On Thursday May 18, 2023, the Senate passed Bill C-22 with the amendments adopted by the SOCI Committee. This is welcome news! The amendments that were added to the Bill will make it so that:…
ARCH Disability Law Centre, the Income Security Advocacy Centre, and many other community legal clinics and advocates across Ontario have closely followed the progress of Bill C-22 – Canada Disability Benefit Act as it has…
On April 4, Nabila Qureshi, Staff Lawyer at ISAC, and Amy Brubacher, Staff Lawyer at Don Valley Community Legal Services, gave a workshop designed for community workers to help clients who are facing CERB and…
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve life for people with disabilities who live in poverty. In 30 minutes or less, you can change the future right now. Your 3-Step Checklist: Taking action to strengthen…
In a typical year, provincial budget season lasts from January to early Spring, and includes pre-budget and budget submission periods, meetings, and hearings. On February 13, 2023, ISAC’s Senior Policy Analyst, Devorah Kobluk, spoke at…
Informed by ongoing consultation with our community partners on issues relevant to our mandate, ISAC has made the following eight recommendations for the Spring 2023 budget: Invest in Income Security Programs Recommendation #1: Raise social…
Recently, the federal Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP) met to discuss the Auditor General’s December 2022 performance audit report, Report 10 – Specific COVID-19 Benefits, on the treatment of pandemic benefits. ISAC’s analysis found…
When a person living with disabilities receives Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) income support, they have a responsibility to pursue other government benefits that they may be eligible for. ODSP may withhold income support to…
The Income Security Advocacy Centre and the Grey Bruce Community Legal Clinic recently represented an ODSP recipient who required two caregivers to assist her with her day-to-day activities and literacy-based support. ODSP believed that one of these…
In a typical year, provincial budget season lasts from January to early Spring, and includes pre-budget and budget submission periods, meetings, and hearings. ISAC’s Senior Policy Analyst, Devorah Kobluk, was invited to present to MPP…
Important changes to the laws governing the Social Security Tribunal (SST) have been made as of December 5, 2022. The SST deals with appeals and issues relating to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Canada Pension…
Social assistance recipients have a statutory right to appeal certain decisions about their benefits to the Social Benefits Tribunal. However, there are some decisions that they cannot appeal. For example, decisions about access to “discretionary…