After many months of engaging in policy advocacy at the federal and provincial levels, and community organizing work with community legal clinics and in coalition with other national and provincial groups, on May 23, 2025, ISAC kicked off a No CDB Clawbacks in Ontario letter-writing campaign.
This campaign was aimed at getting the Premier, Ministers, and local MPPs to listen to people across Ontario about making sure that provincial social assistance recipients would not face any clawbacks to their provincial income support if they were also eligible to receive the CDB.
Our campaign started with a bold statement:
“The Ontario government must commit to letting people who receive the new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) keep all of their other provincial benefits, like ODSP or OW, as well. The CDB was designed to support disabled Ontarians who live on very low incomes, in part because provincial social assistance is so low. It is not meant to save the province money. We call on Premier Doug Ford, Minister Bethlenfalvy, and Minister Parsa to do the right thing and make sure disabled people living on low incomes in Ontario can keep all of their provincial social assistance and all of their CDB.”
The Campaign took off immediately and in the first 48 hours alone, hundreds of people sent the letter below to Premier Ford, Minister Bethlenfalvy, Minister Parsa, and their local MPP.
On May 27, 2025, the Ontario government announced that they would NOT be clawing back social assistance from those who will also receive the CDB once it rolls out. This is very welcome news! We posted a short statement about it at this link.
Because of this news, we have wrapped up the letter-writing campaign. The huge response in such a short time was amazing and showed just what we can do when we fight for disability justice together.
Full text of the letter that hundreds of Ontarians sent the provincial government advocating against CDB clawbacks:
Support disabled Ontarians, don’t take money away from them!
I have heard Premier Ford say that he will always “take care” of people with disabilities.
People with disabilities living in Ontario have no reason to believe these words. Social assistance rates in Ontario are very low and do not correspond to the cost of living, especially if you have extra costs related to disability. These extra costs can include medical devices, therapies, treatments, food-related needs, and other disability-related supports not covered by ODSP or OHIP.
The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), the new income benefit the federal government is rolling out in July, offers an opportunity for Ontarians with disabilities who live on low incomes to add some much-needed money to their bank accounts.
Currently, people with disabilities in Ontario who receive social assistance live in deep poverty. Individuals on ODSP receive only $1,368 per month to cover all of their bills, including rent. Annual incomes for individuals on ODSP are nearly $12,000 below the Official Poverty Line – the CDB is supposed to help bridge that gap.
I am worried that the provincial government will not let people with disabilities keep the CDB on top of their regular social assistance amount. I am worried because time is running out; CDB payments start in July 2025. I have not heard you or any other government representatives talk about whether the provincial government will allow people who receive social assistance to keep all of their social assistance if they also get the CDB.
Ontario taxpayers and the Ontario government will pay nothing to let people on social assistance receive their full social assistance amount and the CDB, since the CDB is coming from the federal government. Announcing no CDB clawbacks is an easy, compassionate, and cost-free policy, and it would be in line with how your government treats the Canada Child Benefit for people who receive ODSP and OW.
Any amount of “clawback” to provincial social assistance because of the CDB is going to harm people with disabilities in Ontario, many of whom have been surviving on too little for too long.
Balancing the provincial budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in Ontario is just plain wrong.
While only $200 a month (max), receiving the CDB could still make the difference between being able to pay rent consistently or falling behind on rent and getting evicted. It could make the difference between affording more (and more nutritious) food, leading to a reduction in avoidable health-related problems due to poor nutrition, less reliance on foodbanks, and better health in general. It could help individuals reliably pay their internet and phone bills, allowing for more consistent connection with family, friends, work, and volunteer opportunities, and reduce isolation and improve mental health.
The financial and moral cost of leaving people with disabilities in poverty is too high to bear.
I am calling on you to make good on Premier Ford’s promise to support people in Ontario with disabilities, and make sure that those who receive social assistance can keep all of their social assistance and the CDB as well.
I await your response and thanks in advance for getting back to me as soon as possible.