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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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Ontario Works (OW)

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In the Media: “Time for a real poverty reduction strategy in Ontario”, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

ISAC staff members Claudia Calabro and Asif Khan recently co-authored a piece published on the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives‘ website entitled Time for a real poverty reduction strategy in Ontario. In it, Claudia and…

August 1, 2025
Employment Standards, In the Media, Minimum Wage, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Workers' Rights
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OW and ODSP rates and OCB as of July 2025

As of July 2025, Ontario Works (OW) rates remain frozen for the seventh year, with no adjustment for inflation. As household costs continue to rise, this marks yet another year where the real value of…

July 8, 2025
Ontario Child Benefit (OCB), Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Social Assistance Rates
Blue arc which is part of ISAC's logo

Budgeting Our Way Into More Inequality: Ontario Spends Billions on Rebates While Social Safety Nets Crumble

The Ontario government’s record high $232.5-billion 2025 Budget bills itself as “A Plan to Protect Ontario” from the threat and impacts of U.S. tariffs on the province’s economy. Ontarians struggling with low incomes and living…

May 28, 2025
Disability Justice, Housing, Indigenous Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Poverty Reduction, Provincial Budgets, Public Education, Social Assistance Rates, Workers' Rights
Blue arc which is part of ISAC's logo

Statement on the Provincial Decision to Allow Canada Disability Benefit Recipients to Keep Their Full Social Assistance Income

TORONTO – The Ontario government has announced it will exempt the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) as income, which will allow people receiving social assistance to keep both provincial social assistance income and CDB income. This…

May 27, 2025
Campaigns, Community Organizing, Disability Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Press Release
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New Resource: Guide to Health Benefits in Ontario

Note: This Guide was updated towards the end of March 2025 to include new information about Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility. This new information was added to p. 22 of the Guide, and ‘Table 2.…

March 19, 2025
Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), Federal Benefits - General, Government Benefits - General, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Public Education, Social Assistance
Simple graphic icon which includes an outline of a piece of paper with the top left corner folded in, and two star shapes on the right side of the piece of paper. These elements are in dark blue, and they are placed inside a light blue circle.

Ontario Budget 2025: ISAC’s Recommendations

On Friday, January 24, 2025, ISAC was invited to provide a deputation on our priorities for the 2025 Ontario Budget at a Ministry of Finance budget consultation in North York. Members of the panel included…

January 27, 2025
Disability Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Poverty Reduction, Provincial Budgets, Social Assistance Rates, Workers' Rights
Simple graphic icon which includes an outline of a piece of paper with the top left corner folded in, and two star shapes on the right side of the piece of paper. These elements are in dark blue, and they are placed inside a light blue circle.

Five things to know about Ontario’s new Centralized Intake Expansion for social assistance applicants

The Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services (MCCSS) first launched Centralized Intake for Ontario Works in 2020 under the Social Assistance Renewal (SAR) plan, which is part of the government’s multi-year social assistance “modernization”…

November 21, 2024
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Public Education, Social Assistance
Blue arc which is part of ISAC's logo

ISAC’s Analysis of Ontario’s 2024 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review

The Ontario Government’s 2024 Fall Economic Statement (FES) has revealed that the province is in an improved fiscal position compared to earlier projections in the 2024 Budget. This is mainly due to an overall deficit…

November 15, 2024
Employment Standards, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Poverty Reduction, Provincial Budgets, Social Assistance, Workers' Rights

If you’re on OW or ODSP, we want to hear from you! Fill out our new Survey on Social Assistance today

ISAC is launching a survey on social assistance today, aimed at gathering data and stories from individuals who are receiving or who have recently received provincial social assistance (OW and ODSP specifically.) We intend to…

October 21, 2024
Campaigns, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Social Assistance, Social Assistance Rates, Social Assistance Reform

Opinion: The Premier could snap his fingers and fix social assistance, so what’s stopping him?

This op-ed piece was written by Robin Nobleman and Claudia Calabro Last week, Doug Ford told people living in homeless encampments to “get off your a-s-s and start working like everyone else”. Premier Ford was…

October 2, 2024
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Social Assistance Rates

Robinson Huron Treaty Settlement: The History of the Treaty, the Legal Case and Settlement, and the Impact on Social Assistance Recipients

The Robinson Huron Treaty Settlement is a settlement agreement between different levels of government and several First Nations, which has come out of a unique and important court case on treaty obligations. The settlement agreement…

September 19, 2024
Indigenous Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Public Education, Supreme Court of Canada, Truth and Reconciliation
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Another Year with NO Relief: Ontario Works Recipients Left to Live on $733 per month (Press Release)

TORONTO, ON – Social assistance rates for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) recipients will increase today, but Ontarians struggling to get by on Ontario Works (OW) will see no increase to their social assistance incomes…

July 31, 2024
Campaigns, Disability Justice, Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Press Release, Social Assistance Rates
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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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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.