth of assistance by way of savings or other financial assets. Before one is eligible, they must strip oneself of all resources, including retirement savings, vehicles of greater than a certain value, as well as other valuables.

Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), on the other hand, is granted to persons who are deemed to have a long-term disability and have a limited amount of financial resources. Persons receiving ODSP are encouraged though not forced to seek paid employment, although they are expected to seek other sources of income to which they may be eligible (most of which is deducted dollar for dollar from their cheques). ODSP is set up to serve persons with a disability who are either ineligible for other programs for disability support, such as Canada Pension Plan Disability or Worker's Compensation, or who may be eligible for other supports but do not receive enough of the other income source to meet their assumed living expenses and budget.

Both Income Support Programs Deemed to be a Poverty Trap

Critics of both programs feel that they trap people in poverty, both by paying so little that the recipient does not receive enough funds to properly cover basic shelter, food, clothing and transportation costs; as well, many rules of each program actively prevent people from escaping poverty.

When the Liberal Government under Dalton McGuinty was first elected in Ontario, then Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello asked her Parliamentary Assistant Deb Matthews to review the Ontario Works program to make recommendations as to how the program can work better to meet the needs of its recipients. While some acknowledgment was made about the low rates, most of this report focused on the myriad rules and regulations of the program that create barriers to both getting off welfare and escaping poverty. Since this review, only a few rules have been changed to reduce the "red tape".

In 2008, the Ontario Government promised and released its poverty-reduction plan entitled Breaking the Cycle: Ontario's Poverty-Reduction Strategy and earlier this year, all parties of the provincial legislature passed Bill 152, the Poverty-Reduction Act. As part of this process, a review of both programs was announced; however, the scope and extent of the review, as well as who will be consulted and how, has not yet been announced. However, every organization and coalition that deals with poverty issues has been pressing Minister of Children, Youth and Families Deb Matthews (who continues to be the lead on the poverty-reduction plan) to conduct an extensive review, including a review of the rates and structure of benefits. However, many advocates and social agencies feel the review will be restricted only to how more incentives for entering the labour market can be created.

Social Assistance Review Website Launched

After a full day conference on the topic in Toronto, which was sponsored by a number of agencies and anti-poverty organizations, one of them – the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) - a legal clinic specializing in case law focused on income supports – launched a website that will provide access to reports, news of community events, updates on the review as well as an opportunity for visitors to the site to tell their own stories of how they feel income supports can be better set up and made more helpful. ISAC is hoping to use this website as part of its own input in both pushing for the review, defining its scope as well as to make recommendations for change.

The copyright of the article Social Assistance Review Promised for Ontario in Canadian Affairs is owned by Angela Browne. Permission to republish Social Assistance Review Promised for Ontario in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.