An important new report called “Income Security: A Roadmap for Change” provides community members, advocates, and decision-makers an important opportunity to push for major new investments and transformation in Ontario’s income security system, including social assistance.
ISAC and Your Legal Rights hosted a webinar on the Roadmap on Friday, December 8.
This webinar introduces people to the report and its recommendations to the provincial government, which include:
- Making a commitment that income security programs should aim to lift people out of poverty
- Creating supports for low-wage workers to help them deal with the high cost of housing and extended health care coverage, like dental services and pharmacare
- Transforming social assistance programs, by moving them from punishment and coercion to client-centred and supportive
- Recognizing the unique needs of people with disabilities through the provision of services that are based on their rights under international conventions
- Recognizing the inherent jurisdiction of First Nations over the social programs that they need
- Making immediate investments in improving benefits for those who are in deepest poverty.
The webinar is required viewing for all those who are interested in poverty reduction and elimination, overhauling social assistance, and ensuring low-wage workers receive better supports, within a framework of adequacy, human rights, reconciliation, access to services, economic and social inclusion, and equity and fairness.
Government is seeking feedback on the Roadmap report by January 5, 2018.
The webinar has been recorded and is available for viewing here:
http://yourlegalrights.on.ca/webinar/income-security-roadmap-change-what-it-says-why-it-matters-and-what-you-can-do
Resources:
- The Roadmap report is available at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/income-security-reform. If you would prefer to download the Roadmap as a PDF, please click here.
- ISAC’s Backgrounder and Feedback Kit are available at:
http://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/a-roadmap-for-change-tools-you-can-use-to-have-your-voice-heard/
ISAC thanks Your Legal Rights, a project of CLEO, for support in presenting this webinar.