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 would start to get the social assistance rate increases that were in the Budget.
In order for the Budget to pass, the government needed at least one of the two Opposition parties to support it. But both parties decided they would not support it.
On Friday afternoon, Premier Wynne went to the Lieutenant Governor and asked him to dissolve the legislature, which he has done.
This means that there will be a provincial election on June 12.
It also means that items that were included in the 2014 Budget – including increases to rates and other social assistance changes – will not go ahead as announced.
Whichever party wins the provincial election will form the new government. And that new government will have to introduce a new Budget.
We will have to wait to see what that new Budget will contain in order to know what will happen with social assistance rates and other important poverty-related issues.
ISAC is preparing materials to help people across the province determine where each of the parties and candidates stand on social assistance and poverty-related issues. We will circulate these materials as soon as they are ready.