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The City must work with people living in encampments – not evict them
Tuesday, June 29th, 2021
Leaving people out of the decisions that affect their lives so profoundly is part of the wrong-headed decision-making process that led us to encampments in the first place. All paths forward on encampments must involve the meaningful participation of the people who are living in them.
Tags: crime prevention, homelessness, housing, ideology, mental Health, participation, poverty, rights
Posted in Inclusion Debates | No Comments »
Social Assistance Summaries 2020
Tuesday, June 29th, 2021
The Social Assistance Summaries series tracks the number of recipients of social assistance (welfare payments) in each province and territory. It was established by the Caledon Institute of Social Policy to maintain data previously published by the federal government as the Social Assistance Statistical Report. The data is provided by provincial and territorial government officials.
Tags: budget, disabilities, jurisdiction, participation, poverty
Posted in Social Security Delivery System | No Comments »
Spending big money is responsible – when it protects our human rights
Friday, April 30th, 2021
In extraordinary times such as these, it is important to put the dignity of people first, even if the government has to shoulder the fiscal burden on our behalf… our primary concern should not be about how much will be spent, but rather about how that spending will support a dignified life for each person and community it serves. Not, how much does it cost? But rather, what will we get for it?… It is the government’s duty to spend – and spend big – to support our economic and social rights.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, Health, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Ontario’s vision for social assistance is encouraging – but the budget tells a different story
Tuesday, March 30th, 2021
Last week’s provincial budget did not include significant funds for housing or other services that contribute to well-being… Current rates are woefully inadequate. The last time rates were increased was 2018. As the cost of living has continued to rise, this means that people have, in effect, had their rates cut during this period. To support people to live with dignity, social assistance must provide both sufficient income and access to services.
Tags: budget, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Human rights cities: The power and potential of local government to advance economic and social rights
Thursday, December 10th, 2020
… a growing number of local governments from across the world are turning to human rights to affirm a vision of more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable communities. Such places may be broadly categorized as “human rights cities.” … we offer a few key points for cities and municipalities of all sizes to consider to protect, promote, and fulfill human rights…
Tags: economy, homelessness, housing, ideology, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Let’s turn social assistance on its head to make it better
Thursday, November 26th, 2020
I can’t help but be struck by just how bad our social assistance system in Ontario is… social assistance incomes are grossly inadequate. They have been for decades… it is possible to imagine a social assistance system that supports, rather than degrades, the people who use it… we can do better. To start, we must re-imagine a social assistance system that is founded on dignity and human rights.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, participation, poverty, rights, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Welfare in Canada update (2020)
Saturday, November 21st, 2020
The report looks at how welfare incomes varied across every province and territory for four example households in 2019: Single person considered employable; Single person with a disability; Single parent with one child age two; and Couple with two children ages 10 and 15… Even where welfare incomes were highest, they fell short of the poverty threshold… 37 of the 40 scenario households receiving social assistance in the provinces were living in deep poverty
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Delivery System | No Comments »
Policy reflections about social assistance: Where we’ve been, and where we’re going
Wednesday, August 19th, 2020
We will need to think differently about social policy, so that our social safety net puts people and their social and economic rights at the centre. We need to rebuild our systems to promote equitable outcomes across race, gender, immigration status, disability, and for every person in Canada. Now’s the time to show that we truly are in all of this together.
Tags: budget, child care, disabilities, economy, featured, Health, housing, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Delivery System, Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Five good ideas for income supports in a post-CERB Canada
Friday, July 31st, 2020
… the notion that you can only have… a strong income support system or a thriving economy… is a false dichotomy, and our post-pandemic recovery requires us to move past this narrative… we need to fundamentally ensure that people with lived and living experience of poverty and income insecurity are at the centre of policy-making… Failing to put human rights at the centre of our efforts would be an abdication of our collective responsibility.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Policy Context, Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Defining disability for social assistance in Ontario: Options for moving forward
Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
A stable and well-functioning social support system for people with disabilities in financial need will be crucial during and after the crisis. This report explores the role of ODSP, the risks of narrowing the definition of disability, models of disability assessment from other jurisdictions, and alternative ways that the government could reform the program… A simplified assessment system would save time and money for applicants, medical professionals, legal clinics, adjudicators, and the Social Benefits Tribunal.
Tags: disabilities, Health, housing, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
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