Poverty

Poverty Free Ontario promotes a two-track approach to social assistance reform calling for a first track of immediate implementation of the $100/month Healthy Food Supplement as the important initial step toward establishing adequate benefit levels for all adults on OW and ODSP. While this action is taken now, the second track of the longer-term re... view and reform process for upgrading social assistance should get underway. Poverty Free Ontario calls on Commissioners Lankin and Sheikh to issue an interim report prior to the provincial election: expressing their intent to propose a comprehensive plan for ending deep poverty in Ontario by 2015 so that no individual or family on OW or ODSP must live on incomes below 80% of LIM-AT (i.e. in "deep poverty" using Ontario's official poverty line); and recommending that the Ontario Government of whatever political make-up introduce the $100/month Healthy Food Supplement without waiting for the release of the Commissioners' final report. An interim report by the Commissioners in early September would help the community to make poverty eradication an issue during the provincial election campaign.Read More