Legal aid clinics, anti-poverty advocates and municipalities are declaring victory in the wake of the Ford government’s decision to roll back a provincial welfare cut to some of the province’s most vulnerable children.
The province is also reversing harmful changes to people on welfare with part-time jobs.
As the Star reported Thursday, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services informed municipalities late Wednesday that the province had scrapped its plan to eliminate the $67 million Transition Child Benefit on Nov. 1.
At city council, Toronto Mayor John Tory called the reversal “very good news.”
It was “the right thing to do … for the families who rely on it, especially in regard to the stability of their housing,” he said.
Tory and other mayors appealed directly to minister Todd Smith to save the welfare program that every month helps feed and clothe 32,000 Ontario children whose parents are not eligible for federal and provincial child tax benefits
These families include parents with newborns, refugee claimants, those experiencing a sudden drop in income due to job loss and mothers fleeing violent homes.
Municipalities, along with refugee services, community agencies and health care providers warned that without the monthly benefit of up to $230 per child, these low-income families would be forced into homelessness.
A provincial legal aid clinic that advocates for people on social assistance launched a Charter challenge of the move in September, arguing the cut was discriminatory, arbitrary and deprived these children of their right to life and security.
“We’re very relieved that the province has taken another look at this and decided not to go ahead,” said lawyer Jackie Esmonde of the Income Security Advocacy Centre.
“It’s unfortunate that it was announced in the first place, as we’ve seen first-hand, after speaking to many families, how much stress it caused,” Esmonde said.
“The prospect of losing such a high percentage of income that they need to pay for food for their kids caused enormous fear for many families living in poverty,” she added.
But Esmonde and others said they are still concerned about the province’s plan to redefine disability for people on welfare with disabilities, an issue raised by a coalition of more than 80 health and social services groups in a letter to Smith Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for Smith would not confirm Thursday if that change is also being reversed.
The welfare cuts are being walked back to make way for a broader review of social assistance “so that everyone can contribute to the success of our province,” said Christie Wood.
“We are listening and exploring the best ways to bring the most positive outcomes for Ontarians in need,” she said in statement.
NDP social services critic Lisa Gretzky slammed the government for its “cut first-think later” attitude toward Ontario’s most vulnerable children and adults.
“People are still very cautious and very critical of what this government is planning for the future,” she said.
The NDP will watch to make sure the government doesn’t “plow ahead with these cuts as soon as the federal election is over,” she added.
Liberal MPP Michael Coteau (Don Valley East) congratulated anti-poverty advocates, health care providers and municipalities for “shaming the Ford government” into back-tracking on the cuts.
“Todd Smith and Doug Ford have been forced to change course on a cruel, hurtful cut that targeted Ontarians who are most in need,” he said in a statement Thursday. “Front-line workers in health and social services stood up for the people they care for, municipal leaders took a stand, and vulnerable children, adults and families are getting a reprieve.”
But Coteau predicted the relief may be short-lived, adding the government’s “open-ended social services review remains a cause for serious concern and ongoing vigilance.”
Amid this week’s news of Ford government back-pedalling on cuts to welfare and children’s aid, the families of nine children with autism whose court-ordered financial support from the province was wiped out this year, say they are “devastated” their kids continue to be ignored.
“We really don’t want to be litigants,” said parent Brenda Deskin. “We’re just parents trying to take care of our severely compromised kids. We planned our lives based on the promises the government made to us.”
The families, who had received court-ordered autism support for 15 years until they were cut off in August, have served the government notice of intent to sue for breach of contract, acts of negligence and bad faith, and violation of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedom.
Recent Comments