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 the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance and other Members of Provincial Parliament.
ISAC’s Research and Policy Analyst, Asif Khan, highlighted ISAC’s major recommendations, which focus on fixing social assistance and at least doubling social assistance rates.
A more detailed set of recommendations was sent to the Ministry to supplement the oral submissions. They can be downloaded in full by clicking here (PDF).
ISAC’s Ontario 2025 Budget Recommendations:
Fix Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program
- Immediately index Ontario Works rates to inflation and double Ontario Works rates
- Increase Ontario Works (OW) recipients’ earnings exemptions to $1,000 per month
- Double Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates taking into consideration the impact of inflation and the higher cost of living faced by people with disabilities
- Increase the earnings exemption for spouses of ODSP recipients to $1000 per month
- Stop clawbacks on current federal income supports and the upcoming Canada Disability Benefit
- Eliminate the $10,000 limit on voluntary gifts and payments for OW, and raise the limit on cash and other liquid assets to $50,000 for OW recipients and $100,000 for ODSP recipients
- Implement a more equitable flat-rate structure for social assistance income support
- Immediately implement the Fair Rent Ontario recommendations: i. Eliminate the November 15 2018 rent control exemption; ii. Remove vacancy decontrol and bring back rent control for new leases on vacant units; iii. Eliminate Above Guideline Rent Increases (AGIs)
Ensure a well-funded, client-centred social assistance system that creates no adverse effects on recipients
- Invest in robust and client-centred life stabilization supports, and implement transparent, evidence-based, non-punitive employment services
Address the multifaceted aspects of poverty through a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy
- Invest in developing and implementing a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy with explicit targets
Support Ontario Workers so they can live a dignified, just, and healthy life
- Immediately increase the minimum wage to $20 per hour to bring it closer to the living wage
- Amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to introduce 10 days of employer-provided paid emergency leave and an additional 14 days of paid emergency leave during public health emergencies