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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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Social Assistance

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ISAC – ACTO Joint Submission on the forthcoming Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy

Ontario’s current Poverty Reduction Strategy, Building a Strong Foundation for Success: Reducing Poverty in Ontario (2020–2025), is nearing its end without having delivered meaningful or lasting reductions in poverty. Despite its stated ambition, the strategy…

November 28, 2025
Disability Justice, Employment Standards, Housing, Policy Advocacy, Poverty Reduction, Social Assistance, Workers' Rights
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New Resource for Community Legal Clinics: Guidance on Fees for Medical Reports

Accessing appropriate and timely medical care can be challenging enough when living with a disability. For those applying for disability-related income support programs, their ability to receive income support becomes inextricably tied to their ability…

November 18, 2025
Disability Justice, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Public Education, Social Assistance
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In the Media: “Ontario rule for service dog benefit deemed against human rights in 2023. This woman’s still not getting it”, CBC News

ISAC Staff Lawyer Adrian Merdzan was recently quoted in an article about the Ontario government’s forthcoming guide dog benefit, which is required to be changed as it was found to be discriminatory. The article focuses…

October 31, 2025
In the Media, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Social Assistance
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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…

October 23, 2025
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 October 23, We’re Putting Queen’s Park ON NOTICE!

Food is a Right! Freeze the Rent! Raise the Rates! Raise Wages! On Thursday, October 23, starting at 11 a.m., a coalition of organizations focused on disability justice, food security, workers’ rights, renters’ rights, income…

October 22, 2025
Campaigns, Community Organizing, Disability Justice, Minimum Wage, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Social Assistance, 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…

October 17, 2025
Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Community Organizing, Disability Justice, Poverty Reduction, Social Assistance
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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

Survey on Social Assistance: What’s Next

In late October, ISAC launched a survey aimed at gathering data and stories from individuals who are receiving or who have recently received provincial social assistance (OW and ODSP specifically.) We received over 250 responses…

December 16, 2024
Policy Advocacy, Social Assistance
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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
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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

Access to Justice for Social Assistance Recipients: New Article Published in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Law and Practice

Nabila Qureshi and Anu Bakshi, ISAC Staff Lawyers, and Anna Rosenbluth from the Clinic Resource Office have published an article in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Law and Practice entitled “Yatar v. TD Insurance Meloche…

November 8, 2024
Access to Justice, Social Assistance, Supreme Court of Canada

Our Response to the Fall Economic Statement: Ontarians Need Sustained Income Support, Not an Election Rebate

Yesterday, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced a one-time “Taxpayer Rebate” worth $200 to all taxpayers in the province as a Fall Economic Statement 2024 surprise.  Ontario families who qualify for the Canada Child Benefit for…

October 31, 2024
Provincial Budgets, Provincial Elections, Social Assistance
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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.