[homeles_ot-l] Fwd: IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ANNOUNCED

[Rob MacDonald]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) <isac at lao.on.ca>
Date: Wed, Dec 1, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Subject: IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ANNOUNCED
To: bobm at housinghelp.on.ca


 *TORONTO (30 Nov 2010)* – The Ontario government’s announcements today on
the social assistance review and special diet allowance program are both
welcome steps forward on the road to improved income security for Ontarians.


“This is the bold and broad review that we’ve been looking for, led by two
credible commissioners who we have confidence will lead an independent and
thoughtful review process,” says Mary Marrone, Director of Advocacy and
Legal Services for the Income Security Advocacy Centre.

“Frances Lankin brings solid social policy expertise. She led United Way
Toronto’s efforts to unmask poverty in this city and to give the financial
and policy support that help communities respond. Munir Sheikh has
demonstrated his personal integrity, and his commitment to the independent
research and data that are the foundations of evidence-based policy making.”


The review is important for low-income Ontarians as it opens up the
possibility of moving away from the discredited Ontario Works model that has
deepened poverty in the province. Ontario now has the opportunity to create
an income security system that offers real, meaningful supports to people in
need instead of humiliation and despair. And it has the possibility of
bringing real improvements to the lives of people with disabilities who rely
on the Ontario Disability Support Program.

“A review of this scope and complexity takes time, but important
improvements don’t have to wait,” says Marrone. “We’ll be urging government
to include immediate and significant increases to incomes in its spring
budget and to make the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council’s remaining
recommended changes to current OW and ODSP rules, in order to make life
better for people on assistance.”

Government also announced that it is looking to the 2008 Special Diets
Expert Review Panel’s report to improve the special diet allowance program
as an interim measure until the Social Assistance Review is complete.

“We’re very pleased that government stepped back from their decision to
cancel the program and that they are taking measures to bring the program
into compliance with the Human Rights Code,” says Marrone. “This move
extends the legal clinic system’s victory at the Human Rights Tribunal of
Ontario to everyone on the Special Diet Allowance program.”

- 30 -

*ISAC will be providing an analysis of the proposed changes to the Special
Diet Allowance in the coming days.*

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-- 
Rob MacDonald,

"Warriors, warriors we call ourselves.  We fight for
splendid virtue, for high endeavour, for sublime wisdom,
therefore we call ourselves warriors."
Aunguttara Nikaya
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