[homeles_ot-l] Ontario's 2016 budget

[Linda Lalonde]

Hi folks,



Here's a quick summary of today's Ontario budget with some background links.
Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program are being increased by 1.5% across the board. Single people with no children will see that increase topped up so their total increase is $25 a month.
Low-income seniors will see the eligibility ceiling for the Ontario Drug Benefit increase to $19,300 from $16,018. They will pay $2 per prescription and no deductible. People whose incomes are higher than that will pay $7.11 per prescription and have their deductible increased from $100 to $170 annually.
Students with family incomes below $50K will get a non-repayable grant that will be higher than the average Ontario tuition - for college, it will be more than $2,768 and for university, more than $6,160. This is part of a restructuring of the entire OSAP program. Another component is the removal of the deduction of your tuition fees from your income taxes.
The children's activity tax credit is gone. This didn't benefit low-income families anyway because it was a credit towards taxes due rather than a direct credit.
Hospital funding which has been frozen for five years will be increased. 
The gas tax will increase by 4.3 cents per litre - for the "average family", this is an increase of about $8 a month. The income from this will go towards the cap and trade program to reduce climate change.
There are no new infrastructure commitments.
Finally, the minimum price of a bottle of table wine at the LCBO is going to $7.95 and the tax on a carton of cigarettes goes up $3.

The changes in social programs, including social assistance and housing, are at: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/ch1e.html
Student grants are at: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/bk1.html
Child care, elementary and high school, post-secondary and training are at: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/ch1c.html
Health care is at: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/ch1d.html
The Ontario retirement plan is at: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/ch1f.html


There is the promise of a Basic Income pilot that will be researched in 2016:
"In the 2015 Budget, Ontario introduced a consultation on social assistance rate restructuring. Through ongoing discussions, there emerged a clear consensus on the need to move policy considerations beyond social assistance rates to include aspects of the broader income security system.As a result, this year, the government will continue to engage with delivery partners, clients and sector advocates to chart the path to comprehensive reform that effectively reduces poverty, supports people in their efforts to participate in the economy, and provides human services in a way that makes sense to the people who need them. This process will look across government and at the broader income security landscape to ensure that various existing and future programs work together to help Ontarians. The government will also engage with First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities to ensure that the path forward recognizes unique challenges on- and off-reserve and helps all Ontarians live a better life.One area of research that will inform the path to comprehensive reform will be the evaluation of a Basic Income pilot. The pilot project will test a growing view at home and abroad that a basic income could build on the success of minimum wage policies and increases in child benefits by providing more consistent and predictable support in the context of today’s dynamic labour market. The pilot would also test whether a basic income would provide a more efficient way of delivering income support, strengthen the attachment to the labour force, and achieve savings in other areas, such as health care and housing supports. The government will work with communities, researchers and other stakeholders in 2016 to determine how best to design and implement a Basic Income pilot."

Linda.
“Look closely at the present you are constructing: it should look like the future you are dreaming.” - Alice Walker#yiv0576072901 -- filtered {font-family:Helvetica;panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}#yiv0576072901 filtered {panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}#yiv0576072901  filtered {font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}#yiv0576072901 filtered {font-family:Tahoma;panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}#yiv0576072901 p.yiv0576072901MsoNormal, #yiv0576072901 li.yiv0576072901MsoNormal, #yiv0576072901 div.yiv0576072901MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;}#yiv0576072901 a:link, #yiv0576072901 span.yiv0576072901MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv0576072901 a:visited, #yiv0576072901 span.yiv0576072901MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv0576072901 p.yiv0576072901MsoAcetate, #yiv0576072901 li.yiv0576072901MsoAcetate, #yiv0576072901 div.yiv0576072901MsoAcetate {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:8.0pt;}#yiv0576072901 span.yiv0576072901apple-style-span {}#yiv0576072901 span.yiv0576072901apple-converted-space {}#yiv0576072901 span.yiv0576072901BalloonTextChar {}#yiv0576072901 span.yiv0576072901EmailStyle21 {color:#1F497D;}#yiv0576072901 .yiv0576072901MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;}#yiv0576072901 filtered {margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}#yiv0576072901 div.yiv0576072901WordSection1 {}#yiv0576072901 

   

   

   

   

   

  
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