The Council of Community Living Ontario and Community Living Ontario have expressed their disappointment in the government’s announcement that they will reduce the support rates to recipients of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works from 3 per cent to 1.5 per cent come September 1st and October 1st, respectively.
In a letter to the Hon. Lisa MacLeod, Minister, Children, Community and Social Services, sent on Aug. 2nd, James Taylor, President, Council of Community Living Ontario and Jim McNamara, President, Community Living Ontario spoke on behalf of the more than 73,000 Ontarians who have an intellectual or developmental disability and who rely on ODSP to pay for desperately needed living expenses.
They indicated that the planned reduction, which will result in $17.50 less than what was expected, will no doubt come with some difficult decisions for recipients, including food purchases, transportation and other basic needs.
It is a decision that is punitive and comes on the backs of the province’s most vulnerable citizens.
Community Living Ontario recognized there are shortcomings with the current Social Assistance program, something the now-cancelled Basic Income Pilot Project was intended to explore and wants to work with the government to examine the critical items announced in the March 2018 Budget that have now been repealed.
The collective aim must be to lift people up and provide them with more jobs and more opportunities.
To read the complete letter, please CLICK HERE.
A meeting between representatives from Community Living Ontario and Hon. Lisa MacLeod, Minister, Children, Community and Social Services, scheduled for August 29th, was postponed by McLeod until a date later in September.
Does this reduction in support rates affect you and your family members?
If so, this presents a perfect opportunity to get to know your new local Member of Provincial Parliament: