Archive for the ‘Social Security Delivery System’ Category
Hunger on the rise
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Mar 24 2011
Monthly visits to food banks have jumped 28 per cent since the economic downturn in 2008, according to a new report by the Ontario Association of Food Banks. It does none of us any good to have more than 400,000 children, adults and seniors relying on the precarious generosity of strangers for such a basic need. The report notes that “recessions tend to expose the weak links in society.” The last few years have certainly exposed, yet again, the inadequacy of our social safety net.
Tags: Health, housing, ideology, mental Health, participation, poverty, rights, standard of living
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Thousands miss out on government benefits
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Feb 16 2011
Many people don’t get government benefits they’re entitled to because the rules are too complex… The Old Age Security pension… The Guaranteed Income Supplement… The Canada Pension Plan… government should: (1) Ensure that programs are clear and simple. (2) Simplify the application processes. (3) Improve outreach to raise awareness of programs and their eligibility rules.
Tags: disabilities, pensions, poverty, rights, standard of living, women
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Talk is cheap [cost of living increases to CPP & OAS]
Friday, December 31st, 2010
December 30, 2010
The CPP increase effective Jan. 1 is 1.7% or in dollars $25.83 per month, whereas the OAS and GIS benefits based on the same CPI will only increase 0.05% or in dollars $2.61 per month and $3.29 more per month for the GIS — giving a grand total to all of those seniors who only collect these two benefits of $ 5.90 per month… the mounting costs of food, electricity and heat are pushing thousands of seniors below Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off… action should be taken instead of a lot of worthless chatting over the past three years.
Tags: budget, pensions, standard of living
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Pensions need reform, not more bickering
Monday, December 20th, 2010
Dec. 20, 2010
There are good reasons to support a supplement to the CPP… But if participation in a supplementary CPP is voluntary, new enrolment may be slow. And the brunt of the burden of the payroll tax increase needed to create a supplementary CPP would be paid by working Canadians with low and moderate incomes… but the federal idea of pooled plans will, by being run through employers who can easily connect with their staff, likely create more actual savers.
Tags: ideology, pensions, privatization, standard of living
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Welfare rules forcing people into destitution, report finds
Monday, December 13th, 2010
Dec. 13, 2010
It is tougher to get welfare in Canada today than during the economic downturn of the early 1990s, the National Council of Welfare says in its latest report. That’s because Ontario and most other provinces force people to drain their bank accounts and spend all of their savings before they qualify for help, says the report, released in Ottawa Monday. As a result, it is almost impossible for those living on welfare to get back on their feet, says the council, created by Ottawa in 1969 to advise the minister of human resources on poverty in Canada.
Tags: featured, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Delivery System | 3 Comments »
Pensioner’s Christmas windfall melts on arrival
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Dec 01 2010
Overpayments are the bane of disabled Ontarians’ existence. They turn people’s lives inside out, jeopardize their housing arrangements, compromise their health and sometimes drive them into debt. Any fluctuation in an ODSP recipient’s income — resulting from part-time work, longer hours, a move, a divorce settlement or a relationship with a non-disabled partner — can trigger an overpayment.
No doubt overpayments will come up in the social assistance review launched by the government this week… Why do disabled Ontarians have to go through this?
Tags: disabilities, ideology, pensions, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Delivery System | 1 Comment »
Why would anyone become a social worker?
Friday, October 8th, 2010
Oct 08 2010
… they’ll have to cut corners and make demoralizing choices. They’ll be hamstrung by rigid rules and burned-out bosses. They’ll be judged on their paperwork, not their compassion or dedication. And they’ll be blamed for the failure of the social system to reduce poverty, cut crime and push welfare recipients into the workforce. And they’ll be accused by their clients of being heartless, stingy and patronizing… But… even in mean-spirited times, social workers can make a difference.
Tags: participation, poverty, standard of living
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Tax break aimed at poor, disabled
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
TheStar.com – GTA – Tax break aimed at poor, disabled: Programs cancel, defer 4% hike if you qualify
April 02, 2009. Vanessa Lu, City Hall Bureau Chief
With residential property taxes set to rise 4 per cent in Toronto, city council has approved changes to two tax relief programs, allowing more people to qualify for a deferral or even cancellation of the tax increase.
Posted in Governance Delivery System, Social Security Delivery System | No Comments »
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