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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 »
Social Assistance Summaries: New numbers from across Canada
Friday, May 22nd, 2020
Social Assistance Summaries is an annual publication that reports on the number of people receiving social assistance (welfare payments) in each province and territory, and how those numbers have changed over time. It draws on data provided by provincial and territorial governments. The report also briefly describes social assistance programs in each province and territory.
Tags: budget, jurisdiction, participation, poverty
Posted in Social Security Delivery System | No Comments »
Submission to the Government of Ontario regarding a provincial poverty reduction strategy
Thursday, April 30th, 2020
Maytree outlines the principles that should make up the foundation of the province’s five-year poverty reduction strategy and illustrates how these principles translate into action. This strategy will be implemented amid and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis will have ripple effects across the province for years to come… It is crucial that Ontario’s poverty reduction strategy strengthens or builds systems to protect people from the worst impacts and facilitates an economic recovery that benefits all.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
What poverty reduction advocates should know about the updated poverty measure
Friday, February 28th, 2020
… the basket now includes the cost of cell phone services… actual rents… updated in line with inflation… Under the new measure poverty has fallen from 14.5% in 2015 to 11.0% in 2018… it’s designed to show the overall level of poverty across a population rather than determine if a particular household is in poverty… to track how poverty is changing in different regions and for different groups. It’s best used to inform poverty reduction efforts… the data shows that single working-age adults have one of the highest poverty rates.
Tags: ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
Changes to social assistance could harm, not help, people living in poverty
Wednesday, February 26th, 2020
The government is hoping to integrate employment and training services provided to social assistance recipients with Employment Ontario. Currently, municipalities are responsible for delivering these services for social assistance recipients, but the proposed reforms would transfer responsibility to Service System Managers across 15 regions in the province. These organizations can be municipalities or non-profit or for-profit entities, and they will be selected through a competitive process… similar reforms in Australia and the UK have been riddled with problems.
Tags: budget, ideology, participation
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
System transformation in Ontario Works: Considerations for Ontario
Thursday, January 9th, 2020
… until better outcomes are precisely defined, funding mechanisms developed to facilitate a more integrated system, and policy goals and purposes outlined that put people at the centre of reform, a strong case has not yet been made for the government’s proposed reforms.
Tags: budget, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
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