Top Stories
OPSEU is taking the province to court over the new social assistance computer system:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/12/17/union_takes_government_to_court_over_welfare_computer_system_problems.html
- Press release: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1464873/opseu-seeks-injunction-to-halt-flawed-social-assistance-computer-system
Hamilton Council says the plug should be pulled on the new computer system until a fix is found:
http://www.900chml.com/2014/12/18/hamiltons-social-assistance-nightmare/
- Hamilton Councillor says a human tragedy is unfolding: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/hamilton-residents-evicted-due-to-faulty-software-whitehead-1.2877155
Northumberland County says they’ve had problems but are working hard to cope:
http://www.insidebelleville.com/news-story/5207328-northumberland-county-coping-with-problematic-changes-in-providing-social-assistance/
- More from Northumberland: http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2014/12/14/county-council-learns-about-sams
Province pays out $5 million to municipalities to help them cope with the new system:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/12/19/welfare_computer_woes_cost_ontario_millions_in_overtime.html
Premier Wynne should use the tools she has to fight hunger instead of promoting food banks: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5211140-wynne-has-tools-to-take-a-bite-out-of-hunger/
- Rethinking charitable giving – do some advocacy along with your charity: http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/12/17/iglika-ivanova-tis-the-season-to-rethink-charitable-giving/
- Deirdre Pike of Hamilton Social Planning, on the dissonance of supporting food banks while seeking the conditions that would see them closed: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5204673-sounds-of-the-season-i-d-like-to-mute/
- Charitable giving yes, but fixing systemic problems is better:http://www.thestarphoenix.com/life/Cooper+need+homeless+shelters/10469390/story.html
New report from the Broadbent Institute shows what Canadians think about income inequality:
http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/sites/default/files/The_Wealth_Gap.pdf
Ontario
Province launches consultations on provincial pension plan:
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-launches-public-consultations-on-provincial-retirement-pension-plan-1.2151913
- This article notes that the consultation hasn’t resolved the issue of impact on low income earners; the province wants to hear more from interested groups about options to help those with persistently low incomes:http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/retirement/2014/12/17/whos_in_and_whos_out_of_ontarios_pension_plan_mayers.html
- Sheila Block and Hugh McKenzie of the CCPA respond with design ideas to ensure the new plan works for everyone:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/12/18/how_ontario_can_create_an_effective_public_pension_plan.html
- Government’s announcement and links to consultation materials: http://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2014/12/province-taking-next-step-in-developing-ontario-retirement-pension-plan.html?utm_source=ondemand&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p
OFL calls for a provincial Migrant Workers’ Bill of Rights on December 18, International Migrants Day:
http://ofl.ca/index.php/migrantsday-2014/
Bringing migrant workers and Canadian workers together in solidarity:
http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/talking-radical-radio/2014/12/building-solidarity-between-migrant-and-canadian-worker
Giving people tickets for panhandling under Ontario’s Safe Streets Act saddles them with a debt barrier:
http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1240299/panhandling-tickets-saddle-torontos-homeless-with-debt-york-professor/
- Editorial: The Safe Streets Act should be dumped:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/12/18/ontarios_safe_streets_act_should_be_dumped_editorial.html
Around the Province
Academics and community team up in London to take action on poverty reduction:
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/12/12/unique-partnership-seeks-hard-data-to-produce-evidence-based-action
Niagara Region poverty discussion: The province must give people on social assistance more to live on:
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2014/12/17/live-faces-of-poverty-discussion
Parry Sound Health Unit’s “Price of Eating Well” report shows the cost of healthy food is soaring:
http://www.parrysound.com/news-story/5210707-cost-of-healthy-food-soars/
Understanding poverty is exhausting. Imagine living it:
http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2014/12/15/understanding-poverty-is-tiring-imagine-living-it
In York Region, plans for a spring Stroll and Roll for Freedom – on poverty among people with disabilities:
http://poverty-awareness.blogspot.ca/2014/12/seniors-inspire-ontario-poverty.html
Across the Country
In Newfoundland, a call for a New Year’s Resolution to resolve poverty:
http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Columnists/2014-12-18/article-3980416/JOAN-BUTLER%3A-Resolve-to-fight-poverty/1
Hunger in Nunavut: Seven of 10 Inuit families live in food insecurity:
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/does-hunger-look-nunavut-one-mans-struggle-feed-223517878.html
- Only bold action will resolve the human rights crisis of food insecurity in the north: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/food-insecurity-in-the-north-has-become-a-human-rights-crisis/article22066925/
Latest Stats Can poverty statistics show BC still has one of the highest child poverty rates in Canada:
http://www.straight.com/news/792411/trish-garner-stats-show-bc-still-has-one-highest-poverty-rates-canada
Cape Breton sets up a task force to investigate child poverty:
http://www.capebretonpost.com/section/2014-12-16/article-3978895/Cape-Breton-task-force-to-look-into-child-poverty/1
Charity won’t solve Manitoba’s poverty; radical solutions are required:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/generosity-doesnt-solve-poverty-286057501.html
Petition calls for removing homeless shelters from Vancouver’s upscale Yaletown neighbourhood:
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2014/12/petition-calls-removal-homeless-shelters-yaletown/
National
The Social Security Tribunal isn’t the cause of disabled Canadians’ poverty – the problem lies in CPP-D:
http://lethbridgeherald.com/commentary/letters-to-the-editor/2014/12/16/system-is-failing-disabled-canadians/
Chronicle Herald Editorial: The Employment Insurance backlog is leaving Canadians in the lurch:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorials/1257492-editorial-ei-backlog-leaves-canadians-in-lurch
Canadians for Tax Fairness: The CRA is going after the little guy but the real tax cheats are getting a free ride:
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/12/18/Go-After-Tax-Cheats/
International
UK cuts to local welfare benefits will force people to turn to food banks and loan sharks:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/18/cuts-local-welfare-schemes-christmas-present-loan-sharks
And the UK’s cap on welfare benefits haven’t actually saved the government much money:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/ampp3d/iain-duncan-smiths-welfare-saving-4818961
The face of seniors’ poverty in the US is racialized:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/12/18/390769/women-of-color-in-us-suffer-more-poverty/
The world’s lessening of extreme poverty, in one handy chart:
http://www.vox.com/2014/12/14/7384515/extreme-poverty-decline