25 in 5 wrote to the Premier about the cancellation of the Special Diet Allowance, which will have an impact on several thousand OW and ODSP recipients, and the 1% increase to social assistance rates, which falls short of the inflation rate. You can read 25 in 5′s letter here.
We’ve received the following response from the Premier: (click here to download PDF)
May 6, 2010
Dear Mr. Creek and Mr. deGroot-Maggetti:
Thank you for your valuable feedback regarding poverty in Ontario. I appreciate the importance of this matter and want to acknowledge the hard work of your organization and its members in this regard.
Supporting the vulnerable and helping people succeed is not only fair but is also good for the economy. And, in this challenging economic climate, it is more important than ever. That is why, in the 2010 Ontario Budget – which will move forward our new, five-year Open Ontario Plan for jobs and growth – we committed to advancing our Poverty Reduction Agenda by:
- Increasing the adult basic-needs allowance and maximum shelter allowances for people on the Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works again this fall – the sixth increase made to rates since 2005
- Raising the minimum wage to $10.25 per hour on March 31, 2010.
- Through these initiatives, our government has made a permanent commitment to break the cycle of poverty.
My colleagues in the Ontario government and I remain deeply committed to the well-being of our province’s most vulnerable citizens.
As this important issue would best be addressed by the Honourable Laurel Broten, Minister of Children and Youth Services, I have forwarded a copy of your correspondence to her so that she or a member of her staff can respond to you directly.
Thank you again for writing. Please accept my best wishes.
Yours truly,
Dalton McGuinty
Premier
C: The Honourable Laurel Broten
Dalton is delusional if he thinks his itty bitty 1% increase in social assistance rates in the fall and his teeny weeny 75 cent increase in minimum wage per hour is going to cover the 2.1% annual increase in rent, the 2.8-3.3% increase in electricity just imposed May 1st, the 8% HST tax grab (the list of affected services and products can be found at http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/taxchange/taxable.html), the rate increases from companies like Union Gas for Natural Gas (which has quarterly increase (implemented on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1) every year , transportation cost to appointments (drastically affects those living in rural areas), and the increase in food prices. He and his “colleagues in the Ontario government” need to open their eyes, take the blinders or rose coloured glasses off, wake up and smell the coffee or do something because they are not seeing the WHOLE picture!
Of what use is a minimum wage of $10.25 hourly going to do for the disabled who can’t work? As for your increase in the fall of 2010 of 1% or $5.30 monthly,inflation will have eaten that up long before we ever see it. Your sixth increase in wages still leaves us far short of the Mike Harris cuts. I am still getting about 12% less than I was in 1994 and approximately half of what minimum wage currently is. Yeah, we have come a long way, unfortunately the wrong way. Hopefully your lying, cheating non caring attitude will be gone come the next election.
The only thing that can truly eleviate poverty are jobs, even $10.00 an hour jobs. That is at the root-cause of OW over-load.
For instance, my wife’s brother mentioned that his lawn-care company needed staff, so my wife suggested a person she knows who needs a job and has a family to support.
He started the very next morning.
As to O.D.S.P. recipients, they should get a base increase in the amount of at least $500 per month.
One of my friends is confined to a wheelchair living on his own in an Apartment that has wheelchair access. That extra money would really help this person out, allow him to get the proper foods, as he has a colostomy bad.
It seems prety obvious that both of these government programs are long-overdue for a top to bottom restructuring, to put the focus back onto their clients needs, instead of touting the bottom line to the rest of Ontarians who have never experience being on O.W. and O.D.S.P., or the poverty therein.
That’s sad!
My girlfriend currently gets $759.90 per month from ODSP and has no other source of income. That’s all she’s eligible to get. She’s a paraplegic, has to use a wheelchair, and has several other permanent health problems.
Before her accident she worked and was contributing much to society as an employed Canadian-born citizen.
Now she can’t work.
She has no pain-free days (or nights).
I’m on CPP-Disability myself, but I help her as best I can.
$759.90 per month!
(That’s after a recent tiny increase.)
That’s $9,118.80 annually.
That has to pay her rent, food, and ALL other expenses.
She owes money to a credit card which she canceled promptly after her accident about 10 years ago. She can’t pay off that debt, but collection agencies are still harassing and threatening her.
It’s depressing. She gets depressed.
Yes, she’s attempted suicide because of depression.
In my opinion, ODSP (and other programs for people with disabilities) should be increased to the poverty level, and benefits to the few fraudsters should be cut off.
I’ve read the above article.
Unfortunately, I see nothing in Premier McGuinty’s letter above that might help her situation.
That’s sad!
These budget cuts to ODSP are biased and unjust.
Premier McGuinty-have you ever tried to run a business solo,on ODSP or CPP monthly? Are you a diabetic Premier?Are you learning disabled,Premier? Are you self-employed Premier? Are you,Premier McGuinty on many medications,insulin,blood pressure pills,Immodium? Are you,Premier McGuinty on the now defunct Special Diet or Income Support that you unjustly took away from me?! I am sick and fed up with you+your Ministers and Liberal Party!! Anyone wishing to email me can: mbernstein165old@yahoo.com
I agree with you all’s…we are treated like we are not canadians,because we can’t work,we have to suffer more and are families…this is one of my situations with ODSP..ODSP took my dignity and my basic human rights,because i can,t work i,am being punish and my daughter,we have 1245 a month and her father pays 450 a month for support,but it goes to ODSP and not for me and her.so in reality they only have to pay me 845.it should not be that way.with that extra money i could of put it in a education fund for my daughter and rsp savings for me.My god where are my rights.and there is so much more that the ODSP is wrong and that there polocies will never let us get ahead.it will keep us in poverty and going to food banks..MY RENT is 875.can they do the math,because we are all starving.How can we save for the future,we do’t have a future if they don,t change the system.My god I have so much family around ontario,and they are so mad.they pay there tax and they never knew that ODSP work like welfare(ontario Works)They just could not beleive how they treath there tax money like that ,they make it seem like they are doing good thinks with the money for people that are disable,but they are starting to realize how.we are really kept in poverty and are basic human rights are being violated and never mind are dignaty.that gone.well the more people i make aware ,the government won’t have a choice in changing the system the way it works,they should to something are else i think and election will come soon if they don’t do something for people like me.when tax payers are getting mad in the way they are cheating the people that didn’t ask ,are was not there faulth thet they are disable and need help. they see what they are doing to us. so the more i tell people on how it really works the better for us.so keep on passing this around and maybe we will see real change happening for poor ,disable,parents,children,youth,seniors.we should have the same rights as workers.we didn’t ask to be disable.sylvie gravel.705-544-2124
I agree with all the people on here with disabilities, and I am one. I live just, barely every month and also have to pay child support of $70 a month , which is a big chunk out of my check and I feel my daughter deserves it but it does not even go to her. It goes to her dad’s beer and smokes and he works. I do not understand why I have to pay so mcuh for child support and do without eatting properly and have afew illness’s, that require I eat properly or I will get sicker and that is exactly what is happening. My daughter is 12yrs old and because of odsp ,she might not have her mom around as long as she should. Because of malnutrion , it makes me so mad that this is allowed , I believe I should pay something,but $70.00 a month is alot for someone who has to pay,rent, try to eat properly and she also comes to my house at least 5 out of 7 days a week and I have to feed her, but I don’t get any extra for that. I pay for her dad and his wife to drink and smoke ciggarettes and whatever else they do. They own two cars , a new van plus a jeep and pay $300.00 dollars a month because they live with a family member, so they only pay rent for a basement apartment and have total access to the whole house which they will probably inherit when the family member dies. It makes me so mad and my daughter does without alot if it weren’t for me not getting the things I need to get her things like clothing, which he never buys her unless it is something like a winter coat or boots and most of her clothes I buy second hand.She has never had a birthday party and she is haveing her 13th which is a big one for a child and I have saved $80.00 so far towards this and its right after christmas and he has not even offered to pay a cent towards this at all. She has never in her life had a really birthday party and I want this one to be a good one,considering it is her 13th, it is a special one and she deserves it. I am so tired of hearing from her about what her dad won’t do for her and he gets my child support plus child tax credit every month and works and makes not bad money. So how is this fair and now they want to take the special diet from us and I am on it permanently and if I lose that I will not be able to eat and will get sick and all because we are treated like criminals for having disabilities and cannot work. I do not want to end up in the hospital because of not having enough money to eat because of what I have to pay to live ,like an apartment and phone ,which I need if I ever have to call a ambulance for anything. When are we going to get a break from the government to live like a everyone else and not be lowered to live like this and it takes your dignity away and if you are a depressive person which I am ,it also causes me to be more depressed. But we have to do what they decide and its not right at all, why don’t we have a say in any of this ,we can write as many letters as we want and it changes nothing. But it does help to vent to other people in the same situation because you are the only ones that understand. Thank you
When are you people going to wake up…all levels of the Canadian government are deliberately keeping people in poverty…they are well aware of the funding shortfall, and just do not care. The reason? People on welfare do not vote…by keeping them out of the loop, the country is run by those who have large disposable incomes; deliberately feeding from the poor, because they have no honor. Civil servants and government officials only care about keeping their own employment going…much like our grandparents, who shaped this world that we live in…is it not strange that those who are the oldest have made the most money; while society grinds on, nobody else is able to make the same amounts of money; meaning that as time goes on, more and more people will continue to fall along the way…the rich keep getting richer; and make sure at the same time that the numbers of workers with disposable incomes keeps shrinking every year. The rich keep hiring more police to protect themselves from the poor…this trend will continue; and the addition of new laws to victimize those who aren’t at the top of the food chain will start coming soon…higher penalties, and new laws to protect the rich…wait for it. it’s coming!
Am afraid you are right,John. And Harper’s prison agenda is well on the way with new cells being built and double bunking rising from 6% to 40%. Prison rehabilitation programs are being cut.Such conditions lead to prison riots.
Construction money should be for “Supportive Housing”, Schools,Hospitals and Community Recreation Centres,not Prisons.
Employment should be for teachers,mental health workers,not prison guards.
Unless ,Harper’s “Stupid on Crime” agenda is stopped,even the Provinces will not have enough of our tax dollars for Health & Education.
We quickly become an uncivil society.
All i have to say to you and your greedy government, is i will be voting and many many people on ODSP and OW are not going to be voting for you’s and it is my personal opinion you cold hearted cronies hopefully will be going out….you sir are a inhumane uncaring person…women ,children, all disabled and down on there luck people are suffering!! All in the name of greed….as long as you get your gigantic raises why should you care.Your government someday will get what you deserve…in this life or the next. Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord!!
Here is something to keep in mind. I agree with everyone else and am only twelve so listen closely. I think that the ODSP needs to have some imagination and a positive opinion on whether people can vote or if they need to have money to live. Also people have every right to have their own opinion in a problem that they have. Anyways about the money that is getting raised up I think that it is great and that people who are raising it up really have a positive impact. I have a positive idea towards all of these problems. What you could do is maybe start a small business that is free and that the homeless can participate in. Some people may think that is a bad idea but it helps for everyone to get involved in many different and unique activities. Anyways I have one more idea that you could try and here it is. Another thing that you could try is tell people that you feel strongly about social justice issues and issues around the world and maybe people will take interest in what you’re saying.
it is simply human nature to think about ourselves but we should strive to think of the people who really need our help. you can do so much if you just donate two things to a food bank, but most people don’t bother. I think more people should try to take that extra step to help the hundreds of people living on the edge of poverty. To some people, an apple might think of it as a snack, when some people might think of it as as the nutrition for their whole day. Sometimes i find myself thinking about the fact that if people who have alot, our future could get much worst for the people who are suffering now. I donate to the food bank, and i sort food their too, and i’m only 12. if i’m helping, i’m sure you can help too.