Archive for the ‘Social Security’ Category
« Older Entries | Newer Entries »
Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy: Still missing a federal partner
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015
A comprehensive federal poverty reduction plan was developed in 2010 by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities but no concrete action has been taken to implement that plan. Instead we’ve seen the government double down on skills development and labour market connections, with very little recognition that the nature of work is changing or that our social safety net has eroded.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | 1 Comment »
Stop clawing back child support payments from social assistance recipients
Monday, September 14th, 2015
Clawing back child support payments when families are already living in such dire circumstances is unacceptable. Ontario needs to change its rules… The average child support payment for two children living on social assistance is only $300 per month. Contrast that cost to the financial benefits of lifting children out of poverty… allowing parents to hold onto at least a portion of child support payments… should be done immediately.
Tags: budget, featured, ideology, poverty, standard of living, tax
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | 1 Comment »
Policies should focus on basic needs
Thursday, September 3rd, 2015
A recent report from the food-security research project PROOF, based at the University of Toronto, noted that “in 2012, four million individuals in Canada, including 1.15 million children, experienced some level of food insecurity. This represents nearly 13 per cent of Canadian households.” Moreover, they noted that the rates in half the provinces… “were the highest rates observed yet in these provinces and territories.” … Is this the Canada we want to live in…
Tags: budget, homelessness, housing, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Will John Tory be Toronto’s anti-poverty mayor?
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015
City staff have done a commendable job of leading community consultations and drafting Toronto’s first ever poverty-reduction strategy. The plan passed with overwhelming support at council. .. The interim report itself has more than 70 recommendations under five categories. It calls for substantial action on affordable housing, and significant improvements in transit. It presses the city to be a leader in creating stable, quality jobs with living wages. It addresses issues on access to child care, recreation, and develops new ways to tackle food security.
Tags: budget, featured
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Social policy is integral to economy but was ignored in federal leaders’ debate
Wednesday, August 26th, 2015
Shock absorber, fiscal stimulus and economic stabilizer: These are all crucial roles of social policy and of income-security programs, specifically. They blow wind into the sails of the economy and help ensure a smoother economic ride. While their vital roles are central to the country’s economic health, they are relegated to the sidelines in most debates. An economic-policy discussion without its intrinsic social-policy component is definitely incomplete.
Tags: budget, child care, disabilities, economy, featured, Health, homelessness, mental Health, pensions, poverty, standard of living, women, youth
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Sarnia’s mayor wants more talk about poverty from political party leaders
Sunday, August 23rd, 2015
“Normally, in the past, at least one or two of the main parties were always very vocal about equality and inclusion, trying to bring together that gap between those that have and those that don’t”… Rather, the major political party leaders are focusing their brands on the middle class… “I understand the middle-class focus,” Bradley said; “but to the exclusion of those who don’t have the advantages of the middle class?”
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | 1 Comment »
Ottawa has a duty to support the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan
Wednesday, August 12th, 2015
Creating a future where Ontarians have a more stable and secure stream of income in retirement is the right thing to do. The potential advantages of having fewer retirees drawing on social assistance and more retirees continuing to meaningfully participate in the economy are considerable… An effective system is already in place for the Canada Pension Plan administration (CPP).
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, pensions, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Ontario is right to push ahead with pension reform
Wednesday, August 12th, 2015
Both opposition parties agree that Canada is heading for a retirement crisis. The CPP is highly respected and very good at what it does – but it doesn’t do enough. It covers annual earnings up to only $53,600, with a maximum yearly payout of just $12,780. That’s far from enough to secure a comfortable retirement for most people… The obvious, common-sense solution is to expand the plan significantly, building on its low-cost structure and rock-solid reputation.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
The time for a Guaranteed Annual Income might finally have come
Tuesday, August 4th, 2015
So why are such a broad group of people – finance ministers, mayors and medical officers of health – pushing such a program? Poverty, substantial evidence now tells us, is one of the best predictors of poor health. And poor health costs everyone… whether it’s our calculations or those done by other organizations, a GAI is definitely doable. And it is clear that the potential benefits are substantial.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living, tax
Posted in Social Security Debates | 1 Comment »
Harper Is Right: This Election Is about Security Versus Risk
Monday, July 27th, 2015
Governments have gradually jettisoned their responsibility for economic security, slowly but surely handing this critical feature of every Canadian’s life over to the “market” for determination. Economic policy has been surgically excised from government responsibility to citizens and is now in the singular category of “facilitating investment”… we have been convinced that we (even those of us with full time, low-paying jobs headed for the food banks to make ends meet) are somehow to blame.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, poverty, privatization, tax
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Recent Comments