Minister MacLeod’s announcement to cut social assistance rates by 1.5 per cent will take approximately $150 million out of the hands of people who are among the most vulnerable in Ontario. “People on social assistance continue to live well below the poverty line and would have used the additional much-needed money to pay for basic …
Policy Advocacy
Future of OW/ODSP Changes Uncertain: Take Action!
– la version française suit dessous – A few weeks ago, we circulated information about changes that are slated to take effect in Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program starting this fall, and others that are already in place. Since then, over 7,100 of you have downloaded this information, showing us that these changes are …
Election 2018: Tools That You Can Use
ISAC’s election kit and associated resources are ready for you to use in your community. Election Day is June 7, and the official election campaign started on May 9. An election period provides a vital opportunity to advocate on issues that are important for low-income people across Ontario. It’s a time when the political parties …
Ontario Budget 2018: ISAC Analysis and Budget Details
Important First Steps to Transformation but No Meaningful Progress on Rates The 2018 Ontario Budget introduced today proposes to make a number of critically important changes to social assistance and other benefit systems, which would start to move the system away from the punitive, intrusive system that currently exists and toward the supportive approach that …
Arts Grants now exempt in ODSP and OW
– la version française suit dessous – On December 13, 2017, the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) announced that, effective that day, arts grants are exempt as income and assets in both ODSP and OW. This is a huge step forward for artists in Ontario who get income support from these programs and receive arts …
URGENT ACTION ALERT: Federal review of labour standards
The federal government is doing a review of the labour standards that affect workers in federally-regulated sectors, like banking, telecommunications and inter-provincial and international transportation. We’ve just learned that they’re conducting a consultation with Canadians about how federal labour standards should be updated. The consultation ends this Wednesday, January 31. The Government wants to know …
Ontario Budget 2018: Take Action on Income Security / Passons à l’action pour la sécurité du revenu
– la version française suit dessous – It’s pre-Budget time in Ontario. As we noted recently, now’s the time to tell the Government and the Opposition parties that they must take bold steps on income security in Ontario. These steps must include major investments in transforming social assistance, starting with raising the rates, and employment standards enforcement. …
Ontario Budget 2018: Time to Push for Roadmap and More
The deadline to provide feedback to the Ministry of Community and Social Services on the Roadmap for Change report passed on January 5. But that’s not the end of the opportunity to have your say. It’s pre-Budget time, and the Government and Opposition parties are looking for input from the public on what the priorities …
Government consultant’s report confirms Employment Insurance appeals process is broken
In the spring of 2017, the federal government acted on complaints from across the country by hiring a consultant to carry out a review of the Employment Insurance appeals process. That consultant’s report has now been made public. The report makes important findings about problems with the appeal process and recommendations for change. There are …
Our Response to “A Roadmap for Change”
The new report called “Income Security: A Roadmap for Change” was released in November, as we have mentioned in previous emails. The provincial government is looking for feedback on the Roadmap report by January 5, 2018. ISAC and the legal clinic system’s Steering Committee on Social Assistance have written a joint submission to the Minister …
