Election Day in Ontario is June 12. Issues that affect low-income Ontarians are important to talk about during provincial election campaigns. That’s because provincial government action can go a long way toward making life better…
What does it mean for social assistance? We wanted to follow-up to our email last week about the 2014 Budget and its implications for people receiving social assistance. That’s because we got some emails asking when people…
TORONTO (1 May 2014) – Ontario’s 2014 Budget takes important steps to reduce poverty in Ontario through investments in income benefits, housing and homelessness supports, and expanded health benefits for low-income children. However, the Budget provides…
After our coalition of more than 27 community-based organizations in Ontario wrote to the government urging more funding for housing and homelessness prevention programs this past November, we’re pleased to report that 2014 Budget includes…
Low-Income Energy Network Applauds Proactive Step The Ontario government has just announced that it is moving to set up an electricity affordability program for low-income Ontarians. This is great news for low-income consumers of electricity…
Important Commitment on Social Assistance Reform Announced Today There was important news today about the future of social assistance reform in Ontario. Ted McMeekin, the Minister of Community and Social Services, said today that OW and…
On November 19, 2013, the Federal Court of Appeal ordered the Office of the Umpire to re-hear each of 102 cases wherein migrant workers were denied Employment Insurance parental benefits.The applications had been denied on…
On October 16, the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) and Niagara North Community Legal Assistance will go before the Federal Court of Appeal to argue that 102 seasonal agricultural workers were wrongly denied EI parental benefits. These workers are…
La version française suit. The 2013 Ontario budget included a number of changes to social assistance, most of which kicked in as of September 1, 2013. ISAC has prepared several fact sheets on these changes…
Positive changes to social assistance are slated to go ahead, following this morning’s announcement by opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath that her party will provide the support required in the Legislature for the 2013 provincial budget to…
Moving Forward on Positive Social Assistance Reform Budget 2013 has begun to make positive changes to a social assistance system that has continued to impoverish and cause hardship for low-income Ontarians. The majority of these…
We’ve recently been hearing a number of misleading claims about the administration of the Special Diet Allowance program – such as the notion that doctors “just fill out the forms for people because benefit rates…