Income Security Advocacy Centre
ISAC works to address issues of income security and poverty in Ontario
A government-appointed panel says the Ontario welfare system is not working, and is calling for it to be completely overhauled.
The Social Assistance Review Advisory Committee released its report Monday morning at Queen’s Park.
It says the emphasis of welfare should be shifted from providing financial assistance to helping people break out of poverty.
Ontario should adopt a bold vision for welfare reform that includes new income supports and services for all low-income residents, says a government-appointed panel in a report being released Monday.
TORONTO, June 14 /CNW/ – The province urgently requires a more effective system of income security programs that meet the needs of Ontarians in a rapidly shifting economy, says a new report by the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council (SARAC).
Toronto – Ontarians on social assistance have every right to be concerned about today’s provincial government decision to create a new “nutritional supplementation” program to replace the current Special Diet Program. “The government has given…
The Social Assistance Review Advisory Council (SARAC) has issued a report to the Minister of Community and Social Services about changes to Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rules that could make…
Windsor Our partner, Legal Assistance of Windsor, decided to focus the project initially in two low-income neighbourhoods. Following our workshop in June 2008, they continued meeting with social housing residents in the two neighbourhoods and…
Whether he meant to or not, the auditor general’s December 7th analysis of OW/ODSP let a dysfunctional social assistance system off the hook, instead laying blame with the people who have nowhere else to turn to for basic support.
The ensuing debate risks losing sight of the simple fact that when it comes to social assistance, it’s not the people who are the problem.
Laurie Monsebraaten The Toronto Star Ontario has appointed the head of Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank to head a panel of anti-poverty advocates to advise the government on a long-awaited review of its welfare system,…
Bronwen Sims calls it Ontario’s “work disincentive program.” The 35-year-old woman, who suffers from bipolar disorder and fibromyalgia, has been living in poverty on Ontario’s disability support program for the past 10 years while doctors help her battle alcoholism, depression and severe panic attacks related to her mental illness.
Times of crisis are also times for tough decisions, as Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said in his economic statement last week. The province has already made the tough but smart decision to stick with its economic stimulus plan. Standing firm on the commitment to early learning is another tough but smart choice.
The next bold move the government must make is to stick to its guns on a comprehensive review of Ontario’s broken social assistance system.
People with addictions to drugs and / or alcohol may now be eligible for benefits from the Ontario Disability Support Program. Background: Until now, people who have disabling conditions caused only by drug and /…
On June 23, 2009, the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) held a forum on the government’s upcoming review of the provincial social assistance system. This review is part of Ontario’s new Poverty Reduction Strategy and was restated in the 2009 budget.