Archive for the ‘Social Security Policy Context’ Category
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Time to purge child poverty
Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Dec. 2, 2011
Canadians have to keep their politicians’ feet to the fire on this shameful reality. Campaign 2000, a coalition of anti-poverty groups, issued its latest report card last week on the progress made to eradicate child poverty in the country. And it isn’t encouraging… the number of children living in poverty in Canada has dropped by only 20 per cent in the last 20 years, in spite of the fact the economy itself has more than doubled in that time, in spite of the pledge made by the House of Commons in 1989 to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000, and in spite of a further pledge in 2009 to eradicate all poverty. Clearly talk is cheap.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, poverty, standard of living, youth
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | 1 Comment »
How Ottawa’s pension reform short-changes the young
Saturday, November 19th, 2011
Nov 18 2011
… an expansion of the CPP is the best way to deal with the 60 per cent of workers – particularly younger workers in non-union shops – who have no other pension plan. It doesn’t rely on the good intentions of employers… And by taking the strain from programs like Old Age Security, it saves taxpayers money… But many employers don’t like the idea because it would require premiums to rise. Financial institutions fear an expanded public pension plan would eat into their profits. And politicians are nervous about anything that might resemble a tax increase.
Tags: economy, pensions, standard of living, youth
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario woman entitled to sympathy, not benefits, court rules
Friday, September 9th, 2011
Sep 9, 2011
An Ontario court has scolded the province’s Social Benefits Tribunal for giving disability benefits to a mother of four who did not even try to work, and had only minor or easily treated ailments… Under the law, a person is disabled if and only if they have a continuous or recurring physical or mental impairment, verified by an expert and expected to last a year or more, that results in a “substantial restriction” in their ability to function in the community and workplace.
Tags: disabilities, Health, mental Health, pensions
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | 4 Comments »
Disabling effect of Ontario Disability Benefits
Thursday, September 1st, 2011
Aug 31 2011
It has been 20 years since anyone took a look at social assistance rates in this province, to which end a provincial commission has been on tour… The rates themselves are disabling… we don’t get enough money, period, end of sentence… [another] issue? “The quagmire of rules. You can’t keep track of them all… You don’t even know all the benefits you’re entitled to.”
Tags: disabilities, pensions, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | 2 Comments »
Welfare reform’s forgotten goals
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
August 18, 2011
… judging the effectiveness of welfare solely by how many people leave it is a bit like judging the success of a hospital by how many people leave it — without differentiating between whether they depart cured, ill or dead. A full analysis of welfare reform demonstrates a decidedly mixed bag. Some have been greatly aided, but others irreparably harmed… The law that Clinton signed gave governors, mayors and subsequent federal policymakers the tools to further change welfare dramatically, for better or worse. Most changes were for the worse, tightening work requirements and imposing penalties for noncompliance …
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, poverty, standard of living, tax
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
National Commission on Community Health and Social Services #1
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
July 26, 2011
The Canada Council on Social Development is exploring a new initiative, a National Commission on Community Health and Social Services, and we are reaching out to request your advice on this special project. We encourage you to visit our website to review our proposal and submit your suggestions, ideas, and consider participating with us. On the site, you will find: the purpose and reasoning for a Commission; how the Commission will be organised; what can be achieved; and how you can become involved.
Tags: child care, disabilities, Health, homelessness, mental Health, multiculturalism, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Poverty status quo costs twice as much as ending it: CCPA
Friday, July 29th, 2011
July 14, 2011
…a report released today by the CCPA. The Cost of Poverty in BC argues that… B.C. is spending between $8.1 and $9.2 billion per year to maintain the status quo of poverty. That’s more than double the $3 to $4 billion needed to implement a comprehensive poverty reduction plan. Purely on economic grounds, it makes more sense to tackle poverty directly than to continue to pay out year after year for its long-term consequences. The real question is not “Can we afford to reduce poverty?” but “Can we afford not to?”
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
It’s time to close Canada’s food banks
Monday, July 25th, 2011
Jul. 25, 2011
Food banks have become a serious obstacle in the fight against poverty. By promising to “end hunger” by feeding hungry Canadians, they provide a comforting illusion that no one is hungry – or if they are, it’s their own fault. They shelter us from the harsh reality that millions lack the basic necessities of life… It’s time to hold our governments accountable to their obligation to ensure that all Canadians have a standard of living adequate for health and well-being… Tackling poverty means wrestling with diverse ideas about causes and solutions. It’s time to begin that political conversation.
Tags: ideology, poverty, rights, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | 1 Comment »
Stipend for volunteers benefits society
Monday, July 11th, 2011
July 10, 2011
Investment in community volunteerism on behalf of people living with disabilities is sound policy that will lead to dividends down the road. When people living in poverty have the ability to interact in a meaningful way with other members of our community, it leads to a fostering of positive connections, increased confidence and resulting employment opportunities. A $100 earned supplement makes all the difference in the world to families living on embarrassingly low-income assistance rates…
Tags: budget, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Poverty cure
Thursday, June 30th, 2011
June 29, 2011
… there is no bigger idea than to advocate for a basic annual income based on a negative income tax… As Senators Hugh Segal and Art Eggleton have suggested, a basic annual income means ensuring that people, regardless of the reasons for their need, receive an income that would keep them above the poverty line. Good social policy should work to alleviate poverty, and thus prevent the associated ills which themselves arrive with other costs we all share -for health care, for policing, for diminished educational outcomes.
Tags: ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
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