– Massive Cuts to Legal Aid Funding Also Announced – The 2019/2020 Ontario Budget was announced today, and creates even more uncertainty for people who receive benefits from the Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) system. While the Budget is short on details about changes to social assistance, it confirms many of …
Tax Related Benefits
File Your Taxes: New federal tax credit this year
It’s almost tax time again! For low-income Ontarians, filing your income tax return is important as you may be able to benefit from tax credits that will either increase your income or reduce the amount of taxes you have to pay. Even if you don’t owe any money, you can get refundable credits that will …
Federal Budget 2018: Income Security Highlights
The federal Liberal government introduced its third budget last Tuesday, February 27. The Budget and all associated documents are available at this link: https://www.budget.gc.ca/2018/docs/nrc/2018-02-27-en.html Here are a few highlights on income security and related issues. This list is not exhaustive – some helpful resources are included at the end of this email that can provide …
WEBINAR: A Roadmap for Change: What it says, why it matters, and what you can do
An important new report called “Income Security: A Roadmap for Change” provides community members, advocates, and decision-makers an important opportunity to push for major new investments and transformation in Ontario’s income security system, including social assistance. ISAC and Your Legal Rights hosted a webinar on the Roadmap on Friday, December 8. This webinar introduces people …
Federal Fall Economic Statement: Good news but much more work to be done
The federal government released its Fall Economic Statement yesterday, which included new investments in the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB). Since 2016, advocates have been pushing the federal government to speed up their plans to index the CCB to inflation, which was originally scheduled for July 2020. The announcement …
Choice in Tax Credit Payments
The Minister of Finance has recently stated that low- to moderate-income people receiving provincial tax credits are going to be given a choice in how they receive these credits – either in monthly cheques or in a lump sum. A Star article from last Friday quotes the Minister as saying: “We’re looking at ways of allowing …
Tax Credit Payments and Refunds
The way that some tax credits are being paid to low income people in Ontario is changing. ISAC has prepared two information bulletins related to these changes that we hope will be helpful to you. . It says: how payments for three tax credits have been changing since 2009 how these payments are changing again …
Cuts Hurt Kids! Alert
Starting in 2008, the Back-to-school and Winter Clothing allowances provided through OW and ODSP will no longer be paid out in lump sum payments, as the provincial government starts to move benefits for children out of social assistance and into the monthly Ontario Child Benefit program. Families on OW and ODSP are expected to save …
