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Income Security Advocacy Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

ISAC works to address issues of income security and poverty in Ontario

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Media & Policy News: 6 November 2015

November 6, 2015

Top Stories

Budget increases to OW and ODSP rates come into effect:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2015/11/increasing-support-for-people-receiving-social-assistance-1.html

  • Increases won’t be enough to lift Oxford residents out of poverty: http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2015/11/03/provincial-increase-to-social-assistance-payments-including-ontario-works-and-ontario-disability-support-program-wont-be-enough-to-lift-oxford-residents-out-of-poverty
  • ISAC’s new rate sheet: http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=0702c1fe1f&e=[UNIQID] 

BC Welfare Food Challenge runs November 3 to November 9:
http://welfarefoodchallenge.org/

  • The challenge should challenge us to ask, who benefits from poverty?: http://www.straight.com/news/570081/welfare-food-challenge-should-challenge-us-ask-who-benefits-poverty
  • Singer Bif Naked and local politicians take the challenge to survive on welfare income for one week: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/it-s-not-enough-bif-naked-mp-begin-3-a-day-welfare-challenge-1.2641098
  • BC family of six takes on welfare food challenge: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/welfare-food-challenge-bc-family-six-1.3303068
  • BCGEU President takes on the challenge: http://bcgeu.ca/president-stephanie-smith-undertake-welfare-food-challenge-live-3-day 

BC government significantly increases asset, gift, inheritance and trust payment limits for people with disabilities on social assistance:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015SDSI0069-001847

Mi’kmaq chiefs urge Nova Scotia MPs to join the fight on federal cuts to social assistance for First Nations:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1320556-mi%E2%80%99kmaq-chiefs-urge-mps-to-join-welfare-fight

  • Harper legacy haunts First Nations welfare recipients: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1320670-harper-policy-haunts-native-welfare-recipients
  • Supreme Court decision has Eskasoni chief “disappointed and upset”: http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2015-10-23/article-4320245/Court-decision-has-Eskasoni-chief-worried-about-those-on-social-assistance/1 

Sheltered workshops for people with developmental disabilities: blessing, or slave labour?
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/11/02/sheltered-workshops-a-blessing-for-developmentally-challenged-or-slave-labour.html

NLS Blog: Child poverty and Canada’s immigration policies:
http://www.nlstoronto.org/blog/child-poverty-canadas-immigration-policies

United Way launches “Make the Month” online poverty simulator:
http://makethemonth.ca/

  • Coverage from Vancouver: http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2015/11/03/poverty-hits-home-with-united-way-online-simulator.html
  • Coverage from Winnipeg: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/united-way-launches-online-poverty-simulator-asks-winnipeggers-to-make-the-month-1.3302099 

Toronto City Council unanimously supports 20-year anti-poverty plan, but the budget will tell:
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/11/04/toronto-council-launches-20-year-war-on-poverty-with-funding-feuds-on-the-horizon.html

  • Funding will be key to the poverty reduction plan: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/11/04/funding-key-to-poverty-reduction-plan 

Improving access to dental care in Canada:
http://www.cbc.ca/keepingcanadaalive/cards/show/alex-bus-improving-access-to-dental-care

Reports, Events, and Other Good Stuff

November 23: Professional development training in Windsor for those who support migrant workers:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9de587703062110954e080261&id=4ce0ae7369&e=473784de67

November 2-8 was Living Wage Week!
http://events.tamarackcommunity.org/celebrate-living-wage-week-2015

November 2-3 was Prosper Canada’s ABLE Financial Empowerment Conference:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/experts-from-all-sectors-convene-to-combat-poverty-and-financial-vulnerability-539282801.html

Ontario

Ontario Electricity Support Program accepting applications from low-income energy consumers:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-program-helps-low-income-ontarians-with-electricity-bills-539445691.html

New Ontario Human Rights commissioner vows aggressive approach:
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/11/01/new-ontario-human-rights-commissioner-renu-mandhane-vows-aggressive-approach.html

Hennessy: Ontario’s newest trend is Living Wage Emploeyrs:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/behind-numbers/2015/11/ontarios-newest-trend-living-wage-employers

Ontario passes law against strategic lawsuits:
https://news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2015/10/ontario-passes-law-to-protect-freedom-of-expression.html

Local Poverty Reduction Fund announcements:

  • City of Brant research project to help reduce poverty aims to help OW families with post-secondary education costs: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2015/11/01/city-hall-program-to-offer-help-with-post-secondary-education-costs

 

Around the Province

London poised to take the lead on ending homelessness in Ontario:
http://www.thelondoner.ca/2015/11/05/london-poised-to-take-the-lead-on-provinces-plan-to-end-homelessness

St Catherines bus drivers form new coalition to help low-income riders:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/16/bus-drivers-want-to-help-low-income-riders

Nearly 1 in 4 children in St. Catherines lives in poverty: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2015/11/04/st-catharines-child-poverty-nearly-one-in-four

“Don’t drink the water” warnings on the Neskantaga First Nation and others:
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2015/10/28/tim-miller-third-world-standards-right-here-at-home

Kingston woman waiting for EI benefits as daughter battles leukemia:
http://www.thewhig.com/2015/11/02/frustration-level-is-through-the-roof

Northumberland legal clinic setting up injured workers group:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2015/10/29/group-will-support-injured-workers

Hidden homelessness is growing in York Region:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/10/31/hidden-homelessness-growing-in-york-region.html

Optimism abounds in Hamilton, but the city is becoming increasingly polarized between rich and poor:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6064505-poverty-project-hope-is-taking-root/

In Hamilton, the new economy is precarious and insecure:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6046405-the-poverty-project-the-new-economy-precarious-and-insecure/

Across the Country

Nunavut minister says social assistance review coming soon:
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_minister_says_social_assistance_review_coming_soon/

Ending poverty in Saskatchewan requires action in several key areas:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2304328/feature-ending-poverty/

Saskatoon’s living wage set at $16.77 / hour:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/saskatoon/anti-poverty-group-sets-saskatoon-living-wage-at-16-77-an-hour-1.3292832

Edmonton employment centre jammed with job seekers:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-employment-centre-jammed-with-job-seekers-1.3299088

Panhandlers in Winnipeg say social assistance is not enough to survive:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/reaching-for-change-social-assistance-not-enough-to-survive-say-local-panhandlers-1.3270857

High levels of child poverty in Nova Scotia are unacceptable:
http://www.capebretonpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/2015-11-04/article-4331450/High-levels-of-child-poverty-are-unacceptable/1

Living the housing and social assistance crisis in Nova Scotia:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1320521-the-people-who-live-the-housing-crisis

Montreal protesters call for increased social assistance, housing, health and education spending:
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/protesters-call-for-increased-social-education-spending-1.2638699

Big waitlist for affordable housing in Vernon, BC:
http://infotel.ca/newsitem/big-waitlist-for-affordable-housing-in-vernon/it24499

Vancouver’s already acute housing crisis deepening:
http://thevolcano.org/2015/10/13/vancouver-homelessness-forecast-for-2016/

Panhandling and poverty in Nelson, BC:
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/panhandling-numbers-poverty-39613#.VjzifiuTTk0

National

The case for taking “temporary” out of temporary foreign workers:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2302890/the-case-for-taking-temporary-out-of-temporary-foreign-worker/?hootPostID=d1e4158a576ab180ae83f193bd5d5261

Wellesley Huffington Blog: Enhancing EI will benefits all Canadians:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/wellesley-institute/enhancing-employment-insurance_b_8452200.html

Trudeau’s promises spark First Nations summit in Alberta:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/tsuutina-summit-liberal-promises-1.3299109?cmp=abfb

BC Finance Minister says economy “too fragile” to participate in expanded CPP:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/10/31/Economy-Fragile-Pension-Reform/

Canada Without Poverty “Spotlight on Poverty”: Derek Cook:
http://www.cwp-csp.ca/2015/11/spotlight-on-poverty-derek-cook/

International

Eleven major international companies to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace:
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_418001/lang–en/index.htm

Australia think tank says creative responses needed to tackle intergenerational poverty:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/children-follow-parents-along-path-to-welfare-deborah-cobb-clark/story-fn59niix-1227593837605?sv=cc5163c311e0a15c1543912205b4effd

Australian reality TV show blasted as “poverty porn”:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/susie-obrien/struggle-street-is-just-publicly-funded-poverty-porn/news-story/72a2405d4bb4aee7805151b7ea106c5a

Do US anti-poverty programs work better than we think?
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/11/do-anti-poverty-programs-work-better-we-think

Cutting US poverty rates with more Earned Income Tax Credit signups:
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-02/how-to-cut-poverty-rates-right-now

Some pockets of US poverty are so deep they’re hidden from sight:
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/6520/there-are-some-pockets-of-poverty-in-the-united-states-that-are-so-deep-they-are-hidden-from-sight.html

Ohio wants federal welfare-to-work rules eased:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/11/02/easing-of-work-rule-requested.html

Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs wants cities experimenting with basic income to come up with common plan:
http://www.basicincome.org/news/2015/11/netherlands-four-municipalities-make-uniform-plan-free-money/

Wired Magazine: Connecting the poor is the best hope for ending poverty:
http://www.wired.com/2015/11/connecting-worlds-poorest-the-best-hope-for-ending-poverty/

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1500 – 55 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7
Tel: (416) 597-5820 • Toll Free: 1-866-245-4072 • Fax: (416) 597-5821

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This site contains general legal information for people in Ontario, Canada. It is not intended to be used as legal advice for a specific legal problem. ISAC is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization. ISAC is funded by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). The funding for this website is also provided by LAO. The views expressed in any of ISAC’s publications (including written, oral, or visual) are the views of the clinic and do not necessarily reflect those of LAO.