Income Security Advocacy Centre

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

Poverty Reduction

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Budget 2026 Reaction: The Limits of Protection in Ontario’s 2026 Budget

Ontario’s 2026 Budget arrives with a familiar promise of protection, but for whom? The province faces compounding pressures, including a deficit that has nearly doubled to $13.8 billion, ongoing U.S. tariff threats, and the ripple…

Disability Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Poverty Reduction, Provincial Budgets, Public Education, Social Assistance, Social Assistance Rates, Social Assistance Reform, Workers' Rights
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NEW: Resource on Health Benefits for People Leaving Social Assistance Now Available!

There are many reasons why someone may stop receiving social assistance. For example, a senior may turn 65 and begin receiving seniors benefits that are greater than their Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) income. A…

Disability Justice, Government Benefits - General, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Public Education, Social Assistance, Special Diet Allowance
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Turning 65 and Leaving Social Assistance: New Resources to Help Navigate Changes to Income and Health Benefits

Turning 65 is often seen as a milestone, but for low-income seniors in Ontario, it can bring financial and health-related uncertainty. Many seniors turning 65 no longer financially qualify for Ontario Works (OW) or the…

Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), Disability Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Public Education, Social Assistance, Special Diet Allowance
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NEW REPORT: In Their Own Words: The State of Social Assistance in Ontario

Nearly one million Ontarians rely on social assistance programs like Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for survival. These are programs of last resort, a lifeline for those with nowhere else…

Disability Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Policy Advocacy, Poverty Reduction, Public Education, Social Assistance Rates, Social Assistance Reform
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Press Release: Community Groups are Putting Queen’s Park ON NOTICE – Food is a Right! Freeze the Rents! Raise the Rates! Raise Wages!

TORONTO, ON – On Thursday, October 23, at 11 a.m., a coalition of organizations focused on disability justice, food security, workers’ rights, renters’ rights, income security, poverty reduction, and improved social services will arrive at…

Community Organizing, Disability Justice, Housing, Minimum Wage, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Press Release, Social Assistance, Social Assistance Rates, Workers' Rights

On the 33rd International Day to Eradicate Poverty, let’s stop wasting time and make permanent changes to improve the lives of Ontarians.

The International Day to Eradicate Poverty occurs every year on October 17. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1992, reflecting on the aspirations of the declaration today brings mixed feelings. Poverty in Canada dipped…

Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Community Organizing, Disability Justice, Poverty Reduction, Social Assistance
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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…

Employment Standards, In the Media, Minimum Wage, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Poverty Reduction, Workers' Rights
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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…

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