O.D.S.P. ACTION COALITION

C/O SCARBOROUGH COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES, 695 Markham Rd., Suite 9, Scarborough, ON M1H 2A5

June 25, 2008

The Hon. Madeleine Meilleur

Minister of Community and Social Services
Hepburn Block, 6th Flr
80 Grosvenor St
Toronto ON M7A1E9

Dear Minister Meilleur:

Re: Meeting June 19, 2008

Thank you for meeting with representatives of the Coalition on June 19 and for seriously considering the concerns which we shared with you.

We trust that you will be a strong advocate within the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction, for placing the needs of people with disabilities within the strategy for action quickly, and not letting them be pushed off into some unknown "long range plan." Of primary importance to those living with a disability as well as those on Ontario Works who may also have significant barriers to employment, is the need for a significant raise in the income they receive to pay for shelter, food, personal needs, telephone, transportation, household costs, and all other needs including the additional costs of dealing with a disability.

We mentioned our support for the creation of an independent Social Assistance Rates Board to develop rational criteria to recommend social assistance rates, based on the real costs of shelter, adequate nutritious diets, and all other needs. This board should include social policy experts and those with lived experience of poverty. We understand a bill to create such a Board will be introduced, and hope you will support that bill.

We also urge you to reconsider the 50% tax on earnings of ODSP recipients. This is acting as a disincentive to many recipients who would like to work but find it extremely difficult to cope with the stresses of obtaining employment while dealing with all of the repercussions of their disability. Being able to keep at least enough of their earnings to bring themselves up to the poverty line would lead to better health, more ability to participate in the community, and ultimately more chance of increasing their level of employment.

Our Access Committee shared with you the results of a recent survey of recipients. Despite efforts by the Ministry to improve communications with recipients, provide more staff training, and restructure service delivery, we still find that there are many barriers which get in the way of ODSP recipients and applicants getting their needs met in a timely and dignified manner. As Minister responsible for the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities, you know that accessibility means more than physical access, but includes attitudes and policy barriers as well. The Coalition looks forward to continuing work with the Ministry on these kinds of issues.

We also shared the report of the Employment Supports Working Group convenience sample of recipients, family members and service providers, who generally were very consistent in their responses. While there was positive feedback on several of the November 2006 changes, there were also a number of areas that need improvement. The delivery of Employment Supports under the new model is not leading to enough quality well-paying jobs for recipients ready to work. Service providers and recipients alike feel that the funding formula does not adequately provide compensation for the whole range of services that are needed to assist people with disabilities to find and retain employment. And we also emphasized the need for better training and educational opportunities for people on ODSP. To that end, we are requesting that your officials facilitate a joint meeting with the appropriate people from the Ministry of Colleges, Training and Universities.

The last area we addressed was that of the new Ontario Child Benefit and social assistance rate restructuring. We expressed dismay that families on assistance will see so little additional income as a result of the new benefit. For some, having a reduced cheque just before the rent is due could put their housing in jeopardy. In particular, the cancellation of the Back to School Allowance which people expect to get in the very same month that the benefits are changed, is a real blow. It is not enough to say "talk to your caseworker" when families in many parts of the province are clearly not going to be given any replacement by their municipality. Even where municipalities may provide discretionary assistance, it is the province’s responsibility to ensure that the needs of children are provided for, equitably across the province.

We would also like to take this opportunity to comment on the Report of the Special Diets Expert Review Committee, which we did not have time to do in the meeting. We didn’t intend to comment on the individual recommendations for changes to the schedule, although some of the amounts in the current schedule are clearly very inadequate according to the health professionals you assembled. Rather, the most noteworthy point made by the report is that the current amount provided under the basic needs allowances cannot be assumed to be adequate to meet the Canada Food Guide minimum requirements. Until social assistance rates are brought up to allow people to purchase adequate nutritious diets as priced by the public Boards of Health, while being able to afford shelter and all other needs, there should be no cuts to any special diet amounts that recipients presently get.

We thank you again for the opportunity to bring forward the concerns of the organizations and individuals who support the goals of the ODSP Action Coalition.

Yours truly,

 

Nancy Vander Plaats,

Mike Yale,

Co-chairs, ODSP Action Coalition

cc. Norm Helfand, Director, ODSP branch